The importance of books Books have continued to occupy a good ninth place in the rankings of the most popular leisure activities which list 48 activities.

The economic development of the German book market In 2009, the industry’s sales turnover increased by 0.8 per cent to just under 9.7 billion euros, an improvement from the 0.4 per cent increase in 2008. The classic retail book trade ended 2009 by breaking even (+ 0.1 per cent), having had to take a loss of 1.5 per cent the year before. Department stores suffered yet another considerable drop in sales at a figure of just under 20 per cent. Book clubs also registered a drop of 20 per cent, after a decline of 1.8 per cent in 2008. The mail order trade was the big winner again in 2009, increasing its sales by 11.4 per cent. But this increase is entirely accounted for by online book sales, which are estimated to have risen by around 15 per cent.
After an only small increase of 0.6 per cent in 2008, sales for German book publishing companies rose by a clear 3.8 per cent in 2009.

Market structures As of May 2010, the Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels – German Publishers & Booksellers Association – had 5,787 members, including 1,833 publishing companies and 3,814 bookselling businesses.
Germany has uniform pricing for all titles that are sold in all outlets as a part of a legislative policy. The law is called “retail price maintenance” that guarantees any given book must be sold at the publisher-set price across all book stores in the country. It aims to safeguard the broad spectrum of publications ranging from rural to urban distribution of books.
The intermediate book trade (wholesale), as it is called, has been designed meticulously in a way that every book in print can theoretically be delivered within one day to any bookshop in Germany.
In the past decade, Germany's publishing scenario has also undergone a change of ownership. Big German corporations have bought over some of the major publishing houses like Random House, etc.
German books are being translated into almost 47 other languages, and with business hubs like the Frankfurt Book Fair becoming the ultimate destination for all publishers around the world, the market is worth exploring.

The story of the Indian scenario is particularly unique. With a whopping 550 million people in the 15-30 age-groups and with a significant and consumerist middle class, the eventual sales of books can and will surpass all expectations. That said there is hardly any reliable source to find data and information on the market. The several associations representing an estimated 19000 publishers (no single association however boasts of more than a 1000 members), suggests a vibrant yet scattered industry. The total number of publishers registered with the national ISBN agency until the end of 2007 was 12,375. However, given the fact that many publishers still don’t get ISBNs for their books, this number is also at best an estimate.
It is further speculated that a total of 90,000 titles are produced every year. This of course includes all sorts of books-trade, educational, STM etc. The growth is pegged at an optimistic 30 per cent. The publishers in India have more or less been aware of this growth and are adapting somewhat to the same. The complexity of the market notwithstanding, the publishers have been trying new and innovative ways to tap into this huge market.

The GBO and Frankfurt Book Fair have published some reports on the India market which can be downloaded from the links below.