Tight Economy Should Work in Paperbacks' Favor, Say Publishers

By Karlene Lukovitz 

Paperback sales were somewhat soft last year. Domestic net sales for the adult mass market category dipped 2%, to $839.2 million, while the adult paperback category was flat (up 0.2%, remaining at $1.4 billion for the year), according to The Association of American Publishers.

But publishers expect a strong 2008, in part because the tightening economy is actually likely to work in paperbacks’ favor.

“Given the economy, there should be opportunities for mass market,” says Jocelyn Schmidt, VP, director of sales, adult mass merchandise, Random House. “People are being much more careful with their dollars; their discretionary funds are reduced. So if they’re going to treat themselves, they’re likely to do it on a smaller scale, such as an impulse buy of a book they know they’ll enjoy.”

Schmidt is also optimistic about the new Bantam Discovery imprint, which each month will simultaneously publish both a mass market and trade paperback format of the same title. The first Discovery selection, Tess Stimson’s The Adultery Club, debuted in the U.S. in February with a mass market price of $5.99 and a trade format price of $12. (It was previously a bestseller in the U.K.) Last year, Bantam Dell announced that it would support the new imprint with a seven-figure marketing budget.  

“This is a way for us to expand beyond blockbusters, and give the reader more options,” says Schmidt.

There are also growing opportunities lie in cross-merchandising, as retailers seek to become full-service destinations and customers spend time in areas other than the main aisles, she adds. “There are many possibilities--health-oriented books in the pharmacy area, cookbooks in other areas, for instance,” she says. “Lots of operational aspects have to come together to make this work, so we should all be working together the help make sure that it happens.”

Schmidt adds that many retailers have been increasing sales by promoting book discounts. “Those that haven’t might want to take a look at that,” she says.

Overall, “It should be a really good year for mass market, as long as we partner with retailers on in-store promotions, advertising and merchandising,” she says.

At MacMillan’s St. Martin’s Press, VP, wholesale sales, St. Martin’s Paperbacks Edward Gabrielli says continued sales growth is expected within mass market as a result of new releases from leading authors such as Janet Evanovich and new genres like “paranormal romance,” as well as the popularity of the publisher’s premium (larger-format) paperback offerings.

“Book of the Month” promotion programs at major retailers such as Wal-Mart, Target and Kroger, backed by significant marketing and in-store promotion, have “really borne fruit,” and authors’ Web sites are driving interest and sales, as well, Gabrielli adds.

Current challenges for paperbacks include losing some shelf space to competitive categories and reductions in titles carried by financially strapped wholesalers.

Longer-term, of course, traditional books will be competing increasingly with book and other content available on the Internet and digitally, and for the time and dollars of younger people who spend much of their time on the Net and with games, Gabrielli acknowledges.