Super Thursday is a key date in the publishing industry on the road to the Christmas season. Traditionally publishers would release the bulk of their new hardback titles in preparation to have millions of people buying gifts for their friends and loved ones. This year, Super Thursday in the United Kingdom is poised to surpass the number of books releases in one day. On Thursday, October 8th 503 new books will be available.
Traditionally Super Thursday normally comprises of 3 key dates in September and October. Normally around 300 books are released, so the big titles are not lost in the shuffle. I think its interesting that this year 200 extra books will be released, making it the biggest Super Thursday date in history.
I think its very telling that so many hardcover books are going to be released on the same day. Print is undergoing a resurgence in the UK after tapering off for a number of years due to the rising tide of e-books.
UK readers spent £2.2 billion on physical books in 2013, compared to just £300 million on eBooks, according to stats collated by Nielsen. Sales of the Kindle have fallen dramatically since their peak of 13 million sold in 2011, dropping every year since. The Kindle “has disappeared to all intents and purposes”, said James Daunt the head of Britain’s biggest book chain Waterstones.
Michael Kozlowski is the Editor in Chief of Good e-Reader. He has been writing about audiobooks and e-readers for the past ten years. His articles have been picked up by major and local news sources and websites such as the CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and Verge.