First, thank you for reading HOWEVER you’re reading. You might be buying paperback books, buying ebooks, or buying audiobooks. You might be reading in KU. Or reading and/or listening through your library. All of that is a tremendous support to authors!
While there are still many who prefer paperbacks (and we treasure you people) I’ve personally watched the sales of the digital versions of my books grow enormously. Back when my first Christian romance, My Stubborn Heart, released in 2012, just 7% of the units that sold in the first royalty period were digital copies.
Five years later, when True to You released in 2017, 26% of the units sold in the first royalty period were digital copies.
Five years later, when Turn to Me released in 2022, that number had risen to 50%.
With my most recent Sons of Scandal series (which I published independently) audiobooks, ebooks, and Kindle Unlimited accounted for approximately 90% of the unit sales and also 90% of my income as an author in 2024.
We’ve experienced a tremendous shift in how readers consume books. Authors navigating the seas of publishing over the last fifteen years have been on a wild ride! It’s also been wonderful because 1) people are still reading! And 2) it’s more possible than ever before for authors to publish and distribute their work themselves–and for readers to access their books in all the ways and formats they enjoy.
So, in this current publishing landscape, what’s one powerful way–in addition to reading books yourself–that you can help authors?
Request that your library carry your favorite books.
Here’s another statistic from my files… 25% of my income in 2024 came from Memory Lane and Rocky Road’s audiobooks. And the lion’s share of that came from libraries who purchased those audiobooks for their patrons. Why did so many libraries purchase those books? Because readers asked them to.
I’m thankful!
Here’s my encouragement to you . . . . Even if you yourself are a paperback-only reader, if you request Memory Lane, Rocky Road, and Uneasy Street (or other books by Inspired by Life authors or Christian fiction authors) in paperback as well as audiobook and ebook format via your library, and your library goes on to purchase those books, you’ve just made those novels available to a wide range of fellow readers. And you’ve helped authors, too!
I’d love to hear! Has the way that you consume books changed in the past 15 years? If so, how?
Becky Wade
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15 years ago I consumed strictly paperback books. Now I usually have a digital book and a paperback book that I am reading, although the digital book is usually read slower since I still prefer paperback over digital.
Like you, I read in more than one way now. I always have an audiobook going and I always have a book on my bedside table (usually in ebook form but sometimes in paperback). 🙂
I’ve been a Kindle reader for quite some time. Before Covid, the price of e-books was lower than print so I was able to purchase more books by going that route, along with other reasons for preferring that format. However, I’ve seen a dramatic increase in the price of traditionally published e-books over the last year or so (pre-Covid it was typically $10 and now it’s not unusual to see a price of $19) which has had me switching to buying more paper books. Unfortunately, I am just plain out of space for paper books (every reader can probably relate HA!). And so now I’m left with a dilemma… do I buy fewer books to allow for the higher prices on Kindle? Do I switch to purchasing audiobooks, which oddly enough can be cheaper than the e-book in a lot of cases? Requesting from the library is quickly going to become an important option. As a reader who buys books largely to support authors (the amount I buy vs the amount I wind up reading is vastly different), it’s a bit disconcerting.
It’s perplexing to me when the ebook is priced higher than the paperback! While I certainly understand how much work goes into the writing and publishing of a novel and believe that authors should be compensated, I have a hard time understanding why a digital product would be priced higher than a physical product since a paperback carries with it more costs (for printing and distribution). Hmm. These publishers must have determined that high ebook prices maximize profit. However, some readers won’t pay those prices. Which means fewer unit sales.
Yes! 100% agree that authors should be compensated. But it is definitely baffling that an e-book is now higher priced than something that requires so much more to produce and ship. And I’m afraid authors’ compensation is going to be impacted given your statistics. And this is in an environment where authors are already struggling with sales.
Hear, hear! Check your local public library website to see if there’s an online purchase recommendation form. Hopefully the adult collections librarians/selectors can get it even if you don’t see it available in print or on Libby right away.
I love holding a book, but over the past 15 years, I have transitioned almost entirely to digital books for several reasons. The biggest reason is that I always have my phone with me. I have the Kindle. Libby, and Bookfunnel apps on my phone. I can read anywhere, and I don’t have to remember to bring a book with me. My husband receives digital credits on Amazon for some of our purchases, which means more digital book purchases for me. 🙂 He lets me have them all, and I use them to support my author friends. Also, as my eyes get *cough* “more mature,” it is easier to read a lit screen than a printed page.
I make sure to request all my favorite authors’ books at my library when they are coming out and purchase my favorites for my Kindle library, as well as for friends and family I want to introduce to my favorite authors. Yours are some of my favorites, Becky! Your writing inspires me!