“According to market participants, the industry is experiencing a dramatic drop in sales, critical overproduction, and an increase in the cost of producing books against the background of a decrease in the number of buyers.”, — write: www.unian.ua
According to market participants, the industry is experiencing a dramatic drop in sales, critical overproduction, and an increase in the cost of producing books against the background of a decrease in the number of buyers.
Photo by UNIANUkrainian publishers and bookstores sound the alarm about the critical state of the book industry and call on the state for urgent support measures. This is stated in the column of the head of the Ukrainian Publishing Association, Artem Bidenko.
According to market participants, the industry is experiencing a dramatic drop in sales, critical overproduction, and an increase in the cost of producing books against the background of a decrease in the number of buyers.
Causes of the crisisVolodyslav Kyrychenko from the publishing house “Nash Format” estimates a 10% drop in sales compared to last year with a significant increase in costs – for heating, electricity, logistics, especially taking into account blackouts.
“Of course, there are not enough informational campaigns to popularize reading. Here, the state should show leadership, show people that books make us smarter, more resilient, more educated,” he said.
Larisa Guzhvinska from the “Family Leisure Club” records a decrease in average sales per book title, a decrease in activity at the launch of new products, as well as a decrease in orders from wholesale customers.
State programs do not workDmytro Feliksov from the Readeat bookstore drew attention to the problem of inactive programs: the funds are allocated to the program for 18-year-olds and to support bookstores, but in fact they are not used.
“These funds should be redirected to something more effective, for example, to the promotion of reading or the programs themselves, and to real assistance to bookstores, especially in small towns,” he emphasized.
What is needed to save the industryViktor Kruglov from the Ranok publishing house sees the only way out in the launch of the “Cultural Package” by the state, where the creative industries on which people can spend money will be clearly recorded.
“This will launch the internal mechanisms of the market, support industries, and allow small publishers and bookstores to survive. We have turned to the Ministry of Culture with proposals, we are waiting for positive decisions,” he said.
Among other measures, the publishers mention the restart of library purchases, the restoration of libraries and the launch of effective support programs – this is exactly what they expect from the Minister of Culture Tetyana Berezhnaya and the Cabinet of Ministers Yulia Svyridenko.
As market participants emphasize, these funds are not spent just like that – they remain in the state economy and are actually investments in the industry, which affects the development of technological industries.