B N C R ES EARCH
The Canadian Book Buyer 2018
The Canadian Book Buyer 2018
Table of Contents 4
Introduction
4
Methodology
5
The Average Buyer
6
Frequency of Reading
7
Social Media Use
8
Library Use
9
Discoverability
12
Subject Performance
14
Sales by Channel
16
Sales by Format
16
Intended Use for Purchase
18
Want More Information?
18
About BookNet Canada
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The Canadian Book Buyer 2018
Terms of Use THIS AGREEMENT is a legal document that governs your use of The Canadian Book Buyer 2018 in PDF format. By downloading the PDF, you indicate that you agree to be bound by the terms and conditions specified herein. 1. COPYRIGHT. BookNet Canada (“BNC”) owns all rights in the multi-use PDF of The Canadian Book Buyer 2018 (“Electronic Publication”) and the copyrights therein. Copyright © BookNet Canada. All rights reserved. 2. PDF FILES: REPRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION. A downloader of the Electronic Publication who accepts and agrees to the conditions specified in these Terms of Use (“Authorized Downloader”) may post a copy of the Electronic Publication on their company’s secured intranet server and/or distribute the Electronic Publication in physical or digital form to their immediate employees and any wholly owned subsidiaries. The publication may be shared with full attribution and hyperlink back to the source webpage according to the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Acceptance of the Electronic Publication constitutes the Authorized Downloader’s agreement with these terms. 3. PROHIBITION OF SUBLICENSE OR ASSIGNMENT. Except as permitted in 2 above, neither the Terms of Use nor the Electronic Publication nor any part thereof may be sub-licensed, assigned, transferred, or given away by the Authorized Downloader without the prior written consent of BNC. Any attempt to sublicense, assign, or transfer any of the rights, interests, duties, or obligations under this license constitutes a material breach of this Agreement justifying termination. 4. ALTERATION. The Authorized Downloader may modify, adapt, transform, translate, or create derivative works based on material included in the Electronic Publication according to the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. 5. REQUIRED NOTICES. The Authorized Downloader many not assert or represent to any third party that they have any ownership rights in, or the right to sell, transfer, or lend the Electronic Publication. 6. USER WARRANTIES. Each Authorized Downloader warrants that they will use reasonable efforts to ensure the security and integrity of each Electronic Publication and will notify BookNet Canada promptly of any unauthorized use of the Electronic Publication of which they become aware. Any abuse of these Terms of Use may be pursued to the fullest extent permitted under applicable laws, treaties, and conventions. 7. INDEMNIFICATION. THE AUTHORIZED DOWNLOADER AGREES TO INDEMNIFY BNC AND ITS DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AFFILIATES, AND AGENTS, AND SHALL HOLD EACH OF THEM HARMLESS AGAINST ANY CLAIMS, LOSSES, OR DAMAGES ASSERTED BY ANY ENTITY, INCLUDING COURT COSTS AND REASONABLE ATTORNEYS’ FEES, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE, OR ATTEMPTED USE, OF THE ELECTRONIC PUBLICATION. 8. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY. BNC SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OF ANY TYPE ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT OR THE ELECTRONIC PUBLICATION. The Authorized Downloader acknowledges that BNC has agreed to make the Electronic Publication available in reliance on the exclusions and limitations of liability and disclaimers of warranty set forth above and that the same form an essential basis of the bargain between the parties. 9. GOVERNING LAW AND GENERAL PROVISIONS. The laws of the Government of Canada shall govern these Terms of Use. If any part of any provision of these Terms of Use shall be invalid or unenforceable, such part shall be deemed to be restated to reflect, as nearly as possible, the original intentions of both of the parties in accordance with applicable law, and the remainder of the Terms of Use shall remain in full force and effect. These Terms of Use are the complete and exclusive statement of the agreement between you as the Authorized Downloader and BNC with respect to the Electronic Publication, and supersedes any proposal or prior agreement, oral or written, and any other communications between you and BNC relating to the subject matter of these Terms of Use. They may not be changed, modified or otherwise altered without the prior written consent of BNC. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. If you have questions about public disclosure of this report, please contact media@booknetcanada.ca. ISBN: 978-1-927655-38-2 | ISNI: 0000000107013646
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The Canadian Book Buyer 2018
Introduction For many years, BookNet Canada has been asking book buyers about their buying habits and preferences — how they find out about books, where they shop, and what they read, along with a lot of other detailed questions about book-buying attitudes and preferences. We often hear about the continuing shifts in the publishing industry, questions such as: How are people finding books? How much are people shopping online? Is book purchasing on the decline? The purpose of this study is to give a baseline report of some of the most basic questions that we are frequently asked — looking at how book-buying has been trending over the past three years.
