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BiblioTech
Publishing Tech Trends and Libraries
by Suzanne S. LaPierre
| Even though libraries pay a multiple of the consumer price for ebooks, they continue to be price-gouged, and some publishers, such as Amazon, are shutting out libraries altogether. |
From #BookTok to Wattpad, tech trends rocking the publishing industry are also affecting libraries. Increasing digitization of literary content is transforming everything from what gets published to how it’s delivered and how readers interact with it. I perused Arthur D. Little’s (ADL) “State of the Media Market, 2024” to learn more about shifts in media technology that are likely to impact libraries. 1 Here are a few takeaways:
- Education publishing is expanding, with accelerating demand for integrated offerings, such as cloud-based, elearning platforms coordinated with digital textbooks.
- Self-publishing continues to thrive and find new outlets.
- Social media is playing an important role in literary content discovery.
- New platforms such as Wattpad (an online fiction publishing platform) and Blinklist (a book summarization service) are further examples of how digitization is changing book culture.
- Print news sources are in decline, exacerbating concerns about disinformation.
- People are reading with their ears—e-audiobooks and podcasts are booming.
Education Publishing Is Increasingly Digitized
The education publishing industry continues to be transformed by declining traditional print sales combined with growing demand for interactive media. Education publishers are offering more cloud-based elearning platforms that combine digital editions of textbooks with collaboration tools, discussion forums, tools to aid essay writing and citation, and online exams. As the move to digital publishing accelerates, the ADL study authors anticipate content becoming increasingly personalized. Students are likely to use academic library buildings less for print resources and more as spaces for engaging in group work facilitated by new technologies.
Self-Publishing Is Hot
With more authors self-publishing via Amazon or directly through their own websites, Blurb reports that the self-publishing market is expected to grow at an annual rate of 17%, outpacing the traditional publishing market. 2 Authors around the globe are choosing to self-publish for creative control and higher profit margins. Another big draw is the relative ease with which authors can self-publish manuscripts that might not easily (or ever) find a commercial publisher.
Wattpad
One vehicle for self-publishing is Wattpad, an online platform for reading and publishing fiction. Wattpad recently announced Wattpad Originals, an invitation-only tier for content selected by editors based on reader engagement. Indie offerings can explode into the mainstream, as seen when a Wattpad story, Culpa Mia, achieved record-breaking success as an Amazon Original. Given the rising popularity of self-publishing, library buyers will need to pay more attention to indie authors and nontraditional publishing platforms when selecting material.
Social Media and New Platforms Fuel Discovery
TikTok
TikTok is still generating book buzz with #BookTok, and #BookTok enthusiasts are now one of the largest communities on the TikTok app. Bookstores, libraries, and publishers are jumping on the trend. Publishers are creating boxed sets of #BookTok hits, while bookstores and libraries design displays and programs around featured titles. Penguin Random House is partnering with TikTok to link information about books with corresponding #BookTok videos in a central location on the app.
ByteDance
ByteDance, which owns TikTok, trademarked a book-publishing entity called 8th Note Press, hiring staffers to sign authors with specialties in romance, new adult, fantasy, romantasy, young adult, diverse voices, and LGBTQ categories. 3 In addition to publishing books, ebooks, and audiobooks, the company also plans to enable users to interact via discussions, book reviews, and social networking.
Blinklist
Blinklist, a book summary service based in Germany, offers 15-minute summaries of nonfiction books in audio and text formats. The focus is on personal and professional growth topics such as career success, corporate culture, personal relationships, parenting, religion, and philosophy. Blinklist currently has 18 million users and is partnering with publishers as a new avenue for marketing books.
E-Audiobooks and Podcasts Proliferate
Audiobooks
As audiobooks remain popular, music streaming platforms are adding them to the menu. Spotify is giving premium members 15 free hours of audiobook listening per month, from an impressive selection of 150,000 audiobooks from major publishers as well as indie authors. With no waiting lists and it seemingly being free for those who are already paid subscribers, this service is bound to compete with library ebook and e-audiobook offerings.
With the public’s growing appetite for ebooks and e-audiobooks, libraries are struggling to meet demand for current material within their budgets. Even though libraries pay a multiple of the consumer price for ebooks, they continue to be price-gouged, and some publishers, such as Amazon, are shutting out libraries altogether. The loss of the Internet Archive copyright lawsuit in early 2023 hampered library access to books produced by several major publishers, such as Hachette, HarperCollins, Wiley, and Penguin Random House. It remains to be seen how the decentralization of digital publishing might alter the dynamics of this ongoing struggle.
Podcasts
Podcasts are also joining the offerings of Spotify and other music streaming platforms, including many podcasts that center around topics of books, reading, and intellectual freedom. The ADL study reveals that more adults are getting news from podcasts, especially in the U.S. About 12% of podcasts have news-related subject matter, and 19% of the U.S. residents surveyed have tuned into a news podcast “in the last month.” 4
Print News Declines
Print news sources continue to decline in use compared to digital news, especially among younger generations. According to a study of U.K. residents, people younger than 45 showed a strong preference for online sites and apps as news sources, as well as social media. Those younger than 25 relied on social media for news, above all other mediums, with 41% of people in that age group citing it as their main source of news. Only a small minority of all age groups (topping out at 6% for people 55 and older) cited print as their primary source of news. 5 For library and information professionals, this means that fostering strong media literacy skills is more critical than ever, as more people rely on news from platforms with little regulation of disinformation.
Keeping Up With Tech Trends
Although the “State of the Media Market, 2024” report is aimed primarily at publishers and other media executives, many of its recommendations also apply to libraries: 1) embrace new technologies, leverage the power of partnerships, and invest in quality content, 2) protect user privacy while utilizing technology for data-driven decision making, and 3) seek deeper understanding of, and engagement with, community members through popular platforms. Something that may seem like a fad today could be the next big thing to shake up libraries and literature tomorrow. It behooves librarians to be open to exploring new trends and platforms that engage users.
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Suzanne S. LaPierre (