How to adjust to the new normal for the publishing industry

As the coronavirus has impacted governments, businesses, and individuals alike, every one of us can use a bit of support. If you’re in the publishing industry, you may be concerned about lower traditional book sales. As an indie, you may find that relying on a few stores for sales might not be enough.

This article is intended to be of reassurance. We share recent trends in the market and how it’s changing for publishers. We also share what PublishDrive is doing to adapt to this time of social distancing and universal uncertainties (spoiler: we’re hyperfocused on helping indies sell more books online).

The publishing industry goes online

The publishing industry used to be heavily dependent on traditional print book sales. But in recent years, there’s been a shift towards digital books. With the pandemic, online sales are rising.

Whether you’re a traditional or indie publisher, we recommend focusing on two things:

  1. Increasing book sales with digital formats: ebooks, print-on-demand, and audiobooks.
  2. Increasing efficiency with reaching all possible markets worldwide.

Readers are looking for digital content more than ever

Many readers and institutions are turning to online retailers, libraries, and subscription services. Publishers are seeking effective methods to distribute their catalogs easily. We’ve seen a 10-15% growth in last week’s ebook sales data with PublishDrive. We’ve also seen thousands of libraries listing titles from us recently.

Since adding new POD and audiobook formats to PublishDrive recently, we expect to see a lift in sales for our users with POD and audiobooks. We understand the need to rationalize your finances and make the best out of your current resources in this complicated time. That’s why we’re prioritizing making more avenues available for you to drive your sales, especially now.

What you can expect from PublishDrive

Like many of us in indie publishing, we are fortunate to have the means to do all of our work online. With PublishDrive, you can continue to upload, distribute, promote, and sell books as you always do. There shouldn’t be any delay in our support or promotional services.

It’s been a busy last few weeks for the team -- we’ve been helping more indies than usual in managing their publishing business. As we all adjust to the new normal, know that we’re still working hard to bring smarter solutions and tools. Be on the lookout for new promotion options coming very soon! In the meantime, see all the ways you can promote your book right now.

During this time, it’s important we stay connected to the communities closest to us. For PublishDrive, that means being a better partner and neighbour. Join our Facebook Group made up of the PD team and our wonderful publishing colleagues.