Methodology BookNet Canada conducts quarterly online surveys of the Canadian public that ask about their book-buying habits. The questions contained in this ongoing survey are asked of adult respondents (aged 18+) who had purchased a book in any format in the prior month. Data has been gathered from the following: 2016 – 1,827 respondents representing 4,479 purchases 2017 – 2,169 respondents representing 6,297 purchases 2018 – 2,942 respondents representing 8,618 purchases Rankings of sales categories have been obtained from BNC SalesData, the tracking service for print sales in the Canadian English-language trade book market.
Sampling details For the 2018 respondent panel, the margin of error is +/- 1.8% at a 95% confidence interval. Specific segments, or questions, may have a smaller sample size and a different margin of error.
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The Canadian Book Buyer 2018
The Average Buyer Who is the average Canadian book buyer? She identifies as female; is 47 years old; is a graduate of a college or university; is married; and works full-time.
It is important to keep in mind that this survey was conducted online, which may slightly skew the results when considering the age of buyers. That being said, the majority of book buyers were over 65 years of age.
Book buyers by age 18-24 9%
19%
25-34 17%
35-44
45-54 18%
55-64 17%
65+ 20%
We asked book buyers how often they undertake certain book-related activities, including how often they read print books or listen to audiobooks. While we often hear that reading is increasingly losing out to other forms of competing entertainment1 — we’re looking at you, Netflix — we found that 97% of book buyers said they read at least occasionally and 33% said they read daily. Looking at specific book formats, we found the following:
• Just over 93% of book buyers are reading print books, with a very slight year-over-year decline. There is also a slight decline in daily reading: 33% in 2018, down 2% from 2016. • Digital reading has remained relatively flat over the past three years, with 57% of book buyers reading ebooks at least occasionally in 2018. • Audiobook listening, while still small in comparison to print, is seeing notable gains. Those book buyers who listen to audiobooks daily has increased from 2.5% in 2016 to 3.2% in 2018. When we add up all those who listen to audiobooks, regardless of frequency, we find that use has increased from 11% in 2016 to 35% in 2018 — a whopping increase of 24%.
BookNet Canada. 2019. “Canadians and their leisure time: Leisure study part 1”. BookNet Canada https://www.booknetcanada.ca/ blog/2019/4/2/canadians-and-their-leisure-time-leisure-study-part-1. May 24, 2019
1
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The Canadian Book Buyer 2018
Frequency of Reading Overall reading frequency 20 16
20 17
20 16
20 18
80 %
80 %
70 %
70 %
60 %
60 %
50 %
50 %
40 %
40 %
30 %
30 %
20 %
20 %
10 %
10 %
0%
0%
Daily
1 – 3 times Less than once Rarely / Never per month a month, but sometimes
Several times a week / Weekly
Ebooks 20 17
20 18 80%
70 %
70%
60 %
60%
50 %
50%
40 %
40%
30 %
30%
20 %
20%
10 %
10% 0%
Daily
Several times a week / Weekly
20 18
1 – 3 times Less than once Rarely / Never per month a month, but sometimes
2016*
80 %
0%
Daily
20 17
Audiobooks 20 16
Print books
Several times a week / Weekly
1 – 3 times Less than once Rarely / Never per month a month, but sometimes
Daily
Several times a week / Weekly
2017
2018
1 – 3 times Less than once a Rarely / Never per month month, but sometimes
Question: How often do you engage in the following activities? Read print books, read ebooks, listen to audiobooks. *Audiobook use was surveyed for half of 2016
BNC RESEARCH
Readers Are Listening Audiobook Use in Canada 2018
If you are interested in more research specifically related to audiobook use in Canada, check out our report: Readers Are Listening: Audiobook Use in Canada 2018.
