Read On...
By Louise McCarron

Huge book promotions and
booming sales might mean that
more of us are reading books,
but does all this hype mean
less choice for consumers?

The book trade has had a buoyant year, helped along by campaigns such as the BBC’s Big Read and the phenomenally successful Richard & Judy's Book Club. The ten nominated titles are still enjoying a huge increase in sales 3 months after the first televised 'Nibbles'. Richard & Judy are now promoting a summer book club that will promote further titles.

‘These promotions are generally very positive,’ says Henrietta Knight, manager of The Falmouth Bookseller which was voted Independent Bookseller of the Year in 2003. ‘Anything that encourages reading and an interest in books is a good thing. But the shortlist for Richard & Judy’s Book Club didn’t have any surprises – I’d have liked to have seen some newer books that hadn't already been given lots of exposure’

With all this interest, life should be looking pretty rosy for the publishing industry. Book sales are up, the number of book clubs and reading groups is steadily growing and both retailers and libraries are reporting an increase in demand. The chain Borders are so confident in the increased interest in books that they have just announced they will be opening several more stores in the UK this year and next.

But are these promotions broadening the general appeal of reading and the types of books being read, or are we simply seeing an increase in sales among the most heavily marketed titles?

‘Promotions such as The Big Read and the Richard & Judy Summer Book Club are surprising one-offs,’ says Nicholas Clee, Editor of The Bookseller. ‘They’re a welcome boost for sales, but the current trend within the publishing industry is to concentrate promotional efforts on fewer titles, which is seen to be more effective. The industry is getting more sales out of fewer books rather than finding loads of new readers’.

So is the market skewed towards heavy promotions of well-known names, or is there room for up and coming writers? ‘New authors are doing as well as ever and publishers are desperate for new talent', says Clee. ‘But a lot of today's best-selling authors took years to establish their careers. The concern within the industry is that writers who are steadily developing their profile will be marginalised as publishers hype the next ‘big thing’. But books are holding their own against other media. They continue to be very newsworthy and haven’t lost their relevance’.