You Don’t Need to Win the Booker Prize to Sell Books Successfully, Says ParcelHero
(PRWEB UK) 21 September 2015 -- The shortlist for the UK’s Man Booker prize – which last year allowed US authors to enter for the first time - has been announced, and will mean thousands of extra sales for the winner. However, the courier price comparison site ParcelHero, specialists in e-commerce fulfilment, say it's not only Booker prize winners who can be successful in the book industry.
Says ParcelHero’s Head of Publications, David Jinks MILT: ‘It is widely thought that the growth of Amazon is killing the book market; but that is a myth. While the future of the printed word is far from being an open book, there are strong signs that people still like to own physical paper books; and also that the new technologies of ebooks and print-on-demand are encouraging a new generation of authors.’
David explains: ‘ParcelHero's regular eBay and other marketplace traders are finding the market for second hand-paperbacks is something of a struggle; but hardcover books, particularly quality items such as Folio Society books and first editions, are actually growing in value.’
David has this assessment of the book market: ‘It’s true that the number of independent book stores has declined by 50%, and a book has less than a 1% chance of being stocked in an average bookstore. But while that’s not great for the High Street, there is no let-up in demand for books bought online. In 2014, 304,912 new and revised titles were released in the US, and 184,000 in the UK.’
Adds David: ‘As well as traditional print, budding authors are, of course, also looking to ebooks and self-publishing, with the option of print-on-demand opening new potential markets. In 2014 over a quarter of all US book sales were digital. And first time author’s e-books no longer have the stigma of ‘vanity publishing’; E.L. James’ '50 Shades of Grey' started life as a humble ebook, but has gone on to sell over 125 million worldwide. Publishing a Kindle novel couldn’t be easier.’ Admits David: ‘I myself published a novel last year, The Dodo Tree, about the adventures of a Public Relations manager, and while it’s not exactly sold 125 million, it was a fun thing to do.’
Concludes David: ‘For people who have self-published their own book, or are selling books in quantity, it's worth noting that independent booksellers and eBay stores can save up to 70% versus using the UK Post Office when they book a delivery on the ParcelHero site. ParcelHero also offers discounted Large and Heavy shipments and international Pallet delivery for orders over 50kg up to 1,000kg. So, whether people need to send an just one book or small library, they can with ParcelHero.’
For more information on the Man Booker prize and shipping books see: https://www.parcelhero.com/blog/general/the-man-booker-prize-can-books-survive-the-future
David Jinks, ParcelHero, http://www.wedelivertheworld.com, +44 208 758 4962, [email protected]
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