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The Canadian Book Buyer 2018
Social Media Use Canadian book buyers predominantly use the major social media platforms: Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. Fewer book buyers are using book-related sites, such as Goodreads (10%) and LibraryThing (1%), though they do appear on the list.
Social media use 65%
Facebook YouTube
47% 28%
26%
Twitter Pinterest
23%
23%
18%
TripAdvisor
12%
Google+
12%
Snapchat
11% 10%
Goodreads Reddit
8% 6%
Tu mblr
Flickr
2%
Fanfiction
2%
LibraryThing
1%
Wattpad
1%
49th Shelf
0% 19%
None
Question: In which, if any, of the following online social networks, communities or sharing sites do you currently participate? Please select all that apply.
For more information on social media use, check out our #AmReading series that reports on social media use by book-buying Canadians for all the major platforms: Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, Snapchat, and Twitter. BNC RESEARCH
BNC RESEARCH
#AmReading: Canadian Book Buyers on Instagram
#AmReading: Canadian Book Buyers on Facebook
BNC RESEARCH
BNC RESEARCH
#AmReading: Canadian Book Buyers on YouTube
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#AmReading: Canadian Book Buyers on Pinterest
BNC RESEARCH
BNC RESEARCH
#AmReading: Canadian Book Buyers on Snapchat
#AmReading: Canadian Book Buyers on Twitter
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The Canadian Book Buyer 2018
Library Use In 2018, 54% of Canadian book buyers reported using the library in the prior month. One question we are often asked is whether library use cannibalizes book sales — i.e., if library users purchase fewer books than those who don’t use the library. To address this, we compared the average number of book purchases between library users and those who do not use the library. We found the following: • Those who used the library bought more books than non-library users. • Those who used the library 1-4 times in the prior month bought an average of 2.7 books. • Those who used the library 5-9 times bought an average of 3.0 books. • Book buyers who do not use the library purchased an average of 2.6 books per month.
Frequency of library use Average Number of Purchases 45% 2.6
Never 1-4 times
43%
5-9 times
7%
10-14 times
1%
20+ times
1% 0%
3.1
2%
15-19 times
2.7
6.1 4.9 3.0
5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%
Question: How many times did you visit a public library (in person or online) in the prior month?
B NC R ESEARCH
Borrow, Buy, Read:
Library Use and Book Buying in Canada
For a deeper dive into the relationship between book-buying and library use, check out our study Borrow, Buy, Read: Library Use and Book Buying in Canada, which compiles research from our consumer survey, leisure studies, SalesData, and LibraryData.
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The Canadian Book Buyer 2018
Discoverability How do book buyers find their next reads? Methods of discovering books have remained relatively unchanged over the past three years with browsing (in person or online) and familiarity with a specific author or series topping the list.
Where buyers discover books 2016
2017
2018 24% 22% 22%
Browsing in shop/online Read author/series
22% 22% 17% 17% 18%
Recommendation/review Bestseller list
6%
8%
7% 7% 7%
Have read before
7% 7% 7% 3%
Requested as gift
6% 5%
Film/TV/radio adaptation
4% 5% 5%
Shop window
4% 4% 5%
Author interview/event
4% 4% 5%
Preview in another book
4% 4% 5%
School/college/study/work
4% 3% 4%
Reading group/Book group Prize winner/nomination
8%
Follow author/series online
Advert/trailer/email alert
24%
2%
4% 4%
3% 3% 3% 3% 2% 3%
Question: How did you become aware of this book? Please select all that apply.
