Paris Book Festival: Second-Hand Books, Author Pay, and Market Challenges

Publishers’ Concerns and Market Motivation

None of this completely satisfied publishers, Livres Hebdo magazine reported. Nearly all the procedures were “symbolic signal”, and there was absolutely nothing regarding help for smaller sized representatives and authors, digital strategy, targeted export support, devices to advertise content innovation or a one-off budget allotment, the publication estimated anonymous publishers as stating.

The major market motivation will certainly originate from e-books, with sales raising by 3.5% a year between now and 2027, Xerfi claimed, along with boosted sales of pre-owned books. Social item and bookstore chains, and big independent bookshops now account for 24% of the market and will certainly continue to be buoyant, but smaller booksellers are “sidelined” and should consist of occasions or other destinations such as coffee corners to survive.

Society Minister Rachida Dati did not discuss the steps in her inaugural speech at the event on Thursday night, yet throughout their browse through to the event the complying with day Macron and Dati “opened the way to introducing a reasonable reimbursement for writers and publishers on the used book market, based on copyright”, the French Publishers Association (Syndicat National de l’édition, SNE) and the Permanent Council of Writers (Conseil Permanent des Ecrivains, CPE) said in a joint statement.

Government Support and Fair Reimbursement

She said people with specials needs would certainly have straight accessibility to authors’ brand-new e-books from June. She pledged government support for an expense before the Senate to ensure reasonable reimbursement for authors and for procedures to make sure reasonable competition among sellers in complimentary book shipments.

Numerous publishers presented flyers for their collection of some 50 anti-Bolloré essays to be published in June under the title “Déborder Bolloré” (which roughly equates as “Outflank Bolloré”), ActuaLitté reported.

Used Book Market Regulation

The two organisations “invite a major breakthrough towards regulating” this market, which deserved an estimated EUR351bn in 2022 and stood for 20% of publication sales, according to a research published last year and accomplished by the Society Ministry and the debt collection agency Société Française des Intérêts des Auteurs de l’écrit (SOFIA).

Both organisations welcomed the ministry’s commitment to proceed dealing with an option. They likewise invited Dati’s intent to revise the price for libraries’ public loaning rights, which has actually not transformed considering that 2003.

A 2020 report by the previous head of the French National Collection Bruno Racine reflected its arguments. “Resale civil liberties on pre-owned publications appear lawfully unclear, practically complicated and unlikely to produce a substantial resource,” the report stated.

Used publications, the frailty of the book environment and “the pillage of safeguarded jobs by expert system giants” were major obsessions highlighted by Vincent Montagne, head of state of the SNE, which arranges the festival and has.

Pre-owned publications likewise considered on the 2027 sales forecasts of market-research company Xerfi. It predicted that the general market, with the exception of audio, will certainly avoid EUR4.4 bn in 2024 to EUR4.2 bn 3 years later, without appraising inflation.

Online Publishing Strategy

The on-line publication website ActuaLitté has actually published an article on the subject of “hypocritical publishing technique”. Ten years ago, the now-defunct digital firm Booxup suggested to pay the collection agency SOFIA 6% before tax on book sales in between its members, ActuaLitté kept in mind.

Dati pointed out a number of other initiatives during her speech at the festival, including a prize for children’ publications to be granted for the very first time in the autumn, the concern of collection cards to parents in their children’s names and programmes to motivate youngsters to read for enjoyment and youths to work in bookshops.

Ukraine Protest and Freedom of Expression

Several pro-Ukraine organizations protested at the Fayard Stand when previous editor-in-chief of RT (ex-Russia Today, RT) Xenia Fedorova concerned authorize her bookBannie. “Liberté d’expression sous problem” (“freedom of expression under problems”), Livres Hebdo reported. The European Union outlawed RT in 2022 as a pro-Kremlin propagandist.

ActuaLitté affirmed that the SNE “desires money from second-hand books, however has been blocking arrangements on author pay,” concluding that a long-term remedy needs to be found to the market’s real issues, “which are that publications are selling much less well and overproduction has weakened the market”.

The on-line book website ActuaLitté has published a post on the subject of “sanctimonious publishing technique”. 10 years earlier, the now-defunct digital firm Booxup suggested to pay the collection firm SOFIA 6% before tax obligation on publication sales between its members, ActuaLitté noted. Reacting to the post, which he called an op-ed, SNE director Renaud Lefebvre claimed: “The scenario today is nothing like it was 10 years ago. “We are talking concerning a huge growth in second-hand publication sales over the last couple of years and are suggesting to pay for copyright, not to enforce a tax,” he included. “Liberté d’expression sous problem” (“liberty of expression under problems”), Livres Hebdo reported.

Responding to the article, which he called an op-ed, SNE director Renaud Lefebvre claimed: “The situation today is absolutely nothing like it was 10 years ago. That was prior to the emergence of on the internet systems marketing pre-owned books.” Looking back in time and questioning the legitimacy of the campaign “does not assist address the issue we have now,” he told The Bookseller. “We are talking about a significant development in second-hand book sales over the last couple of years and are recommending to pay for copyright, not to impose a tax obligation,” he added. “We have actually been working with the idea for some time and have actually taken advice from academics and lawful professionals.”

There is inevitably at the very least one objection demo at the celebration. This time around it was a far-left team whining to Hachette Livre publishing home Fayard regarding billionaire Vincent Bolloré, who, with his family, is the major shareholder of the moms and dad company Vivendi, the French media reported.

Used books, new prizes and reviewing for enjoyment got on the program at last week’s three-day Paris Book Celebration, which closed its doors on Sunday night (13th April). The celebration went back to the Grand Palais near the Champs Elysées after an absence of more than thirty years.