Spanish markets ebook evolution report 2016 E-Book

Javier Celaya

• Herausgeber: Dosdoce
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 67

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2016

Beschreibung

Although publishing and digital cultures are evolving at highly different speeds in the Spanish markets, technology and the ebook both offer a broad spectrum of business opportunities for publishers in Latin America and Spain. The soaring number of ebooks published in those countries, the growing importance of digital reading and the increasing role of the Internet as a distribution and marketing tool for books, all lead to the assumption that the evolution of the digital market is a reality in most Latin American countries. Having looked closely at digital and publishing trends in various countries (Argentina, Brazil Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Spain, Mexico, Peru), this report, compiled by Dosdoce.com in collaboration with Bookwire, offers a series of indicators and prospects regarding each of these markets, with the purpose of offering a tool for publishers, booksellers, authors, investors, the media and experts to understand the changes being experienced by Spanish-speaking and Portuguese markets, together with the business opportunities these changes offer professionals in the publishing sector worldwide.

Leseprobe

Spanish MarketEbook EvolutionReport 2016

Contents

1. Executive summary

1.1. Increase in sales by independent publishers and self-publishing in the Spanish markets

1.2. The digital markets in Spain and Latin America are growing at different rates

1.3. Latin American and Hispanic digital market boom in the US

1.4. Less dependence on Amazon

1.5. Diversification of business models

1.6. Most competitive sales prices

1.7. One in five e-books sold in Spain is self-published

1.8. Consolidation of library channels

1.9. Pricing behaviour by markets

1.10. Emergence of the audiobook market in the region

1.11. More books without DRM

1.12. Growing innovation: new players in the sector coming to the fore

2. Evolution of digital publishing trends by countries

2.1. Argentina

2.2. Brazil

2.4. Chile

2.6. Colombia

2.7. Ecuador

2.8. Spain

2.9. Mexico

2.10. Peru

3. About Bookwire and Dosdoce.com, credits and acknowledgements

About Bookwire

About Dosdoce

1. Executive summary

Although digital publishing is evolving at highly different speeds in Spain and Latin America, ebooks and audiobooks offer a broad spectrum of business opportunities for publishers, agents, booksellers and libraries in the region.

The soaring number of ebooks published in those countries, the growing importance of digital reading and the increasing role of the Internet as a distribution and marketing tool for books, all lead to the assumption that the evolution of the digital market is a reality in most Latin American countries.

Having looked closely at digital and publishing trends in various countries (Argentina, Brazil Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Spain, Mexico, Peru), this report, compiled by Dosdoce.com in collaboration with Bookwire, offers a series of indicators and prospects regarding each of these markets, with the purpose of offering a tool for publishers, booksellers, authors, investors, the media and experts to understand the changes being experienced by Spanish-speaking and Portuguese markets, together with the business opportunities these changes offer professionals in the publishing sector worldwide.

Evolution of digital market

The growing amount of data, business intelligence and market information available in relation to digital sales and distribution makes it possible to analyse in detail the evolution of the Spanish and Latin American digital markets.

As occurs with print books in physical bookstores, independent publishers’ behaviour is different from that of big publishing houses in online stores. As more and more independent publishers strongly invest in the digital distribution of their books, peculiarities of that nature are once again being detected. One of the main conclusions of this Report, is that there are extremely different behaviour patterns between small and large publishing companies.

At a first glance, we have observed a massive trend by independent publishers to become more involved in the production and marketing of digital books, especially in Latin America. In the Spanish speaking markets, independent publishers are experiencing a growth of between 20% to 35%, whereas big publishers in the region have experienced a “plateau” in some markets or moderate growth with respect to certain business models in comparison with other years.

1.1. Increase in sales by independent publishers and self-publishing in the Spanish markets

Sales increases in ebooks sold by independent houses, as well as indie authors, have been highly significant and are presumably due to a better understanding and acceptance by them of price dynamics on the Internet. The increase in these kind of publishing products has altered figures pertaining to the digital book market, particularly in cases of products without ISBN numbers.

