No one buys books
Book publishing is portrayed as a hits-driven business where celebrity titles, franchise authors, bibles and a few perennial bestsellers subsidize the vast majority of books that sell only hundreds or a few thousand copies. Commenters contrast this with their own reading and buying habits, debating print vs ebooks, DRM, piracy, subscription models, libraries, and the rise of self‑publishing and web fiction as alternative paths for authors. Many argue that while plenty of people still read and buy books, attention is now heavily fragmented across digital media, making it harder than ever for new or midlist authors to earn a living from writing.
Book Buying vs. Reading: Has the Medium Just Shifted?
- Many argue “no one buys books” is exaggerated: people still buy, but relatively less than other media.
- Time and attention have shifted to streaming video, games, and social media; fiction consumption moved heavily to TV/film.
- Others note you can now spend multiple lifetimes just on existing classics; new work competes with a huge back catalog.
Ebooks, Audiobooks, DRM, and Ownership
- Ebooks and audiobooks are significant but, in trade publishing, often not clearly dominant over print.
- Strong dislike of DRM: fear of platforms shutting down (cited Microsoft’s ebook store), account bans, silent revisions, and loss of long‑term access.
- Some rip DRM and manage libraries with tools like Calibre; others only buy DRM‑free or physical copies.
- “Spotify for books” exists partially (Kindle Unlimited, technical‑book subscriptions, web serial platforms), but reading time is long, so subscription economics and behavior differ from music.
Libraries as “Netflix for Books”
- Many frame public libraries and the Internet Archive as the real all‑you‑can‑read service.
- Counterpoints: selection is often mainstream, holds and licensing limits for ebooks introduce artificial scarcity, and access quality varies by region and funding.
Economics of Publishing and Writing
- Discussion centers on Big Five houses relying on:
- Celebrity memoirs and “franchise” authors.
- Evergreen backlist (e.g., religious texts, children’s classics).
- Midlist and niche titles often sell under ~2,000 copies; for many authors the effective hourly rate is below minimum wage.
- Advances and marketing are heavily skewed to a small elite; most authors are expected to self‑promote and may get little to no marketing.
- Self‑publishing and web serials (plus Patreon, Kindle Unlimited) can be lucrative for a tiny minority; for most, income remains small but creative control is higher.
Print vs E‑readers vs Screens
- Strong split:
- Pro‑print: better focus, spatial memory, tactile/nostalgic value, easy lending, no interruptions, durable and DRM‑free.
- Pro‑e‑ink/tablet: adjustable fonts (especially with aging eyesight), portability, space savings, instant access, highlight/search/export tools.
- Many use a hybrid: ebooks for disposable or travel reading; print for reference, art, or sentimental/rare titles.
Cultural and Social Dimensions
- Some see book reading as increasingly niche compared with dopamine‑rich feeds (Instagram, TikTok).
- Others report buying/borrowing more books than ever, especially for children, and emphasize modeling reading or reading with kids.
- Libraries are praised as vital public, social, and even homelessness-support infrastructure, but also described as underfunded and uneven across regions.