Cracking the Nonfiction Code

@kobo @mtamblyn #TOCCON

Fiction Non-fiction

In print…

Fiction Non-fiction

In print, with kids books…

Fiction Non-fiction

In digital…

Devices Customers

Price Narwhals

Competition from other sources Gift economy of the book

Gift economy of the ereader

25 minutes

Data vs.

Fun (or at least Conscious)

“I hold the rights for the world’s largest collection of narwhal field guides and am going to decide what to price them

at the end of your talk.”

“I have spent the last two days learning everything there is to know about epub3. Entertain me or I will hang

myself with a lanyard.”

Difficult balance

Hard data.

With interludes of Semi-substantiated speculation

W, Empress of Content & Pricing Data

About Kobo

2.5 million titles 7 million customers

Kobo eReader Touch

Kobo Vox iPad, iPhone, Android,

Blackberry

eBooks to almost 200 countries

and some countries that only

questionably exist

Acquiring content in 25 countries

Merchandising in 9 countries

(US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Germany, France, Spain, Netherlands)

Merchandising in 9 countries

(US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Germany, France, Spain, Netherlands)

What is the fiction/non-fiction

split?

Digital vs. Print Share of Purchase Fic$on Romance 221% Fic$on General & Other* 115% Fic$on Mystery & Detec$ve 120% Fic$on Fantasy 67% Nonfic$on RELIGION 6% Nonfic$on BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY -‐16% Nonfic$on BUSINESS & ECONOMICS -‐52% Nonfic$on HEALTH & FITNESS -‐54% Nonfic$on FAMILY & RELATIONSHIPS -‐63% Juvenile JUVENILE FICTION -‐66% Nonfic$on SELF-‐HELP -‐71% Nonfic$on HUMOR -‐72% Nonfic$on BODY, MIND & SPIRIT -‐74% Nonfic$on SPORTS & RECREATION -‐83% Nonfic$on TRAVEL -‐89% Nonfic$on REFERENCE -‐90% Nonfic-on COOKING -‐92% Juvenile JUVENILE NONFICTION -‐96% Nonfic-on COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS -‐98%

What is moving easily to digital: Original stories à Fiction Opinion, analysis and expertise vs. data and information. à Biography, History, Business “Proprietary knowledge” à Diets and health guides, self-help, instruction

Why are some categories significantly underindexed? How many of them are richly illustrated with complex formats? à Constrained by supply in digital, still not a lot of titles available vs. print How many are given as gifts? à Constrained by behaviour)

The categories at the bottom of the list:

those in competition with free ad-supported web resources (cookbooks, travel, etc.)

à if you have a web-connected device to read on, you’ll use it…

There are definitely opportunities

for children’s books

Gift shifting from

“book” to

“device to read books”

Could we do a better job of on a

device for kids?

Are there non-fiction devices?

Not about screen size.

or OS.

“Where the boys are…”

0.00% 10.00% 20.00% 30.00% 40.00% 50.00%

Desktop Client - Linux

HTC Android Smartphone

Blackberry Playbook

Samsung Galaxy Tab

Desktop Client - OSX

Kobo Touch

Android App - downloadable

Kobo Vox

Kobo Website

Desktop Client - Windows

iPhone

Kobo EReader 2.0

% of Library in Non-fiction

Non-fiction Pricing

Price Points by # of ISBNs in Catalog

US Non-fiction pricing vs. unit sales 0

BACKLIST FRONTLIST

(digital non-fiction is a backlist

business)

Canada – Non-fiction Pricing by Unit Sales 0

BACKLIST FRONTLIST

Australia - Non-fiction Pricing by Unit Sales 0

BACKLIST FRONTLIST

Biography 0

BACKLIST FRONTLIST

Business 0

BACKLIST FRONTLIST

Food & Cooking 0

BACKLIST FRONTLIST

Health & Fitness 0

BACKLIST FRONTLIST

Comics & Graphic Novels 0

BACKLIST FRONTLIST

Is there a significant self-

publishing market?

not yet.

7% of all unit sales self-pub

non-fiction

1% self-pub

Price Decay in Non-fiction

8.82 8.70

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

70.00%

30 60 90 120 150 180 210 240 270 300 330 365

% of Total Quantity Sold Average Price Linear (Average Price)

All Non-fiction

11.85 11.45

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

70.00%

30 60 90 120 150 180 210 240 270 300 330 365

Business & Non-fiction

12.42 11.42 10.60

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

70.00%

30 60 90 120 150 180 210 240 270 300 330 365

Biography

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

70.00%

30 60 90 120 150 180 210 240 270 300 330 365

History

11.46 9.65 9.61

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

70.00%

30 60 90 120 150 180 210 240 270 300 330 365

Cooking

10.85 10.59

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

70.00%

30 60 90 120 150 180 210 240 270 300 330 365

Health & Fitness

Cracking the Nonfiction Code

@kobo @mtamblyn #TOCCON

Cracking the Nonfiction Code

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