According to the above chart from Nielsen’s most recent report, published for the BookExpo America Fair, the digital market share for the five largest US publishers has decreased year after year. In 2015, sales for the “Big 5” represented 34% of the digital market in comparison with 46% in 2012. However, the market share for independent publishers did nothing but increase in the same period. In 2015, ebook sales by small independent publishers – with a staff of 1 to 5 people - reached 30% of the digital market, whereas in 2012 it barely rose over 15%. Simultaneously, the sale of self-published ebooks by self-publishing authors rose from 5% in 2012 to over 12% in 2015.

1.2. The digital markets in Spain and Latin America are growing at different rates

Sales in 2015 by over 170 independent Spanish and Latin American publishers using the Bookwire.es platform to distribute their ebooks revealed that about 45% of the ebooks published in Spain were sold on Spanish territory, whereas 55% were sold outside Spain, i.e. Latin America (37%), the US (9%), Europe (8%) and the rest of the world (1%).

Mexico takes the lead in sales of digital content published by independent Spanish publishers (19%), whereas remaining sales are distributed among other countries in the region (Argentina, Colombia, Chile, etc.).

1.3. Latin American and Hispanic digital market boom in the US

There are more and more independent publishers strongly committed to the distribution of their ebooks in order to reach readers all over the world. We are all aware of the difficulties involved in distributing print books in the region due to the various setbacks and shortcomings of analog distribution. Ebooks are fortunately boundary-free thanks to digital distribution. As a result, independent publishers such as Rey Naranjo in Colombia, Amanuta in Chile, Malatetra in Mexico, among many others, have seen how their digital books are not only being sold in their countries of origin, but also in unreachable paper format markets.

According to recent figures, 45% of independent Latin American publishers’ digital sales were made in Latin America, whereas 55% occurred in markets beyond that region: 41% in the USA, 8% in Spain, 4% in Europe and 2% in the rest of the world.

1.4. Less dependence on Amazon

According to numerous international reports, the big publishers generate from 60% to 75% of digital sales through Amazon, whereas independent publishers’ digital sales are more equally distributed among the main international digital channels (Amazon, Apple and Google). In other words, independent publishers do not depend so heavily on one sole channel to reach readers.

In 2015, 40% to 45% of digital sales by Spanish and Latin American independent publishers are processed via Amazon, whereas 38% to 42% are made through Apple; remaining digital sales are distributed equally among other channels (Casa del Libro, Gandhi, Kobo, FNAC, etc.).

The reasons for the decreasing dependence on Amazon are due to certain common characteristics of independent publishers and may be summarised as follows:

Amazon launches a large number of campaigns to promote new releases. Independent publishers offer much fewer new releases per year than big 5 publishers.

Amazon launches various campaigns offering large discounts. Independent publishers are more reluctant to offer big discounts on their ebooks since their titles usually have a longer life-span (backlist) than those offered by major publishers.

Marketing campaigns beyond price discounts. Apple, Google, Orbile and Kobo, among other online stores, are investing in campaigns to promote transversal content rather than price discounts. Independent publishers have an extensive backlist on which to base such campaigns.

1.5. Diversification of business models

Although unit sales in online stores continues to be the dominant business model, library and subscription channels are becoming more and more relevant. Several sources indicate that the public and academic library channels may shortly experience a huge increase in the region.

Although sales by stores such as Amazon, Apple, Kobo, among others, continue to be the main sales channels for independent publishers (90%), the sale of ebook licences to libraries surpassed 5% of digital sales in less than a year. In the same period (2015), we saw how profits from subscription platforms, especially in the US and Germany, are becoming more and more relevant for independent publishers.

1.6. Most competitive sales prices

As opposed to the major publishers, who on average have increased the retail price of their new releases to over €9.99 euro, reaching the price of €14.99 on many occasions, independent publishers and indie authors offer more competitive retail prices inline with the current supply and demand of digital contents.