Last night I watched the 1932 movie version Hemmingway's "Farewell to Arms" which was published in 1927 and sold 31,000 print book copies back then. But I am guessing fewer print books are sold and more digital books are sold or heard as audiobooks. Everything is going digital.

This is not a news flash. Podcasts, I have one and I'm starting another one, YouTube Videos, live streaming, and audiobooks...people are still buying books for sure but there is also a large market for whoever wants devour story content by listening or watching. 

Net revenue of the book publishing industry in the United States from 2008 to 2017 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Revenue in billion U.S. dollars26.526.527.127.127.9427.9427.3627.3627.7227.7227.0727.0727.9627.9627.827.826.2726.2726.2326.232008200920102011201220132014201520162017

Looking at a graph from Statista.com you will see that revenue in the book publishing industry is flat but still strong. 26.5 billion in 2008 and sales of 26.23 billion was recorded in 2017.

This is what I think, it's all about the story. Story is hardwired into our human brain. Evolution has secured a spot in our creative corner of the brain. Whether we are sitting around a campfire 100,000 years ago or downloading a video on YouTube or listening to an audiobook today...people like to hear stories or want to hear non-fiction content about the world around them, how to cook, exercise, stay healthy, or have a better love life. We are information seekers. We want and need Data Input. 

That's just who we are and thank God for it, for me at least. This blog, my podcast, my 94 plus books on Amazon and Audible all depend on the human desire for story and data input. Whether we are a few months olds or near the end of life we are fascinated as human beings about ourselves and the world around us. It certainly makes life interesting. 

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