Friday, May 29, 2020

How Is Coronavirus Affecting the Publishing Industry?

I believe the answer to this question is something that worries writers--and for good reason. Print books in particular are affected. In NJ where I live, the libraries are shut. It is doubtful that librarians are ordering new print books at this time. This is an important part of the publishing business. Brick and mortar bookstores are shut down as well, being deemed non-essential during the pandemic. Virtual book tours are now in demand. But how effective are they?

 Might readers be ordering more e-books? Theoretically that should be the case—but is it? Time will tell.

THE WRITER in its current newsletter observes: “A well-known fact of publishing: Sales of romances rise during tough times. When life is uncertain, most people want something to distract them, not remind them of the unpleasant things happening in their lives. The question is how long, if ever, people will yearn for distraction. Could pandemic books become a thing in the near term? Or are we a decade away from literarily grappling with the outbreak? History suggests the latter…The majority of people aren’t ready to read fiction or nonfiction focused on COVID-19.”

Anne Bogel, who hosts the book-focused podcast “What Should I Read Next?” observes that most of the readers she hears from want a pleasant distraction. People dealing with death, financial issues, and job insecurity in real life probably don’t want to read about those things in novels.

So should we be writing light, fluffy fiction with humor and whimsy? Is this all that publishers will be considering if they are, in fact, considering anything new at all?

Many publishers are currently on hiatus. Some of the small indie publishers have already been driven out of business.

Several fellow authors have written to let me know that their books which were scheduled for release have now been postponed for at least several months, others indefinitely. Fear of the virus currently dominates every aspect of our lives. Many millions of Americans have lost their jobs due to the lockdown of our country. Will these people want to sit at home and purchase e-books to read? Unfortunately, unemployment benefits last just so long.

But let me not be the author of gloom and doom mentality. Hopefully, the worldwide economy will open once again which is already starting to happen and the pandemic will eventually pass into the annals of the history books.

 Americans are nothing if not resilient and adaptable. Perhaps the publishing industry will prove to be as well.


Your thoughts and opinions welcome here.

18 comments:

  1. Great post, Jacquie!
    I definitely will NOT read (or write) novels about the virus. I read to escape reality, not to re-live it. But I don't want to read "fluff" books either. While I enjoy a little romance in the mysteries I read (and write), I am at heart a mystery/suspense girl.
    Although I previously had a publisher, all of my books are now self-published and, for me, it was a good decision. But for those authors with a publisher, I hope and pray the publishing industry rebounds - along with everything else in the world.

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    1. Hi Patricia,

      Since I am not self-published I do feel concerned about the situation for the small publishers. The big five pubs will survive. I don't know about the rest. Thanks for your thoughtful comments.

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  2. Jacquie, a perfect post for the times. Your questions are the ones I wonder about, and it's going to be interesting to see the statistics on what genres do the best during these times. I have always liked stories where either the gal gets the guy or the hero gets the villain, so those are my choices right now.

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    1. Maris,

      I am with you about "happy" or hopeful endings, regardless of genre. It's my preference. Life is difficult without reading depressing literature. As to how the virus will affect the publishing industry, as you say, we don't have the stats yet and can only theorize.

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  3. I think it's hard to know what the fallout will be. During the Depression there were a lot of light-hearted musical films, but also some serious Warner Brothers fare like I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang. And during WWII there was a lot of rah-rah patriotic films but even before the war ended the main film noir cycle of dark movies began in 1944 with Double Indemnity Murder, My Sweet and others. So it's really hard to say. I hope people will keep reading and watching all kinds of things.

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    1. Paul,

      I agree that we need a variety of literature, both serious and light-hearted.

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  4. Great points Jacqueline!
    I'm sure readers will keep reading, especially being shut in so much.
    Hopefully
    Good luck and God's blessings
    PamT

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  5. Thanks for commenting, Pam. I hope you're right,

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  6. As always, a great post, Jacquie. My ebook sales are up about 20% since the end of March, which could be due to more people reading, or the first book in my humorous mystery series being offered for free. And I'm certainly reading more although I should be writing! I just want everyone to stay safe!

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  7. Cynthia,

    Thanks for weighing in with helpful information.

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  8. I feel like humans need stories and have since the dawn of time. Trying to guess which ones is usually an iffy bet, at best. Let's write the stories in our hearts and trust that some of the avid readers out there will find their way to them. Booksellers are our partners in this, hosting all sorts of outside-the-box events and doing curbside and partnering with online sellers to get their shipping up to par. Apparently Powell's in OR had to hire back 100 workers! So even if we're just looking for something to read, versus write, we can still support the book ecosystem.

    Thanks for starting this conversation!

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  9. Jenny,

    Thanks for sharing this information as well as your positive attitude.

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  10. I have my own small press (after 2 that I was published with went under -- and nothing to do with Covid-19). I am finding my ebook and audiobook sales are up, not down, and even selling more paperbacks. I'm releasing a multi-author anthology in June and pre-orders are on pace with last year.

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    1. Judy,

      I'm glad you are doing well. So many small publishers do go under, but many times it's because of mismanagement.

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  11. Very good post, Jacquie, and timely. You've defined the big question--what will publishing look like when the pandemic is over and we can assess the damage to the world as we knew it. I wish I had a crystal ball, but alas . . . All we can do is wait, watch, and try something new if necessary.

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    1. Susan,

      The world as we know is undergoing a dramatic shift. All thinking people need to be concerned.

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  12. Eek. I missed this one and the topic is still timely and interesting! I'm not reading much "heavy" stuff these days and I decided not to even write a short story about the pandemic. However, I wrote one about racism and the white guilt, and found it cathartic. It was pretty autobiographical. Thanks for this one; hope your publishers continue to thrive.

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  13. Great post! I'll suggest another book for summer reading: The Ticket. Read all about it at https://shackelford1.wixsite.com/mysite

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