Duplicating outside the screen's confines is no longer an issue
2023 kicked off with a surge in the production of books and brochures in Russia, marking a 17% increase from the previous year. According to the Russian State Library, the first quarter saw a staggering 77.5 million copies rolled off the press, with the number of new titles also up by 7.2%.
Breaking it down, books saw an 11% growth to 58.4 million copies, while brochures skyrocketed by 42% to reach 19 million. The increase in print runs can be attributed to a growing preference for physical books over digital devices and a resurgence in book clubs and fairs.
However, the data for the top 20 most-published authors, leading printing enterprises, and the release of translated literature was sketchy. The Russian State Library explained that the data provided was abbreviated due to seasonality in the delivery of mandatory copies and the inaccuracy of analyzing a quarter's worth of data.
Key players in the industry like Eksmo, Prosveshcheniye, Azbuka-Atticus, and Lan' continued to dominate the scene, but the specifics of their Q1 performances were not disclosed. Publishers like Alpina and Eksmo-AST expressed optimism about the year ahead, forecasting an increase in book sales and growth in book clubs and offline events.
Yet, challenges remained. Rising printing material costs, equipment supply delays from China, and increased paper prices posed significant hurdles. More importantly, cooperation with foreign rights holders became more difficult, leading to a decrease in the share of foreign authors in publishers' portfolios.
Despite these obstacles, publishers found opportunities in people's growing tiredness with gadgets and the popularity of digital detox practices. Book clubs and relevant offline events continued to gain traction, offering a promising avenue for print books to thrive.
- Alpina and Eksmo-AST, publishers in Russia, expressed optimism about the year ahead, forecasting an increase in book sales and growth in book clubs and offline events.
- Regardless of the challenges faced by publishers, such as rising printing material costs and increased paper prices, book clubs and relevant offline events continued to gain traction, offering a promising avenue for print books to thrive.
- In Russia, publishers like Eksmo, Prosveshcheniye, Azbuka-Atticus, and Lan' continued to dominate the scene, but the specifics of their Q1 performances were not disclosed.
- The Russian State Library explained that the data provided was abbreviated due to seasonality in the delivery of mandatory copies and the inaccuracy of analyzing a quarter's worth of data, making it difficult to determine the top 20 most-published authors, leading printing enterprises, and the release of translated literature.
- Though the data about the top publishers' Q1 performances was not released, Alexei, a publisher, is likely to be one of those who took advantage of people's growing preference for physical books, contributing to the 17% increase in book production in Russia for the year 2023.
