Business of Consumer Book Publishing 2010 is the latest edition of Simba's flagship market intelligence report for the U.S. trade book publishing industry. This all-new edition contains the valuable consumer book information leading publishers, printers and retailers have come to rely on year after year.

As with past editions, Simba presents:

• A multi-year analysis of three major bestseller lists.
• Profiles of 20 leading publishers.
• Simba's signature strategic examination of 18 major subject categories (with a 5-year statistical analysis showing the growth of each).
• Projections and insights on what categories will both drive and hamper market expansion.
• Fresh analysis and perspective about critical trends facing trade book publishers today, including the growing influence of the Internet on all parts of the publishing process, the challenge to encourage reading in a society increasingly pressed for time, and the price wars fueling competition between book superstores and big box stores.

Once again, the report features coveted demographic information, compiled from Experian Simmons' trusted National Consumer survey which determines exactly who's buying the books and where they are buying them.

Our category analysis chapter provides title output, sales, case studies, and analysis of leading publishers and bestselling titles for the following subjects:

• Art
• Biography
• Business
• Classic literary fiction
• Computers/technology books
• Cookbooks
• Graphic novels
• Health & fitness
• How-to
• Mystery
• Political commentaries/current events
• Reference
• Religious/inspirational
• Romance
• Science fiction/fantasy
• Self-help
• Sports
• Travel

We include detailed strategic and financial profiles of companies such as Andrews McMeel Publishing, Dark Horse Comics, Encylopaedia Britannica, Hachette Book Group, Harlequin Enterprises, HarperCollins, Harry N. Abrams, Health Communications Inc., Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Trade & Reference Publishers, Hyperion Books, Kensington Publishing Corp., Macmillan, Meredith Corp., Penguin Group, Random House Inc., Rodale Inc., Scholastic, Simon & Schuster Inc., Thomas Nelson, John Wiley & Sons Inc., Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble Inc., Books-A-Million and Borders Group Inc.

Simba takes a measured approach to developing its market size and forecast figures, and presents its findings in a no-nonsense fashion. Our clients can count on the objectivity and accuracy of our numbers and analysis-whether they're preparing a strategic presentation, benchmarking their company's performance against that of their competitors, or seeking out an acquisition, a new partnership or an alliance.

This 'state of the industry' report is a must-have for any executive who wants to stay on top of a rapidly changing market-and see what's expected down the road.

Additional Information

STAMFORD, CT, July 19, 2010-Simba Information, publisher of the groundbreaking Trade E-Book Publishing and Trends in Trade Book Retailing report series, has released its annual Business of Consumer Book Publishing report which contains the recommendation that trade publishers should promote the activity of reading instead of just the product of a book.

“We haven’t seen the most encouraging data about book consumption habits,” said Michael Norris, senior analyst for Simba Information. “Publishers and other members of the consumer book value chain tend to be avid readers who know a lot of other avid readers, but they often forget that over 90 million adults in the U.S. didn’t buy a single book last year, and many of those who did only bought one or two titles.”

Potential employees should have an answer ready at interviews when asked ‘Why read?” and new workers at publishing houses and bookstores should be required to give a talk on the value of reading at public schools or other forums as a condition of employment, Norris suggests. Publishers should also value retail channels, such as chain and independent bookstores, above others since they are highly motivated to promote future reading.

The report also cautions publishers not to expect their content to be valued just because it has been made easier to consume, and the report points to the surprisingly slow growth of e-book consumers in the U.S. According to the report, print book buyers outnumber e-book buyers about six to one.

The report, which contains over 100 charts and graphs, features a new analysis of list price trends, as well as a comprehensive review of the format trends of bestselling titles for over a dozen key consumer categories (including Biographies, Cookbooks, Political Science, Business, Mystery, Self-Help and Graphic Novels) over a five-year period.  The report also projects where these and other categories will head in the future—and which ones are the most vulnerable to competition from online sources. 

Business of Consumer Book Publishing features data on consumer demographics drawn from data Simba complied from Simmons Market Research Bureau’s national consumer survey, arguably the best and most comprehensive resource available for demographic analysis. As with previous editions, the report offers data analysis from a number of highly respected sources, such as the Association of American Publishers (AAP), Simba’s own Book Publishing Report newsletter, proprietary e-book and print book research, Simmons Market Research Bureau and Stuart Johnson & Associates.

About Simba Information

Simba Information is widely recognized as the leading authority for market intelligence in the media and publishing industries. Simba's extensive information network delivers top quality, independent perspective on the people, events and alliances shaping the media and information industry. Simba provides consulting and reports that offer key decision-makers at more than 15,000 client companies around the globe with timely analysis, exclusive statistics and proprietary industry forecasts.