Books are an integral part of our lives, and even as physical books slowly fall into obscurity, the rise of e-books on tablets and other devices ensure that the publishing industry has a future.
Our list of 10 facts about books and the publishing industry
1. The book publishing industry today is worth $103 billion globally. Although it may seem like a lot, it has experienced 0% annual growth for the past five years.
2. There are 814,000 people employed in the global book publishing industry and there are 69,709 independent publishers.
3. About 200,000 books are published each year in the United States alone.
4. 2.5 billion copies of the Bible have been sold between 1815 and 1975 in over 349 languages. It is the most published and widely distributed book in the world.
5. 80% of Americans want to write a book.
6. 95% of books that are submitted to publishers are rejected.
7. 17 of the top 100 selling books on Kindle are self-published books without the backing of a publishing house.
8. Mark Dawson, one of Kindles most successful self-publishers, gets paid $450,000 annually.
9. About 10,000 publishing companies are established annually.
10. Most publishers make around 75% of its profit from retail sales. Unfortunately, the largest book retailers in the U.S., Borders and Barnes & Noble, have closed hundreds of stores in recent years.