Want to know what publishing looked like in 2019? So do we. And we need your help. Our State of Publishing survey aims to take the temperature of the Canadian book industry.
Perhaps you remember our State of Digital publications, well this year we’re doing something similar, but even bigger! We want to know all about your publishing programs for our upcoming biennial report, The State of Publishing in Canada 2019. We want to know about your print book, ebook, and audiobook business, how many employees you have dedicated to digital, what challenges you're facing, and more. All answers will be confidential and the results will be shared in aggregate in the free report to be released this fall.
But before you rush off we have some important points to note and some tips on what to have ready before you start. Want to review the questions we'll be asking? Find them in this handy PDF. If you need a break, you can close the survey and come back to it later on the same computer. You may also print out the survey, write in your answers, and send it to the BookNet offices, or you can request that we give you a call to complete the survey by phone. Send any requests or questions to research@booknetcanada.ca.
A couple of important points to note:
We would like publishers to respond directly, rather than digital asset managers or distributors. If you are exclusively a digital asset manager or distributor, then please forward this survey to your clients.
It’s fine if more than one person in your company responds. If this occurs and any discrepancies arise in the responses, we will be in touch to clarify.
If you are a publisher that distributes titles for other companies, please include this data in your responses.
The survey asks questions about both production and sales for both print and digital content (ebooks and audiobooks) so you may want to make sure you have access to that information before beginning.
Before you start:
Make sure you have the following information ready to go (approximations are fine if exact numbers are not available):
Number of active adult print titles available as ebooks and audiobooks
Percentage of backlist that has been converted to ebooks and audiobooks
Percentage of your company's overall revenue that is derived from ebook and audiobook sales, and according to various sales channels
Return rates according to retail channels and types of books
The format preferences of Canadian buyers, borrowers, and readers.