Andrew Grabois

NEW PROVIDENCE, N.J. -- Bowker, a bibliographic information agency, released a report this week that shows book publishing in the U.S. decreased 18 percent in 2005 to 172,000 new titles and editions -- marking the country’s first decline since 1999. The statistics, based on preliminary figures from U.S. publishers, were compiled from Bowker’s Books In Print database, a comprehensive listing of more than 6 million U.S. book, audiobook and video titles. The U.S.’s decrease allowed for Great Britain to assume the top spot as the world’s leader in English-language publishing, with the U.K.’s 206,000 new books in 2005 representing a 28-percent increase. The U.S.’s

NEW PROVIDENCE, N.J.--May 24, 2005--Bowker, the leading provider of bibliographic information in North America, today released statistics on U.S. book publishing compiled from its Books In Print database. Based on preliminary figures, Bowker is projecting that U.S. title output in 2004 increased by 14 percent to 195,000 new titles and editions, reaching another all-time high. The catalyst for growth in 2004 was adult fiction, which reversed a three-year plateau and increased a staggering 43.1 percent, to 25,184 new titles and editions, the highest total ever recorded for that category. Adult fiction now accounts for 14 percent of all titles published in the United

The numbers tell the story. There are 145,000 book titles vying for attention on bookseller's shelves. That's up a mere 3% over last year, according to market researcher R. R. Bowker, with little prospect for growth in this stalled economy. Book publishers have limited options to capture the attention of buyers. One tactic is increasingly popular: a striking cover. Vivid colors, metallic foil and inks, ultraviolet-cured compounds, 3D holograms, lenticular motion graphics—all are techniques finding favor with book designers and marketers. Intended to grab the eye or titillate the touch, these design techniques stand out, attracting readers to the detriment of lesser-styled competing

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