Book Printing: A Resurgence of Physical Books and Journals

I’ve read a number of articles recently that dispute the fact that print—and the printed book, in particular–is dead. I wanted to share some information from the articles because I find this new trend toward the coexistence of electronic media and print media to be heartening.

Article #1: “New Research Reveals Unexpected Positive Outlook for the Printed Book, Due to Love of the Medium”

This is a press release from Ricoh Americas Corporation on www.DigitalJournal.com. It discusses the findings of a Ricoh study called “The Evolution of the Book Industry: Implications for U.S. Book Manufacturers and Printers.”

Here’s a summary of Ricoh’s findings from their survey:

1. 1. According to the study, “Nearly 70 percent of consumers feel it is unlikely that they will give up on printed books by 2016.” Although many readers buy both e-books and print books, they still have an emotional attachment to the sensory elements of reading a printed book.

1. 1. Even though there is a push towards eBooks for class textbooks, the study found that college students still consider print books more conducive to study. Apparently, it’s harder to concentrate on screen-based reading material than on a print book.

1. 1. According to the study, “60% of eBooks downloaded are never read.” The growth of eBooks and eReaders has leveled off and is declining a bit.

1. 1. Although fewer print books are being produced, more titles are being sold. Digital custom printing has allowed publishers to only print books that will be purchased, rather than warehousing and then potentially destroying the overage. In some cases, publishers are starting with offset printed runs of books and then defaulting to digital printing for additional orders of popular titles.

1. 1. Digital inkjet printers are particularly useful in the new business model. According to the study, “just 50 production inkjet systems owned by 25 book manufacturers produced more than ten percent of all printed book pages in the US in 2012.” (Ricoh press release)

1. In spite of the growth in eBooks over the past several years, “even the largest publishers derive revenues of no more than 20-30 percent from eBook sales.” (Ricoh press release)

Article #2: “Online Publications See a Future in Print”

This LATimes.com article (by Matt Pearce, 12/13/13) notes that online news sources such as Pitchfork.com (indie music), Los Angeles Review of Books, New Inquiry (online journal), and Jezebel (feminist website) have branched out to include print editions.

Here are some of the findings of “Online Publications See a Future in Print”:

1. 1. By cultivating both an online and print presence, publishers are embracing a larger audience. This augments their bottom line.

1. 1. Although the Internet is perceived as more immediate and more conducive to two-way communication, print books and journals are more “authoritative” (www.latimes.com article) since they are permanent and unchangeable.

1. 1. The Internet lends itself to skimming a vast amount of information, but print books invite more focused and attentive reading of longer, more in-depth works.

1. 1. Books and journals committed to ink on paper are more likely to have higher production values (paper quality, design, etc.). They are usually produced in shorter runs as a boutique product, and are intended to be read and then kept for future reference. In many cases, they are not produced on as frequent a schedule as in prior years (quarterly rather than monthly, for instance).

1. 1. People like something tangible when they buy a product. You can hold a print book or magazine. An eBook does not have a physical presence.

1. Readers can avoid online ads and usually choose to do so. In contrast, many people acknowledge that they actually like the ads in magazines. From a business standpoint, print ads command a premium to online ads. Vendors prefer to spend money placing ads in print publications since the ads are actually read.

Article #3: “Independent Bookstores Turn a New Page on Brick-and-Mortar Retailing”

This Washington Post article (by Michael S. Rosenwald, 12/15/13) adds a few additional thoughts from the vantage point of a Frederick, MD, independent bookstore (Curious Iguana).

Here are some highlights of the Washington Post article:

1. 1. The growth of eBooks has leveled off.

1. 1. There is a new category of reader, the “hybrid reader,” who buys both eBooks and print books.

1. 1. People want time away from the screens they’re always reading. They want to do something that’s physical rather than virtual.

1. Indie bookstores such as Politics and Prose, Curious Iguana, Word, and Bookbug provide more than just easy access to books. People want the intellectual and social rewards that come from attending readings, classes, and associated trips provided by independent bookstores. They also like the fact that in many cases a portion of the print book sales proceeds will go to philanthropic causes.

This entry was posted on Friday, January 3rd, 2014 at 2:37 pm and is filed under Book Printing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.