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The Canadian Book Buyer 2018
We asked those who discovered their book purchase through a recommendation or review where that recommendation or review came from. By far, the most common source was an in-person recommendation from a friend or relative, followed by a bookseller website.
Sources of recommendations and reviews Friend/relative/colleague in person
41%
Bookseller site
16%
Reader on bookseller site
15%
Friend/relative/colleague on social media
9%
Review site TV
6%
Staff in shop
5%
Teacher/course list
5%
Printed newspaper
4%
Special interest site/online community
4%
Radio
3%
Online forum/blog
3%
Printed magazine
3%
Staff in library
3%
Social media (general)
3%
Online/digital magazine
2%
Video sharing site
2%
Author website/social media
2%
Online/digital newspaper
2%
Publisher website
7%
1%
Question: Where did the recommendation/review come from? Please select all that apply.
In most cases, Canadians buy books because they either like the author (26%) or they are interested in the subject (27%). One decision-making method that has been steadily increasing over the past three years is the description of the book, which has grown from 16% to 19%.
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The Canadian Book Buyer 2018
Decision to buy 2016
2017
2018 25%
Interested in subject Like au thor 16%
Description of the book Like the series
18% 19% 19% 18% 18%
11% 11% 11% 11% 10% 11%
Recommendation/review Like main character Appealing front cover Read extract/looked inside
7%
Bestseller
7% 7%
Contained information needed
6% 7% 7% 3%
Bought as gift Bought for study/work
3%
9% 8% 9% 8% 8% 8%
7% 6% 4% 5% 4% 4% 4%
Best book on the subject Previously read Adaptation/film/on TV
3% 2% 2%
Author interview/event Reading group Book prize win/nomination
27% 27% 27% 26%
16% 16% 15%
Low price/special offer
Saw advert/trailer
26%
1% 1%
4% 4%
5% 5%
4%
3%
2% 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% 2%
Question: What made you decide to buy this book? Please select all that apply.
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The Canadian Book Buyer 2018
Subject Performance Below, we have included the five top-selling subjects in Fiction, Non-Fiction, Juvenile, and Young Adult (YA) according to print unit sales tracked by BNC SalesData over the past three years. It is important to note that significant sales for one or two big books can drastically impact sales in the relevant category for a given year. Note that unit sales have been compiled from a representative subset of consistent retailers used for yearover-year comparison. For this reason, exact sales number have been redacted.
Fiction 2016
2017
2017
2018
2018
Thrillers
Romance
Literary
Mystery & Detective
Women
Non-Fiction 2016 Biography & Autobiography
Cooking
Self-help
Comics & Graphic Novels
Business & Economics
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The Canadian Book Buyer 2018
Juvenile 2 016
2 017
2 018
Juvenile Fiction / Humorous Stories Juvenile Fiction / Animals
Juvenile Fiction / Media Tie-In Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure Juvenile Fiction / General
Young Adult 2 016
2 017
2 018
YA Fiction / Fantasy
YA Fiction / Social Themes
YA Fiction / Romance
YA Fiction / Action & Adventure
YA Fiction / People & Places
For more information on category performance of print sales in the Canadian English-language trade book market, check out our annual publication The Canadian Book Market 2018. It looks at the sales performance of more than 60 genres, including top-selling titles and average list prices, in addition to providing information on consumer buying behaviour and an overview of the French-language market.
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The Canadian Book Buyer 2018
Sales by Channel Perhaps unsurprisingly, online sales are the most popular retail channel. When we combine all online and in-person channels and compare them, we find that online book-buying has grown from 48% in 2016 to 53% in 2018. Conversely, in-person purchasing has declined from 50% in 2016 to 45% in 2018.
Online vs in-person purchases 2016
2017
2018 48%
Online
52% 53% 50% 46%
In-person
45%
The following graph breaks out general website purchasing from ebook/audio sites and mobile apps.
Retail channels 201 6
201 7
201 8 38%
Online 25% 25% 25%
Chain Bookstores 9% 9% 9%
Indie Bookstores
General
8%
4% 4%
7% 6% 7%
Discount 5%
Ebook/Audio
6% 6%
5% 5% 5%
Mobile App
Book Club
Grocery
40% 42%
2% 3% 2% 1% 1% 1%
Question: Where did you buy this book?
