Cracking the Nonfiction Code
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Transcript of Cracking the Nonfiction Code
Cracking the Nonfiction Code
@kobo @mtamblyn #TOCCON
Fiction Non-fiction
In print…
Fiction Non-fiction
In print, with kids books…
Fiction Non-fiction
In digital…
Why?
Devices Customers
Price Narwhals
Competition from other sources Gift economy of the book
Gift economy of the ereader
25 minutes
Data
Data vs.
Fun
Data vs.
Fun (or at least Conscious)
“I hold the rights for the world’s largest collection of narwhal field guides and am going to decide what to price them
at the end of your talk.”
“I have spent the last two days learning everything there is to know about epub3. Entertain me or I will hang
myself with a lanyard.”
Difficult balance
Hard data.
price
share
With interludes of Semi-substantiated speculation
W, Empress of Content & Pricing Data
About Kobo
2.5 million titles 7 million customers
Kobo eReader Touch
Kobo Vox iPad, iPhone, Android,
Blackberry
eBooks to almost 200 countries
and some countries that only
questionably exist
Acquiring content in 25 countries
Merchandising in 9 countries
(US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Germany, France, Spain, Netherlands)
Merchandising in 9 countries
(US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Germany, France, Spain, Netherlands)
What is the fiction/non-fiction
split?
Digital vs. Print Share of Purchase Fic$on Romance 221% Fic$on General & Other* 115% Fic$on Mystery & Detec$ve 120% Fic$on Fantasy 67% Nonfic$on RELIGION 6% Nonfic$on BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY -‐16% Nonfic$on BUSINESS & ECONOMICS -‐52% Nonfic$on HEALTH & FITNESS -‐54% Nonfic$on FAMILY & RELATIONSHIPS -‐63% Juvenile JUVENILE FICTION -‐66% Nonfic$on SELF-‐HELP -‐71% Nonfic$on HUMOR -‐72% Nonfic$on BODY, MIND & SPIRIT -‐74% Nonfic$on SPORTS & RECREATION -‐83% Nonfic$on TRAVEL -‐89% Nonfic$on REFERENCE -‐90% Nonfic-on COOKING -‐92% Juvenile JUVENILE NONFICTION -‐96% Nonfic-on COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS -‐98%
What is moving easily to digital: Original stories à Fiction Opinion, analysis and expertise vs. data and information. à Biography, History, Business “Proprietary knowledge” à Diets and health guides, self-help, instruction
Why are some categories significantly underindexed? How many of them are richly illustrated with complex formats? à Constrained by supply in digital, still not a lot of titles available vs. print How many are given as gifts? à Constrained by behaviour)
The categories at the bottom of the list:
those in competition with free ad-supported web resources (cookbooks, travel, etc.)
à if you have a web-connected device to read on, you’ll use it…
There are definitely opportunities
for children’s books
Gift shifting from
“book” to
“device to read books”
Could we do a better job of on a
device for kids?
Sure.
Are there non-fiction devices?
Yes.
Not about screen size.
or OS.
