The pandemic has had something of a strange effect on the world of book publishing. Shut-down bookstores and closed classrooms initially depressed sales in the market, particularly of educational books. But that drop-off has reportedly been replaced and even surpassed by consumer demand for printed books to be read during the pandemic.
With so many people stuck at home and activities from concerts to movies off limits, people have been reading a lot — or at least buying a lot of books. Just in the US, print sales by units are up almost 8 percent, audiobook revenue is up more than 17 percent over the same period in 2019 and e-book sales, which had been declining for the past several years, are up more than 16 percent.
A run of summer bestsellers, demand for parents for more children’s books and a surge in interest in books about social justice are just some of the reasons for the surge.
Still, independent bookstores have been through a lot so, whether you are an avid reader or you have rediscovered your love of reading, please support one in your area because losing an independent bookstore is a huge blow to a community.
Source: NY Times
[https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/29/books/book-publishing-2020.html](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/29/books/book-publishing-2020.html)
