Publishers Weekly - 27.01.2020

We haven’t got the final tally, but

overall industry sales for 2019 look like

they’ll be solid, up slightly in most cate-

gories, fl at or down in a few (most notably

higher education). Genre preferences keep

shifting. For example, sales of adult fi ction

decreased by 16% from 2013 to 2017, and

then another 4.6% in 2018. There’s also a

longtime trend away from the midlist

toward frontlist bestsellers, such that

fewer authors can make a living just from

writing. Without advances for midlist

titles, it’s hard to see how the supply can

be maintained.

As usual, the top 10 books lists for the year heavily favor the

Big Five publishers, who routinely capture eight or nine of the

slots on any given list. Is it possible that all the good books

published each year come from the Big Five—that none of the

independents or university presses publish books of comparable

quality? I don’t think so. So why do the list makers never get

called out on their bias?

At Kamloops the train turns north, passing through

Craigellachie, British Columbia, where the “last spike”

of the original Canada Pacific Rail line was driven into the

track in 1885.

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After years of declining fortunes, slowing sales, digital

missteps and management shake-ups, Barnes &

Noble was taken private by Elliott Management, a hedge

fund better known for once picking a fight with the

country of Argentina. Elliott already owns the U.K. chain

Waterstones, whose CEO, James Daunt, is now respon-

sible for more than 900 retail locations in two countries

(separated by more than an ocean). After Christmas, word

emerged that Waterstones’ December sales had been

essentially flat, while Daunt tempered short-term expec-

tations for B&N, pointing out that the merchandising

Column|DIGITAL PERSPECTIVES

V

ia Rail is Canada’s Amtrak,

a coast-to-coast passenger

train as well as a commuter

service in the populous

eastern markets. The

cross-country run is mostly for tourists—

a pure delight for those who love train

travel. Spun out from freight rail net-

works, passenger trains are condemned to

share the same tracks, while assigned a

lower priority, leading to frequent delays.

Don’t take long-distance trains if you’re

in a hurry, particularly during a cold and

snowy winter.

My train, the Canadian, travels twice a week between

Vancouver and Toronto, covering the 2,800 miles in four days

and four nights. There are 65 stops along the way—55 of them

in small towns, those stops made only if there’s a passenger at

the station who wants to climb aboard.

You can cover the same distance with a fi ve-hour fl ight. But

I wanted slow, even very slow. It had been a busy fall at work,

and I looked forward to sitting still, reading, and refl ecting on

the year during my trip. The train was due to depart from

Vancouver on the afternoon of December 23, but a mechanical

problem on the incoming train pushed the departure to 8 a.m.

on December 24. We were 17 hours late before the train had

even left the station.

I didn’t board without trepidation. The TripAdvisor reviews

tend to be raves or roars, the best trip ever or among the worst.

There are frequent complaints about the condition of the train

cars, the staff, and the near-inevitable delays. My experience was

just the opposite: great personal service, stunning views, and

fine meals in the old-style dining car. Not to mention the

return-to-childhood pleasure of being rocked gently to sleep

each night.

The slow pace gave me plenty of time to ponder the publishing

year, 2019. Was it in some way exceptional, or was it just a year

just like the others? Some things stood out.

On the Train, Pondering

Publishing

Our columnist takes time to gain perspective on the year in publishing

18 PUBLISHERS WEEKLY ■ JANUARY 27, 2020

Thad McIlroy

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