New Record: More than 1 Million Books Self-Published in 2017
Annual Bowker report shows sustained growth in print self-publishing
NEW PROVIDENCE, N.J., Oct. 10, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the latest report from ProQuest affiliate Bowker, self-publishing grew at a rate of more than 28 percent in 2017, up from an 8 percent increase during the prior year. The total number of self-published titles grew from 786,935 to 1,009,188, surpassing the million mark for the first time.
Self-publishing of print books increased by 38 percent in 2017 for a total of 879,587. This is the fifth consecutive year of print growth – driven by a 50 percent increase at CreateSpace, a self-publishing platform. Self-published ebooks decreased by 13 percent, continuing a downward trend for the third successive year. Two service providers, Smashwords and Lulu, accounted for 105,037 ebook titles, 81 percent of the ebook total of 129,601.
As the numbers confirm, self-publishing continues to grow each year. According to Beat Barblan, Director of Identifier Services at Bowker, "Self-publishing shows no signs of slowing down and continues to grow at a steady rate. CreateSpace was very popular in 2017 – and now that its customers are moving to the new Kindle Direct Publishing platform, we don't expect any decline in self-publishing."
Since 2012, the number of ISBNs assigned to self-published titles has grown 156 percent. "We believe that this is due, in large part, to the increasing number and quality of products and services now available from several providers to aid authors who choose to publish some or all of their titles independently," Barblan said. "In addition, there are numerous associations serving the indie author community that promote best practices and stand ready to offer solutions and support.
"Authors who set out to self-publish, market and distribute high-quality books now have more resources than ever."
This annual study from Bowker highlights self-publishing trends in print and ebook formats from 2012 to 2017, based on the number of titles registered in the Bowker Books In Print® database.
About Bowker® (www.bowker.com)
Bowker® is the world's leading provider of bibliographic information, connecting publishers, authors, and booksellers with readers. Bowker provides tools and resources, such as the Books In Print® database and Identifier Services (myidentifiers.com) to help authors promote and sell their books. Bowker, a ProQuest affiliate, is the official ISBN Agency for the United States.
About ProQuest (http://www.proquest.com)
ProQuest is committed to supporting the important work happening in the world's research and learning communities. The company curates content that matters to the advancement of knowledge, assembling an archive of billions of vetted, indexed documents. It simplifies workflows so that people and institutions use time effectively. And because ProQuest connects information communities, complex networks of systems and processes work together efficiently. With ProQuest, finding answers and deriving insights is straightforward and leads to extraordinary outcomes.
ProQuest and its companies and affiliates – Ex Libris, Alexander Street, Bowker -- stand for better research, better learning, better insights. ProQuest enables people to change their world.
SOURCE Bowker
Related Links
WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM?
Newsrooms &
Influencers
Digital Media
Outlets
Journalists
Opted In
Share this article