Print Book Publishing: Your Path to More Readers

If you're publishing only in digital formats, you might be leaving 86% of your potential readers on the table. Let that sink in for a moment.

Here's what the data tells us—and what it means for your print book publishing strategy.

The Print Book Publishing Renaissance Is Real

While we've been hearing about the "death of print" for years, the opposite is happening. US print book sales surged by nearly 68 million copies in 2021 alone, according to Forbes. That's not a fluke—it's a clear signal that readers want physical books in their hands.

A 2021 Pew Research poll found that the average adult reads five print books per year. And yes, ebooks are growing too (up 5% from 2020 to 2021), but the real opportunity lies in offering readers both options through print book publishing.

What Readers Actually Want

The 2022 Pew Research report on American reading habits revealed some eye-opening insights:

Of the 75% of people who read at least one book in the prior year:

• Only 13.8% read exclusively digital books (ebooks and audiobooks)

• 49% read only print books—that's three times as many

• 37.2% read both print and digital formats

  
  

The bottom line?

If you're publishing digital-only, you're potentially missing 86% of your readership.

What This Means for Your Print Book Publishing Strategy

As authors, our job is to serve our books to the right readers in the formats they prefer. When you limit yourself to digital-only publishing, you're making that job significantly harder.

Print book publishing isn't just about nostalgia or aesthetics (though beautiful book design absolutely matters). It's about meeting readers where they are—and the data shows us clearly that most readers still want physical books.

Whether you're working with a hybrid publisher or managing your own print book publishing production, make sure print is part of your publishing plan. Your book deserves to reach every reader who's looking for it.

Explore Your Print Book Publishing Options

Schedule your free consultation and let's talk about bringing your book to life in all the formats your readers want.

Marina Aris is the founder of the award-winning Brooklyn Writers Press and AVANTHAM, and host of the Book Biz Insider podcast. She partners with authors to create award-winning books that readers love.