French Publishers See 2016 Sales Rise

The news from France is relatively positive considering the book business there often feels it’s beleaguered.

Whether sold at FNAC or Shakespeare & Co., the bestsellers in France number not only titles by recognizable global names but also those penned by Francophone favorites including Jean-Paul Dubois, Karine Tuil, Marc Levy and Guillaume Musso.

As he recently reported for Publishers Weekly, Ed Nawotka tells CCC’s Chris Kenneally that “flat is the new up” applies well for the French publishing market for 2016,.

“French book sales were up a small percentage, about 4.25% overall. This was largely resulting from a change in curriculum in the [national] schools, so really, it was school sales that boosted the numbers,” explains Nawotka, who is PW’s Bookselling and International News Editor.

“Otherwise, trade and retail sales were up just less than 1% – so generally flat,” he adds. “But the news is relatively positive considering the book business often feels it’s beleaguered and under threat from new, emerging forms of digital media, which is becoming increasingly important in France.”