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The Canadian Book Buyer 2018
There are many reasons why a buyer chooses to make their purchase at a particular store or website, so we asked buyers to tell us all of them. We found that convenience tops the list with “convenient or easy way to buy books” and “convenience of the retail outlet,” both at 26%. Books being in stock (21%) and available immediately (20%) are also high on the list.
Why buyers chose a particular store or website Convenient way to buy books
26%
Good selection
26%
Convenient place to shop
26%
Good price
25%
Book in stock
21%
Book available immediately
20%
Book was cheaper
18%
Good service
17%
Cheap/free delivery
16%
Happened to see the book there
16%
Easy to navigate
15%
Enjoy shopping there
14%
Have loyalty card/subscription
13%
Shopping there for other items
13%
Habit
10%
Gift card to use
9%
Able to read extract
9%
Good recommendations/reviews
6%
Able to order/preorder
5%
Specializes in this type of book
4%
To support this shop
4%
Only place to buy/linked to e-reader
3%
Mentioned in an email/newsletter Attended author event
3% 1%
Question: Why did you use this particular shop/website/organization to buy this book, rather than buying it somewhere else? Please select all that apply.
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The Canadian Book Buyer 2018
Sales by Format Over the past three years, we have found a slight increase in the purchase of hardcover books (up 3%) and a decline in paperback (down 5%). Ebooks have remained relatively flat and, while we have seen some increase to audiobook purchases, this can be hard to measure because of the popularity of audiobook subscription services, which buyers often don’t report as “purchases.” The “other” category has seen a 3% increase and contains a fairly broad scope of formats that includes spiral bound books, maps, DVDs, game cartridges, calendars, cards, blank books, posters, and sheet music (to name a few).
Format 2016
2017
2018 54%
Paperback
50% 49% 24%
Hardcover
25% 26% 17%
Ebook
19% 17% 3%
Audiobook
2% 4% 2%
Other
4% 5%
Intended Use for Purchase Readers were asked why they made their most recent purchase and they were allowed to select multiple reasons. By far, the most popular reason people buy books is to read for pleasure. This is followed by reading while commuting and for self-help or self-improvement. Below, we have shown these reasons broken out by books purchased for buyers’ own use compared to books that were purchased as a gift. While trends are fairly similar between the two, we find a few obvious exceptions: books bought for commuting are predominantly a personal purchase and books bought to read with a child tend to be gifts.
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The Canadian Book Buyer 2018
Intended use for book purchases Purchased as a gift 12%
Read for pleasure Read while commuting Self-help/improvement Reference Read on holiday School/study Read to plan holiday Work Book group Read to/use with a child Storytelling session for child
Purchased for own use
1%
9%
2%
8%
2%
8%
2% 1% 1% 0%
54%
7% 4%
3%
2%
0% 2% 2%
5%
1% 1%
Question: What do you plan to use this book for?
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The Canadian Book Buyer 2018
Want More Information? Has this report piqued your interest in finding out lots more about books in Canada? BookNet Canada has extensive research available on our website, both free and for purchase. Multi-user editions are available to be purchased for library use as well.
About BookNet Canada BookNet Canada is a non-profit organization that develops technology, standards, and education to serve the Canadian book industry. Founded in 2012 to address systemic challenges in the industry, BookNet Canada supports publishing companies, booksellers, wholesalers, distributors, sales agents, and libraries across the country. BookNet Canada’s services and research help companies promote and sell books, streamline workflows, and analyze and adapt to a rapidly changing market. BookNet Canada sets technology standards and educates organizations about how to apply them, performs market research, and tracks 85% of all Canadian English-language print trade book sales through BNC SalesData. Industry-led and partially funded by the Department of Canadian Heritage, BookNet Canada has become, as The Globe and Mail puts it, “the book industry’s supply-chain nerve centre.”
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