Standing in line for hours just to buy a book is not a common scene these days at local bookstores. When Dan Brown’s latest book, The Lost Symbol (Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2009) hit bookstores on September 15, 2009, people did stand in line to get their hands on the latest installment of Harvard symbol expert Robert Langdon’s adventures.
The book, according to Publishers Weekly (PW) magazine, helped increase adult fiction book sales for the week of the release by over 20 percent with audiobook sales jumping over 19%. But, did it lead to increased book sales overall?
Using a Retail Sales Leader
It has been a long time practice in retail sales to promote one item with heavy advertising and promotion in order to get people in the stores and hopefully buying other items along with the promoted item. In this case, it was the long awaited Dan Brown book.
Brown is the bestselling author of adult fiction books such as The Da Vinci Code (Anchor Books, 2003) and Angels and Demons (Pocket Books, 2000).
His latest book has been long awaited by Brown’s loyal readers, which can be counted in droves.
Using Brown’s book as a sales leader and hoping it would spark sales of other books was not an unusual practice among retail booksellers. What was unusual is that it did not create the fire that was hoped for.
Book Sales Numbers
PW reported an increase in book sales for the week of the release with a 1.7% increase in sales from the same week in 2008. Brown’s book accounted for 25% boost in sales in the adult fiction genre. Nonetheless, the book did not generate the much hoped for add-on book sales. Consumers stood in line with just the Dan Brown book versus that book plus several others.
Adult nonfiction inched up 1.3 but juvenile sales fell a whopping 12% and overall audiobook sales dropped 11%.
Sales Results Reflect Economy
Slow sales and disappointing lead promotions are a reflection of an economy still on the mend and a penny-wise consumer not willing to spend any monies beyond what is perceived as needed.
The total book sales picture may end up different with holiday retail spending just around the corner. For now, retail bookstores will have to hold on to the hope of an improving economy, increased discretionary spending, and dream of the next much awaited best seller to hit the shelves.
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