Accepted wisdom in the publishing world states that sales of non-fiction titles routinely pulverise their fiction counterparts. At times it seems like fiction is only maintained by publishers out of habit, tradition, and, sometimes, charity.
So I found the headline of this article from the UK’s Bookseller.com an intriguing development. Dig a little deeper and you realise their sample size is tiny and the statistics more than a little soft. One report before the Christmas season begins does not a trend make.
So the entire thing may be a beat up. But still, look at that title. For a fiction writer used to charity, that’s one interesting set of words (and numbers) to see together:
Non-fiction slumps as fiction sales soar 90% | theBookseller.com.
As an aside, check out the individual titles they’re referring to. Peter Kay (who the hell is that anyway?), Ant and Dec (some disposable duo I vaguely remember from my London tour of duty), and Jeremy Clarkson (the Top Gear bloke). And Guinness World Records and cookbooks.
Christ, no wonder sales are slumping. I could barely get through that paragraph without falling asleep.
The Books
