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fjtorres · 10-30-2014, 04:47 PM

The october 2014 authior earnings report has a pair of charts that highlight the real threat to tradpub that indie titles represent:

http://authorearnings.com/report/oct...ings-report-2/

1- Of the top selling 120K titles, the BPHs provide 18% of the titles, indies 17%, and another 10% are from single author publishing houses (indies most likely, but not openly). 54% of the top-selling titles come from non-BPH tradpub. Amazon itself publishes 1% of the titles.

2- When it book sales, the BPHs (with all their big names and "marketing" account for 35% of unit sales, pure indies 32%, single author publishers 5%, Amazon 10%, and non-BPH tradpub only 18%.

Back in 2010, just before the conspiracy, the BPHs accounted for well over half (about 60%) of books Amazon sold. Which is why Amazon acquiesced to Agency. Today, they barely account for a third. Which is why Amazon isn't sweating any threats of BPH-owned ebookstores. By the time the BPHs get around to building any credible alternative (and not just another Bookish fiasco), any sales they might lose to the BPHs will be a drop in a lake compared to the bigger market.

Anything they do, short of all 4 pulling their titles simultaneously, will simply be too little, four years too late.

Th BPHs had one shot at controlling the ebook market and they wasted it on an illegal conspiracy that only made Amazon stronger.

Btw, notice how non-BPH tradpub titles underperform both BPH and pure indie titles?
That is the Canary in the Coalmine™.
Smaller and weaker, with less big name authors, they are the ones most immediately at risk from indie title competition for both reader sales and, more critical, manuscripts.

Messing with Amazon is a side show and a distraction.
But if tradpub wants to go that way...

(Shrug)

10-30-2014, 04:47 PM	#14
fjtorres Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,732 Karma: 128354696 Join Date: May 2009 Location: 26 kly from Sgr A* Device: T100TA,PW2,PRS-T1,KT,FireHD 8.9,K2, PB360,BeBook One,Axim51v,TC1000	The october 2014 authior earnings report has a pair of charts that highlight the real threat to tradpub that indie titles represent: http://authorearnings.com/report/oct...ings-report-2/ 1- Of the top selling 120K titles, the BPHs provide 18% of the titles, indies 17%, and another 10% are from single author publishing houses (indies most likely, but not openly). 54% of the top-selling titles come from non-BPH tradpub. Amazon itself publishes 1% of the titles. 2- When it book sales, the BPHs (with all their big names and "marketing" account for 35% of unit sales, pure indies 32%, single author publishers 5%, Amazon 10%, and non-BPH tradpub only 18%. Back in 2010, just before the conspiracy, the BPHs accounted for well over half (about 60%) of books Amazon sold. Which is why Amazon acquiesced to Agency. Today, they barely account for a third. Which is why Amazon isn't sweating any threats of BPH-owned ebookstores. By the time the BPHs get around to building any credible alternative (and not just another Bookish fiasco), any sales they might lose to the BPHs will be a drop in a lake compared to the bigger market. Anything they do, short of all 4 pulling their titles simultaneously, will simply be too little, four years too late. Th BPHs had one shot at controlling the ebook market and they wasted it on an illegal conspiracy that only made Amazon stronger. Btw, notice how non-BPH tradpub titles underperform both BPH and pure indie titles? That is the Canary in the Coalmine™. Smaller and weaker, with less big name authors, they are the ones most immediately at risk from indie title competition for both reader sales and, more critical, manuscripts. Messing with Amazon is a side show and a distraction. But if tradpub wants to go that way... (Shrug) Last edited by fjtorres; 10-30-2014 at 05:01 PM.