Wherever authors gather, what sells books—what reliably works, what disappoints, and what new social thing has everyone confused—is among the most gossiped-about topics. There is little hard data but a lot of anecdata. However, when everyone’s personal experiences line up over time, they start to be taken as a given, even a truth. And one of those truths was voiced last week from a surprising source.
On Jan. 26, Maris Kreizman of The Maris Review podcast and New York Times reporter Alexandra Alter—in a conversation hosted by the Women’s Media Group—discussed trends in book publishing. As they exchanged the latest intel on what sells books, Alter was asked what media appearances are considered best for moving books. She said much depends on the nature of the appearance and if it leads to more coverage, but that CBS Sunday Morning is one of the best opportunities. “Once you have something like that happen, retailers increase their orders. Walmart didn’t buy copies before and now they do.” And certain types of books, such as political nonfiction, can benefit from cable news coverage.
However, Alter added with frankness and humor, “I’ve heard that the New York Times Book Review, a cover review, doesn’t guarantee a huge surge in sales the way it used to. I think that’s true for all print features.” Kreizman added that the weekday morning shows don’t seem to have an impact any longer either. Publicist Dee Dee DeBartlo, the host of the session, agreed. She said some authors aren’t even interested in going on morning shows any longer. However, the group generally agreed that NPR, especially Terry Gross’s Fresh Air, still has a lot of influence.
That, of course, brings us to BookTok (TikTok), the current social media darling that is definitely selling books. When Alter was asked if publishers should be investing there, she said yes. “One thing that I love about BookTok is that, as an older person, it sort of puts to rest stereotypes I have about social media and what people are doing on there. I even more love that people are using it as a medium to have emotional discussions about books that are so compelling” that they ultimately drive thousands of people to read the same book and make their own TikTok about it. However, the sticking point, Alter said, is that a publisher can’t replicate the organic and authentic responses that people are having on their own. “The best thing they can do is get the right books into the right hands, and I’m sure they’re doing that with full enthusiasm.”
Given that book sales have been migrating online, of course the topic of Amazon came up. While Alter acknowledged the good progress of independent bookstores and Bookshop in recent years, she also said, “It’s impossible for anyone to catch up, no matter how well-intentioned people are. There are now these pathways to consumers that Amazon has developed. And they control so much of the digital ecosystem when it comes to books.”
The antitrust case against the Big Five raises questions about if and when the Justice Department will look at Amazon. “If Penguin Random House can be considered a buyer’s monopoly, how can they ignore Amazon? That’s what a lot of publishing people are wondering right now,” Alter said, referring to the Justice Department’s move to block the acquisition of Simon & Schuster by Penguin Random House. Alter added that people inside the publishing industry “were quite convinced” this deal would not be challenged, and it came as a real shock when it was. Still, “They’re pretty convinced they can show there is going to be no harm to consumers.” Alter acknowledged that there is competition in the market and that PRH has reason to argue that independent presses have been doing better in recent years. Nonetheless, she said, “There is no question that Penguin Random House is overwhelmingly the most powerful. They can throw out a $65 million book deal and get whatever they want.” Moreover, on any given week, you look at a national bestseller list and the titles are disproportionately published by one or two companies. Regardless, there is now a damper on the “arms race” by publishers to acquire and “bulk up” as a competitive strategy.
Bottom line: Books have been selling like never before during the pandemic, but the way people purchase books has changed dramatically, Alter said. Buying has shifted online, and that means more power in the hands of Amazon. For now, publishers still rely on and believe in brick-and-mortar stores for spreading word of mouth and bringing attention to books that might otherwise fail to gain traction—especially as the media landscape fragments and becomes less reliable for driving sales.
Jane Friedman has spent her entire career working in the publishing industry, with a focus on business reporting and author education. Established in 2015, her newsletter The Bottom Line provides nuanced market intelligence to thousands of authors and industry professionals; in 2023, she was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World.
Jane’s expertise regularly features in major media outlets such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, NPR, The Today Show, Wired, The Guardian, Fox News, and BBC. Her book, The Business of Being a Writer, Second Edition (The University of Chicago Press), is used as a classroom text by many writing and publishing degree programs. She reaches thousands through speaking engagements and workshops at diverse venues worldwide, including NYU’s Advanced Publishing Institute, Frankfurt Book Fair, and numerous MFA programs.
