Self-Publishing of Books Sees Triple-Digit Growth in Just Five Years

Small presses, a category that is defined as publishers that have produced 10 or fewer books, accounted for 34,107 self-published titles—21,256 print and 12,851 eBooks—in 2011. Print book production by small presses increased more than 74 percent between 2006 and 2011.

While marketing their works remains the next great hurdle for self-published authors, Bowker research points to major influencers within their control. The firm’s surveys of book consumer habits show that authors can effectively reach more readers with online excerpts, retailer recommendations and customer reviews.