I arrived home late last evening from the London Book Fair with a notebook full of publishing notes, marketing ideas, and to-do lists. After three days of go! go! go!, I’m ready for weekend to start early – like right now. But I wanted to share some of the information about the publishing industry I learned at the fair before collapsing in my reading chair. *Please note: Facts and figures refer to the UK market, but I assume trends carry over to other markets as well*

• Volume and spending on books of all types was down by 3% in 2017, but overall the trend is upward.
• Paperbacks are still the backbone of the industry with 71% of purchases.
• The strong growth of ebooks has peaked. The volume and spending on ebooks fell dramatically.
• Audiobooks are growing strongly. This is a fertile growth area!
• Younger females and 55+ readers are moving…