In 2005, the number of reference book titles published dropped 35.5 percent from 2004, according to R.R. Bowker’s “Books in Print Database.” The database includes all trade books, including e-books, which are a very small portion of the overall titles, says Norris. “Of the 19 categories we cover, reference books took the second-steepest drop next to one other very narrow category—politics and current events,” says Norris. “If I had to say which category was most adversely affected by the Internet, it would be reference book publishing.”
ref•er•ence pub•lish•ing n :industry segment faced with dramatic change
In 2005, the number of reference book titles published dropped 35.5 percent from 2004, according to R.R. Bowker’s “Books in Print Database.” The database includes all trade books, including e-books, which are a very small portion of the overall titles, says Norris. “Of the 19 categories we cover, reference books took the second-steepest drop next to one other very narrow category—politics and current events,” says Norris. “If I had to say which category was most adversely affected by the Internet, it would be reference book publishing.”