Mass Market Paperback Profits Plunge--Here's Why!
Mood:
Grumpy
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September 8, 2005
I awoke at 4:30 this morning and couldn't get back to sleep, my brain buzzing. (I hate that). I knew why the mass market paperback market dropped 7 or 8% the last year. Sure, the industry is blaming the change in distribution warehousing that happened in the late 90s and since nobody understands that, we all have to accept it.
Nope. I think it's airline travel. Now, I don't fly much. But I took 2 trips this summer, one from Detroit Metro Airport to Kansas City and back; one from Flint Bishop Airport to Orlando and back. I always bring a book to read on the plane, but frankly, I find it difficult to read on a plane, and I can generally read anywhere. It's crowded and uncomfortable, my ears don't like the pressurized cabins, they're noisy as hell and there's vibration. But I always try to read, and I always try to have a real page-turner because my concentration's never as good on a plane, probably because of all of the above tied in with the fact that when we take off I always intentionally concentrate on my wife and kids so if I crash they'll be the last things I'm thinking of. I don't generally do this under any other circumstances.
Used to be that even non-readers would grab a magazine or book for the plane. Airports and airplane rides are kind of boring. You'd see people at the airport kiosk picking up some paperback for the trip, and you just knew they hadn't read a book since their last vacation. But now they've got their laptop computers, their iPods (which I take on the plane, too), their GameBoys, and laptop DVD players ... who needs reading material? On a flight last year the woman next to me had a mammouth laptop about the size of a Volkswagen and she pulled it out, popped in a DVD, plugged in her earphones and watched a movie--"50 First Dates." And I wished I'd had earphones I could have plugged in to her computer, too, because it's always tough for me to read on the plane.
Back from Orlando I sat next to my youngest--he's 7--and we played cards the entire way. Golf, if you've ever heard of it, and War. I would have welcomed a good book or movie or videogame. I also have taken to bringing a paperback book of crossword puzzles.
So I think it's electronica taking over onflight entertainment. You just don't see people reading books on planes like you used to any more.
Best,
Mark Terry
I awoke at 4:30 this morning and couldn't get back to sleep, my brain buzzing. (I hate that). I knew why the mass market paperback market dropped 7 or 8% the last year. Sure, the industry is blaming the change in distribution warehousing that happened in the late 90s and since nobody understands that, we all have to accept it.
Nope. I think it's airline travel. Now, I don't fly much. But I took 2 trips this summer, one from Detroit Metro Airport to Kansas City and back; one from Flint Bishop Airport to Orlando and back. I always bring a book to read on the plane, but frankly, I find it difficult to read on a plane, and I can generally read anywhere. It's crowded and uncomfortable, my ears don't like the pressurized cabins, they're noisy as hell and there's vibration. But I always try to read, and I always try to have a real page-turner because my concentration's never as good on a plane, probably because of all of the above tied in with the fact that when we take off I always intentionally concentrate on my wife and kids so if I crash they'll be the last things I'm thinking of. I don't generally do this under any other circumstances.
Used to be that even non-readers would grab a magazine or book for the plane. Airports and airplane rides are kind of boring. You'd see people at the airport kiosk picking up some paperback for the trip, and you just knew they hadn't read a book since their last vacation. But now they've got their laptop computers, their iPods (which I take on the plane, too), their GameBoys, and laptop DVD players ... who needs reading material? On a flight last year the woman next to me had a mammouth laptop about the size of a Volkswagen and she pulled it out, popped in a DVD, plugged in her earphones and watched a movie--"50 First Dates." And I wished I'd had earphones I could have plugged in to her computer, too, because it's always tough for me to read on the plane.
Back from Orlando I sat next to my youngest--he's 7--and we played cards the entire way. Golf, if you've ever heard of it, and War. I would have welcomed a good book or movie or videogame. I also have taken to bringing a paperback book of crossword puzzles.
So I think it's electronica taking over onflight entertainment. You just don't see people reading books on planes like you used to any more.
Best,
Mark Terry
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