Publishing in 2021: Top Literary Agent Shares Trends
For the publishing industry, 2020’s unprecedented restrictions and challenges due to the COVID-19 global pandemic brought unexpected gains. In all, there were 751 million print books and 191 million e-books sold last year, representing an 8 percent growth in sales in 2020 compared with 2019 sales.
Since last year, we’ve experienced varying degrees of lockdown, which changed our reading preferences and habits. While many publishers delayed publication of some of their titles, and bookstores saw layoffs, it wasn’t all bad news for the mainstream publishing industry, according to Laurie McLean, director of the San Francisco Writers Conference (SFWC), during an online presentation.
“The publishing world pivoted to social media promotions and online bookselling. They figured out how their staff could remotely work from home. And publishing thrived. In fact, 2020 was one of the most profitable years for the industry in a long time,” said McLean, a literary agent and founding partner of Fuse Literary.
Last year’s sales were driven by a great need for content as people stayed at home due to the pandemic, said McLean. Children and other students needed books for both learning and entertainment. Cookbooks and DIY nonfiction sales skyrocketed as people found more time to cook and deal with repairs around the house.
McLean gave an overview of some of the latest trends in the industry, citing statistics from NPD BookScan, and shared her expectations for the near future. McLean’s presentation, “New Year, New Day in Publishing,” was organized by the SFWC and the Mechanics’ Institute. It was held on March 27, 2021. Below are the highlights of her presentation.
2020 Book Sales
· 751 million print books and 191 million e-books sold last year.
· Backlist titles grew by 4 percent (14 million more backlist titles sold in 2020 compared with 2019).
· Trade paperbacks were up by 36 million units, one of the highest gains in 2020.
· E-books grew by 19 million units (12.6% growth).
Book Trends
· Nonfiction book sales increased, benefitting from the Black Lives Matter, #MeToo, and social justice movements in the U.S. and abroad.
· Manga sales skyrocketed.
· Online book sales rose 43%.
What to Expect This Year
“Everything came to a screeching halt last year with the pandemic, but the publishing world took a deep breath, pivoted, and developed a plan,” said McLean. “I expect book sales to continue to grow this year.”
Here are some of McLean’s bullish predictions:
· Virtual book promotion is here to stay. It will accelerate as new methods are tried and either discarded or adopted.
· Online book sales will continue to grow as online shopping for most things is now part of many people’s routines.
· Small indie bookstores understand the importance of community, so they will rebound.
· Alternative publishing formats are starting to emerge (Serial Box, Radish, Crazy Maple Studio, and Tapas Media).
· Audiobooks could be huge for independent/self-published authors.
“If 2020 was the year of consolidation, 2021 will be the year of innovation,” said McLean. “We’ve adapted our routines and our processes in order to survive COVID-19. Now it’s time to innovate to thrive.”
The SFWC is a nonprofit corporation that donates money and services to charities that support writing. The organization holds an annual writers’ conference, which boasts of one of the largest faculties of any writers’ conference. The Mechanics’ Institute is a leading cultural center in the San Francisco Bay Area. Members enjoy the full services of MI’s library and chess room, special events, lectures, programs, and classes.
Learn more about McLean’s Presentation:
New Year, New Day in Publishing
Learn more about the San Francisco Writers Conference.
Learn more about the Mechanics’ Institute.