Should You Still Create Physical Books in 2019?

For years, there's been a rumor circulating that print media is out and that the future of book publishing is electronic. How true does that hold in reality?

Having electronic versions of your book available is an important strategy in 2019. However, foregoing print copies of your book may be a huge mistake. Physical books are still outselling e-books, and that trend isn't likely to change soon. In this guide, we'll show how offering both print and physical copies of your book can help you sell more copies overall and increase your profits.

Some Books Work Better in Print

Even in 2019, certain books work better in print format than they do in E-Book format. If the book you're trying to publish belongs to one of the following genres, it's imperative that you offer it in a physical format.  

Picture Books: Parents of young children often try to limit their child's screen time. Additionally, physically flipping pages on picture books is good for a developing child's motor skill development.

Art and Photography Books: Books with strong visuals, including art books and photography books, often do better in print format. People like to be able to see the entire picture. They may even keep these books on prominent display in their home libraries.

Cook Books: E-Books aren't as easy to flip through as physical books, and it can be hard to glance at a phone or tablet while cooking.

Reference Books: If your book is likely to be used by students, a physical copy of the book is often a necessity. Students may need to be able to use the book in class, when having their electronics out is often frowned upon. They also might want to be able to tag certain sections of the book or write in the margins while doing research.

Physical Books Improve Marketability

Even if the type of book you have technically works as well in electronic format as it does in physical format, offering both formats improves the marketability of your book. When you only sell your book in electronic formats, you limit yourself to only selling your book online. Here are three things you can do with a physical book that you can't do with an E-Book:

Ask Local Book Stores to Put Copies on Their Shelves – Local, independent book stores are often looking for exceptional, unique books to promote to their customers. If you only have electronic formats of your book, you lose the ability to promote your book in this intimate, local way.

Donate to Nearby Libraries-- Though you don't get paid for donating your book to local libraries, doing so can be a great way to promote your book and get your name out there. If a person reads your book at the library and loves it, they may be more inclined to purchase it for their personal library or for a friend.

Donate to Local Schools—Local schools are another easy place to donate your books to in order to gain new audiences. If your book is appropriate for children, you can donate physical copies. You may even spark the interest of teachers who may purchase several copies and teach your book to the class.

Physical Books Work Better with Most Audiences

Certain demographics continue to be more likely to purchase physical books than electronic books. Contrary to popular beliefs, millennials spend more time with physical books than older generations, and often prefer them to E-Books. In fact, only 6% of Americans will only read a book in electronic format, compared to 38% who only read print books and 28% who read both print and digital books. This means that, despite rumors circulating in the media that print is a dying art form, it very much still has a place in 2019.

There's no doubt that it makes sense to offer electronic books in this day and age, but that shouldn't be at the expense of publishing physical books. People still enjoy decorating their homes with books, lending physical books out to friends, and flipping through a physical book during commercials and down time. For more information about publishing and marketing your books, contact me today.