From The Bookseller:
Book trade executives are optimistic and bullish about 2017, despite the political uncertainty of Brexit, looming European elections and Donald Trump taking up office in the US this month.
Publishing chief executives, leading agents and booksellers have given their predictions for the year ahead, with the overall outlook positive on the back of a second consecutive year of rising print sales.
Opportunities for the trade include an increase in export sales following a decline in the value of the pound, desire to read deeper non-fiction books in a so-called “post-truth world” heralding a “golden era” for the genre and the continuing boom in audio book sales –with Hacehtte UK chief executive Tim Hely Hutchinson predicting a 25% year-on-year growth in the format in 2017.
Ethnic diversity numbers will increase across the industry, foresees Pan Mac c.e.o Anthony Forbes Watson and the trade will then turn its head towards economic diversity in its staff. HarperCollins’ c.e.o Charlie Redmayne believes that the diversity initiatives of 2016 will continue in 2017, “fundamentally changing the look of our industry and the books which we produce – ultimately growing our businesses and making us more relevant to the society in which we live”.
Meanwhile, the perennial quest of how to reach new readers in an unpredictable age will be the focus for Penguin Random House’s chief Tom Weldon.
. . . .
While most are optimistic about the year ahead, there are some who are concerned about its prospects, particularly taking into account wider political events.
“Anyone who is optimistic about a world where a homophobic, racist, lying braggart is the president of the most powerful country in the world, and where Britain deserts its friends and allies in Europe is missing the greater part of their cerebral cortex,” according Profile’s c.e.o Andrew Franklin.
Link to the rest at The Bookseller
PG is not terribly impressed by the methods these experts utilize to forecast future book sales.
Ritually slaughtering an animal and examining its entrails might produce more accurate results.
“post-truth world” What does that even mean? ::head shake::
What Deb said below. Basically in a post-truth world there is no objective, only subjective. Why this would lead to a desire to read deeper non-fiction books, I don’t know. If all that matters is opinion, especially ones own opinion, why bother with research?
In a purely subjective world, you’d better be reading non-fiction books on survival, because that society won’t be around for long.
People can ignore reality for a while, but it’ll come back to eat them before long.
+1
It means that they’ve lost.
“Post-truth world” = “world of lies.” There, sorted that for ya.
It seems lately that truth is whatever the best-funded mindless blowhard says it is. I reject it all.
My authentic response was a giggle as I imagined “world of lies” in the original article. Thanks for that!
Hasn’t academia been promoting the idea of subjective truth for decades now?
Not in the science wing. No.
Yes, academia has had its head up its ass for at least a generation.
@Deb
LOL.
Ron Ziegler (Nixon’s press secretary) during the Watergate revelations that exposed Nixon’s plethora of lies and getting lambasted by the White House press corps:
“This is an operative statement. All previous statements are inoperative.”
Is this some sort of parody from The Onion?
“Is this some sort of parody from The Onion?”
No, my understanding is The Onion rejected this piece as too far gone even for them. (Which says sad things indeed for this so-called ‘The Bookseller’ …)
HP and the SS is the 2nd best selling SF&Fantasy book on this “automatically generated every hour” Amazon page.
https://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Kindle-Store-Science-Fiction-Fantasy/zgbs/digital-text/668010011
Another 5 are within the top 20, and others fall within the top 100, even though these are easily available from most libraries and, given their past sales figures, everyone who can read should own 1 or 2 copies by now.
Thus, why not celebrate 20 years of HP? It’s what people are buying!
‘Ritually slaughtering an animal and examining its entrails’
I always knew PG was a classicist. Stick with traditions that work.
No, no… everyone knows you get the best results from charring a shoulder blade and looking at the cracks.
I prefer tea leaves or weighted dice.
I vote for tea leaves. Not as messy.
If you’re looking at a shoulder blade, though, you have to have cleaned it without using iron. Ask any Celt.
@ Karen
Magic 8 Ball for me. 🙂
Just be sure not to throw the sacred chickens overboard!
As an animal lover, I prefer the Tarot…
I wish you all could see how wide I’m grinning right now.
My next major release is a novel titled Gunslinger to the Stars. Such a perfect year for this book! 😀
Oh, come on. Like that’s never happened before! And they forgot misogynist, anyway.
“This is going to be the best year ever. Except, maybe not.”
Real good prognostication there, folks. Makes me want to buy shares in BPHs for sure. Yeah. No.