The publishing industry is never predictable and always in a state of change. Whenever there’s news about how the industry is in such a state of decline, there’s always another report stating that everything’s just fine. Such is so in the publishing world, so should we really be surprised some trends we thought were on their way out are on their way back in?
Bookstores, for example, have been on the verge of extinction for quite some time– since the emergence of e-readers and Amazon. Who could have expected that bookstores would begin popping up again? And what’s more, Amazon making the biggest splash in that trend with their new physical bookstores? The venture has been so successful, there are plans for hundreds more Amazon bookstores around the country.
Another unexpected trend is the rise of audio books. Reading books was often thought of as a quiet pastime that demanded concentration, the thought of being able to listen to a book while doing something else was maddening. It took a little while for it to catch on but once it did, it went soaring. Audio book sales have skyrocketed within the last few years thanks to the ease of access with smartphones, allowing customers to listen to them anywhere.
