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Sustainability is no longer a marketing slogan in publishing. It’s a strategic and financial reality. Paper sourcing, printing location, freight emissions, warehousing practices, and packaging decisions all contribute to the environmental footprint of every book produced. Readers increasingly expect publishers to act responsibly. Governments are...
Sustainability is no longer a marketing slogan in publishing. It’s a strategic and financial reality. Paper sourcing, printing location, freight emissions, warehousing practices, and packaging decisions all contribute to the environmental footprint of every book produced. Readers increasingly expect publishers to act responsibly. Governments are...
For more than a decade, the narrative seemed settled. E-commerce would dominate. Brick-and-mortar bookstores would decline. Digital discovery would replace physical browsing. But the story has become more complicated. As 2026 approaches, book consumers are not choosing one channel over the other. They are blending...
In 2026, books are competing with everything. Streaming services, gaming subscriptions, short-form video, podcasts, live events, and an endless flow of digital content all vie for consumer attention and discretionary income. The publishing industry cannot assume loyalty. It must earn it. The Value Proposition of a...
For years, the $800 de minimis tariff threshold quietly shaped how books moved into the United States. It wasn’t a headline issue, and most readers never heard of it. But for publishers, wholesalers, and retailers, it mattered. A lot.The rule allowed goods valued under $800...
For decades, sustainability in publishing was largely voluntary. Publishers made environmental commitments, printers offered certified paper options, and progress often depended on budgets, brand values, or consumer pressure. That era is ending.With the introduction of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), sustainability has shifted from aspiration to...
Public libraries rarely dominate industry headlines, yet they remain one of the most stable and influential markets for physical books worldwide. While consumer retail rises and falls with trends, algorithms, and social media cycles, libraries continue to serve a different role. They are long-term stewards...
Book banning has become one of the most emotionally charged issues in the American book world. What once felt like an occasional, localized dispute has grown into a sustained national conversation involving schools, libraries, publishers, parents, and readers. As the industry looks toward 2026, one...
A Shrinking Circle of GiantsThe global trade book industry has witnessed an era of unprecedented consolidation over the last two decades. Publishing houses that were once family-run or regionally independent have been steadily absorbed into larger conglomerates. Today, a handful of multinational corporations—Penguin Random House...
A Shifting Retail LandscapeThe global retail market for English-language books is undergoing rapid transformation. For decades, the supply chain was dominated by brick-and-mortar bookstores in North America, the U.K., and Australia. Today, however, English-language books are a global commodity, distributed digitally and physically across regions...
