Although here in blogland, it seems like everyone is reading e-books, the general public still reads more print books than e-books. According to this recent Pew Research Study, about 1 in 5 American adults read an e-book last year vs. about 7 in 10 reading any book last year. However, the rise of e-books is giving us a fantastic new avenue for book-related data. Reading a book on many e-readers lets publishers know which books people are completing and which books are just sitting on their virtual shelves.
Hiptype recently released a fantastic infographic, The DNA of a Successful Book, that dives into the publishing industry data. What stood out most to me is that books with a female protagonist are 40% more likely to become a bestseller. I wonder if that has to do with certain demographics reading more or if it is just a recent phenomenon. I also noticed that younger groups are reading faster – but I wonder if that means they’re skimming or if they’ve actually learned to read more quickly from being around so much data from such a young age. It also really took me aback that only 4% of sample chapters and bundled books are completed. I wonder which bundled books were part of the data sample and what that implies for the broader picture.
What stands out to you? What strikes you most about these little info bites? Do you know of any books that match or contradict this data?
The DNA of a Successful Book via visual.ly
Novel Conclusions 