The Long Tail in Publishing

Today, Stephen Woodfin talks about the new paradigm for writers, one we should all be aware of.  Stephen is a multi-published author (and a lawyer) whose novels have been well-received.  But for some of us, what he has to say today is new and important.  Take it away, Stephen.

Amazon’s Long Tail 

One of the most interesting components of bookselling in the new digital age is the long tail.

“Long tail” is a term made popular by the publication of Chris Anderson’s book, The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business is Selling Less of More.

In essence the long tail refers to the infinite shelf-life of books on Internet marketplaces.  As anyone in the book business knows, Amazon is the 500 pound gorilla in the long tail business.

If we look back a few years, we can see the revolutionary power of the long tail in the book business.  For many years, when brick and mortar stores dominated book selling, publishers fueled the retail book market with the returns system.  The returns system is a mechanism whereby book stores can return unsold copies of books they purchase from publishers and receive full credit for the price they paid for the books.

This means that if a book does not sell quickly, a bookstore returns it, and the book vanishes from sight of the public, usually never to be seen again.

Now, however, a reader can find books on Amazon that are not in physical stores. Those books do not disappear, but rather continue to populate digital shelves, waiting for readers to find them.

And readers do find them.  It may take a while for a book to sell from an online site, but it will sell if it is a book of interest to readers of a niche genre.

The niches are endless, too. Virtually any topic has a group of people who want to learn more about it, and it is those readers who search Amazon for books in the category.

Another factor that comes into play with the long tail is Amazon sales rankings. Most people don’t understand what those rankings mean. They are not a reflection of the popularity of the book vis a vis all books for sale on Amazon.  Rather, they are an indication of the amount of time which has elapsed since the book’s last sale.

For instance, a book ranked 100,000 is selling about a copy per day, while one ranked 1,000,000 is selling probably about one copy per month. Also, the rankings reset every hour, so that a book ranked 1,000,000 in the morning may be ranked 100,000 or 1,500,000 by nightfall.

If a reader develops a curiosity about sales rankings, she will soon understand the significance of the long tail.

What does the long tail mean for authors?

Simply put, it means most authors, save for the infinitesimally few who are lucky enough to have a break out bestseller, will benefit for the most part from the long tail.

In other words, they will sell a few copies of their books day to day, but those sales may continue for many years. This is why authors should keep writing and increase the number of titles they have.  The more titles, the greater the chance those niche readers will find them as the days, months, and years go by.

Jim, thanks for the chance to blog on your site again.  It’s always a pleasure and a privilege.

You can find Stephen’s books on the big Gorilla with the long tail, Amazon, by clicking here.

Please Share or Like, and give us your thoughts on this new look at publishing, the gorilla with the long tail.  Thanks.