“Where the boys are…”
0.00% 10.00% 20.00% 30.00% 40.00% 50.00%
Desktop Client - Linux
HTC Android Smartphone
Blackberry Playbook
Samsung Galaxy Tab
iPad
Desktop Client - OSX
Kobo Touch
Android App - downloadable
Kobo Vox
Kobo Website
Desktop Client - Windows
iPhone
Kobo EReader 2.0
% of Library in Non-fiction
Non-fiction Pricing
Price Points by # of ISBNs in Catalog
US Non-fiction pricing vs. unit sales 0
- 0.9
9
1 - 1
.99
2 - 2
.99
3 - 3
.99
4 - 4
.99
5 - 5
.99
6 - 6
.99
7 - 7
.99
8 - 8
.99
9 - 9
.99
10 -
10.9
9
11 -
11.9
9
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12.9
9
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13.9
9
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9
18 -
18.9
9
19 -
19.9
9
20 -
20.9
9
21 +
BACKLIST FRONTLIST
(digital non-fiction is a backlist
business)
Canada – Non-fiction Pricing by Unit Sales 0
- 0.9
9
1 - 1
.99
2 - 2
.99
3 - 3
.99
4 - 4
.99
5 - 5
.99
6 - 6
.99
7 - 7
.99
8 - 8
.99
9 - 9
.99
10 -
10.9
9
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9
20 -
20.9
9
21 +
BACKLIST FRONTLIST
Australia - Non-fiction Pricing by Unit Sales 0
- 0.9
9
1 - 1
.99
2 - 2
.99
3 - 3
.99
4 - 4
.99
5 - 5
.99
6 - 6
.99
7 - 7
.99
8 - 8
.99
9 - 9
.99
10 -
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9
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9
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9
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9
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9
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9
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9
20 -
20.9
9
21 +
BACKLIST FRONTLIST
Biography 0
- 0.9
9
1 - 1
.99
2 - 2
.99
3 - 3
.99
4 - 4
.99
5 - 5
.99
6 - 6
.99
7 - 7
.99
8 - 8
.99
9 - 9
.99
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9
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20 -
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9
21 +
BACKLIST FRONTLIST
Business 0
- 0.9
9
1 - 1
.99
2 - 2
.99
3 - 3
.99
4 - 4
.99
5 - 5
.99
6 - 6
.99
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.99
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9
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9
20 -
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9
21 +
BACKLIST FRONTLIST
Food & Cooking 0
- 0.9
9
1 - 1
.99
2 - 2
.99
3 - 3
.99
4 - 4
.99
5 - 5
.99
6 - 6
.99
7 - 7
.99
8 - 8
.99
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.99
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9
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21 +
BACKLIST FRONTLIST
Health & Fitness 0
- 0.9
9
1 - 1
.99
2 - 2
.99
3 - 3
.99
4 - 4
.99
5 - 5
.99
6 - 6
.99
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.99
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.99
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.99
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9
20 -
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9
21 +
BACKLIST FRONTLIST
Comics & Graphic Novels 0
- 0.9
9
1 - 1
.99
2 - 2
.99
3 - 3
.99
4 - 4
.99
5 - 5
.99
6 - 6
.99
7 - 7
.99
8 - 8
.99
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.99
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BACKLIST FRONTLIST
Is there a significant self-
publishing market?
not yet.
7% of all unit sales self-pub
non-fiction
1% self-pub
Price Decay in Non-fiction
12.31
8.82 8.70
0.00%
10.00%
20.00%
30.00%
40.00%
50.00%
60.00%
70.00%
30 60 90 120 150 180 210 240 270 300 330 365
% of Total Quantity Sold Average Price Linear (Average Price)
All Non-fiction
13.81
11.85 11.45
0.00%
10.00%
20.00%
30.00%
40.00%
50.00%
60.00%
70.00%
30 60 90 120 150 180 210 240 270 300 330 365
% of Total Quantity Sold Average Price Linear (Average Price)
Business & Non-fiction
12.42 11.42 10.60
0.00%
10.00%
20.00%
30.00%
40.00%
50.00%
60.00%
70.00%
30 60 90 120 150 180 210 240 270 300 330 365
% of Total Quantity Sold Average Price Linear (Average Price)
Biography
13.24
11.50
9.59
0.00%
10.00%
20.00%
30.00%
40.00%
50.00%
60.00%
70.00%
30 60 90 120 150 180 210 240 270 300 330 365
% of Total Quantity Sold Average Price Linear (Average Price)
History
11.46 9.65 9.61
0.00%
10.00%
20.00%
30.00%
40.00%
50.00%
60.00%
70.00%
30 60 90 120 150 180 210 240 270 300 330 365
% of Total Quantity Sold Average Price Linear (Average Price)
Cooking
10.85 10.59
9.11
0.00%
10.00%
20.00%
30.00%
40.00%
50.00%
60.00%
70.00%
30 60 90 120 150 180 210 240 270 300 330 365
% of Total Quantity Sold Average Price Linear (Average Price)
Health & Fitness
Cracking the Nonfiction Code
@kobo @mtamblyn #TOCCON