Based Camp with Simone & Malcolm Collins | Why Burn Books When Nobody Reads? @SimoneandMalcolm | Uploaded May 2024 | Updated October 2024, 22 minutes ago.
In this eye-opening episode, Malcolm and Simone dive deep into the current state of the publishing industry, revealing shocking statistics about book sales, author earnings, and the strategies employed by major publishing houses. The couple discusses the alarming decline in reading habits among Americans and the dominance of a select few authors in the bestseller lists. Malcolm shares startling figures from the antitrust case between Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster, exposing the industry's reliance on celebrity books and backlist titles. The couple also examines the disappointing sales of books by well-known figures with substantial social media followings. Throughout the conversation, they offer valuable advice for aspiring authors, emphasizing the importance of exploring alternative platforms like YouTube, podcasts, and Substack to reach and engage audiences effectively.
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction: The state of reading in America
01:40 Concentration of book sales among a few authors
04:00 New York Times bestseller earnings and publisher splits
06:05 The Wall Street Journal bestseller list and self-publishing
08:10 How major publishing houses stay in business
10:20 The disparity between digital and print book sales
12:00 The value of audiobooks versus podcasts
13:45 The Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster antitrust case
15:20 Penguin Random House's book sales statistics
17:30 Comparing YouTube views to book sales
19:00 Author advances and sales goals in the publishing industry
21:00 Million-dollar advances and the top 1000 bestseller list
22:30 Celebrity book sales: Billie Eilish, Justin Timberlake, and Snoop Dogg
23:45 Book sales of Ilhan Omar and Piers Morgan
25:30 The diminishing value of traditional publishing for authors
27:30 What authors lose by going through traditional publishing houses
29:00 The rise of Substack, blogs, YouTube, and podcasts for intellectual content
30:30 Adapting to the changing landscape of content consumption
In this eye-opening episode, Malcolm and Simone dive deep into the current state of the publishing industry, revealing shocking statistics about book sales, author earnings, and the strategies employed by major publishing houses. The couple discusses the alarming decline in reading habits among Americans and the dominance of a select few authors in the bestseller lists. Malcolm shares startling figures from the antitrust case between Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster, exposing the industry's reliance on celebrity books and backlist titles. The couple also examines the disappointing sales of books by well-known figures with substantial social media followings. Throughout the conversation, they offer valuable advice for aspiring authors, emphasizing the importance of exploring alternative platforms like YouTube, podcasts, and Substack to reach and engage audiences effectively.
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction: The state of reading in America
01:40 Concentration of book sales among a few authors
04:00 New York Times bestseller earnings and publisher splits
06:05 The Wall Street Journal bestseller list and self-publishing
08:10 How major publishing houses stay in business
10:20 The disparity between digital and print book sales
12:00 The value of audiobooks versus podcasts
13:45 The Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster antitrust case
15:20 Penguin Random House's book sales statistics
17:30 Comparing YouTube views to book sales
19:00 Author advances and sales goals in the publishing industry
21:00 Million-dollar advances and the top 1000 bestseller list
22:30 Celebrity book sales: Billie Eilish, Justin Timberlake, and Snoop Dogg
23:45 Book sales of Ilhan Omar and Piers Morgan
25:30 The diminishing value of traditional publishing for authors
27:30 What authors lose by going through traditional publishing houses
29:00 The rise of Substack, blogs, YouTube, and podcasts for intellectual content
30:30 Adapting to the changing landscape of content consumption
