Sales of printed books continued to decline. The growth rate of audio books also slowed down.
The difficult last year is also reflected in the book sector. Inflation and general price rises are reflected in consumer caution. Books are not the first thing people buy. Christmas sales in particular were weaker than usual.
According to last year’s book sales statistics, publishers’ sales of printed books fell by 7% compared to the previous year. This figure does not include textbooks.
However, audio books compensated for the decline, with an increase of around 10%.
In recent years, audiobooks have been driving the book industry to good results. However, their use is also starting to reach a limit, as growth has slowed down.
The sale of digital formats, i.e. audio and e-books, already covers 46 percent of publishers’ sales in euros.
It seems that in the near future the sales of e-books will outpace printed books.
\\- I still believe in the future of the printed book. Books that are listened to are very different from those that are read. Reading a printed book offers concentration and a different kind of brain exercise, says Karlsson.
Publishers’ sales are calculated from books sold to retailers. Books sold to libraries are also included in the figures.
Nukutussatu continues in first place
The year’s book sales statistics have now been published for the second time, so that the total number of copies includes all formats.
The Swedish behavioral scientist’s work became a global phenomenon already in the year of its publication in 2015. It has also been very popular in Finland all these years. It was also the best-selling book of the previous year.
The book apparently works, because it seems that the children listen to it night after night.
The book’s overwhelming popularity, especially as an audiobook, reveals the differences in statistical methods in different formats. When a child wants to listen to the same fairy tale every night, each listening time is recorded in the data of the reading time service. If a child wants to read the same printed book every night, it will not be reported anywhere.
*Hilduri*, set in Iceland, sold a total of 78,700 copies. That’s quite a number for a debut novel. Hildur has been specifically listened to, because only 14,900 copies of it have been sold in print.
*The wild song of the swamp* shows how audio books extend the life cycle of books. Books that are years old are rarely even displayed in bookstores.
Ilkka Remes still popular
On the printed book side, the sales figures have dropped dramatically, if compared to the figures from more than ten years ago. Back then, the best-selling book could reach the 100,000 mark.
From the top three domestic fiction books below, you can see how low sales volumes have sunk on the printed book side.
It is interesting how different the most popular books are in audiobooks compared to printed books. The top three audiobooks have different names.
You can view more listings of last year’s most popular books on the pages of the Finnish Publishing Association.
Bookstores went even quieter
The past few years have been successful for publishers thanks to the popularity of audiobooks.
Sales in bookstores have not gone as well. Book sales fell by about nine percent compared to the previous year. If the sale of textbooks is included, the bill is more than 12 percent.
The expansion of compulsory education that came into effect a couple of years ago has reduced the number of people doing business in bookstores. Pupils no longer buy books themselves from the bookstore, but the municipalities order the books directly from educational institutions.
\\- Bookstores have already experienced the worst decline. The future may be influenced by the fact that young people will no longer get used to doing business in bookstores. When acquiring textbooks, you could also be interested in other books that were visible, says Laura Karlsson.
*Which book do you remember from last year? You can discuss the news on 27.1. until 11 p.m.*