Alexa, Read My Book

‘Alexa read me my book.’ is a popular refrain from people who want to unwind after work, and that’s changing the way audiobooks are being marketed.

Prominent on the publishing calendar for March 2019 is the London Book Fair. The show comes a month earlier than the usual practice; organizers have moved the fair from April to March for 2019 and 2020, at least.

Looking ahead to events in Olympia Hall, Andrew Albanese, Publishers Weekly senior writer, finds a business landscape that calls for smiles, if not celebration.

“According to NPD BookScan, print sales in the U.S. rose 1.3% in 2018, topping 695 million units. In the U.K., sales rose just over 2.1%, on sales of roughly 190 million units,” he reports.

“There was flattening growth for traditional publishers’ e-books in the U.K. and another year of e-book declines in the U.S., though audiobooks continue to fuel growth in publishers’ digital businesses. The rise of digital audio was a major focus at last year’s London Book Fair, and it will feature prominently again in 2019,” Albanese tells CCC’s Chris Kenneally.

“Among the reasons is better technology—not only wireless earpods that you can carry in your pocket, but the rise of smart speakers like Google Home and Amazon’s Alexa. Research shows that people with those devices are listening to audiobooks, and not just to multi-task. ‘Alexa read me my book.’ is a popular refrain from people who want to unwind after work, and that’s changing the way audiobooks are being marketed.”

Every Friday, CCC’s “Beyond the Book” speaks with the editors and reporters of “Publishers Weekly” for an early look at the news that publishers, editors, authors, agents and librarians will be talking about when they return to work on Monday.