Book Market Outlook -- El-hi, Potter Hold Keys To Success

The success of the 2002 holiday season will go a long way toward shaping the book market prospects for 2003, according to Lane.

"If sales for traditional trade books are weak, that will result in heavy returns in the first part of 2003," he says. "Fundamentally, one issue that drives our trade publishers is the ultimate strength of the front list. Education relies on the aggregate economy. It drives revenues which, in turn, fuels state spending on education, along with the pace of adoptions. I predict 2003 will be much like 2002, which could be a flat year."