Reading Has Dropped 40% in the Last 20 Years. What This Means for Authors.

We live in a world where attention spans last little longer than a goldfish's memory, and it seems—unforgivingly so—there is likely to be little change in the future. A new study conducted by the University of Florida and University College London shows that the act of leisure reading (reading for pleasure) has decreased by more than 40% over the span of 20 years. The study looked at data collected from over 236,000 Americans from 2003 to 2023, with the exception of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and found that there has been a decrease in leisure reading, measuring roughly 3% per year.

The Director of Research Initiatives at the University of Florida Center for Arts and Medicine, Jill Sonke, Ph.D., said, “This is not just a small dip. [...] It's significant, and it's deeply concerning.”

As indie authors, who are already competing against traditionally published authors, it's likely to see these effects in real-time. As of 2021, roughly 2.3 million books were self-published in the United States; however, combined with traditionally published books, the number is closer to 4 million per year. So what does this mean? Well, in terms of economics, the supply far outweighs the demand.

It's not uncommon for indie authors to see few sales of their book. On average, US book sales range from 200 per year and less than 1,000 during the book's lifetime. There is the occasional “overnight sensation” that sends sales through the roof thanks to online communities like Booktok and Bookstagram; however, relying on virality to make book sales is less than desirable.

Marketing in general as indie authors is—putting it bluntly—tiresome, especially when the market is already saturated. But does this mean indie authors should use their manuscript scribblings as wood kindling? Not quite. There are two ways to get ahead of the reading decline and over-saturation in the market.

Knowing Your Audience

It goes without saying that the reader is what makes the author, or something like that. If an indie author is to have a profitable career, then they need to know who exactly their audience is going to be. This varies for each genre; however, using generalized statistics, like those in the University of Florida and University College London's study, can also help see the market's audience on a broader scale.

Based on the findings of the study, the Senior Research Fellow in statistics and epidemiology at University College London, Jessica Bone, Ph. D., says, “White people with higher educational levels and women are still more likely to read. And among those who do read, the time spent reading has increased slightly.”

While the findings of the study are generalized, additional research should be conducted to determine exactly who is the best fit for a specific book. Taking into consideration a reader's interests and psychodemographics (values, lifestyle, opinions and attitudes, and personality) should also be considered. By exploring these focuses, an author can begin to shape their IRA—Ideal Reader Avatar.

In business, we use the term Ideal Client Avatar as the audience focus for any product, service, or offer the business creates. Through a series of questions and research, business owners and entrepreneurs can determine who their ideal customer would be, thus creating a North Star to use in their marketing and content creation. To put it into literary terms, it's a character sheet that all content (social media posts, website blogs, newsletters, videos, ads, and website copy) is directed at. It's a rather simple task, and one indie authors can easily complete within an hour or two, which saves hours of tireless work and headache when it comes to marketing.

Standing Out in an Over-saturated Industry

Throughout history, it has been the rebels who stood out. The ones unafraid to speak up in the face of adversity and to ride into danger for a greater cause. Joan of Arc, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Junior. People like this have been written into the history books as martyrs and heroes, their stories never fading far from modern language. Likewise, it has been the brands most willing to lean into unconventionalism or take risks that have found their longstanding success in the market.

Gabriel Chanel shocked the world in the 1920s by using jersey material for womenswear, a fabric that had been, almost exclusively, used for men's underwear, and for popularizing and bringing into fashion women's pants.

In the 1880s, American Express—yes, the credit card company—stirred up a buzz when its then-package delivery service created the money order as a way to allow immigrants in the United States a safer alternative to sending money to their families in their home countries.

Hormel found significant popularity during the Great Depression when they created SPAM, transforming a low-demand cut of meat into a global staple through WWII, influencing culinary dishes in places like the Philippines, Japan, Hawaii, Guam, and the United Kingdom.

As for authors, the same principles apply.

George Orwell used satirical prose as a means to speak against totalitarianist government ideals. Jane Austen challenged societal norms and the limited freedom of women through the lens of romance. Harriet Beecher Stowe became a voice for anti-slavery by writing about the lives of slaves. Fyodor Dostoyevsky brought about new perspectives by exploring philosophical, psychological, and religious themes in his novels, which all influence the human condition and morality.

These authors had something to say about the world they lived in, which is why their work has lived on in the generations since their deaths. But what does this mean for the modern author?

Before Facebook and MySpace dominated the internet and pioneered what would become “social media,” authors were limited in their ability to reach the masses easily. Most relied on word-of-mouth recommendations, book signings, and maybe a run in a magazine or newspaper. Social media has opened a new door and presented new troubles for the modern author. 

According to DemandSage, 5.24 billion people use social media, making up almost 64% of the world's population. It's fair to say that a single post has the potential to reach the whole world. No pressure.

But there is a singular revolution that makes an author, indie or not, stand out.

During his Gettysburg Address, late President Abraham Lincoln said, “The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here; but it can never forget what they did here.”

He was referring to the sacrifice made, on both sides, by the soldiers of the Civil War. A sacrifice that extended also to their families and the landscape of the United States. While much of what was said by these men is long forgotten, unless eternalized in recovered letters, their actions of bravery, selflessness, and hope have become a beacon for remembrance when looking back on the great victory the war presented to all.

Emotion is what makes people remember. Not necessarily the actions alone, but the feelings those actions triggered.

In business, we learn about the “like, know, and trust” factor when building connections with our audiences. This is a psychology-backed method of utilizing emotional responses to solidify and stabilize the bond established between brand and consumer.

For authors, this means setting a standard that readers come to expect from their stories or online presence in a repeated, consistent manner. Over time, that expectation and consistency create trust. From then on, readers are more likely to stick around for what the author will say, do, or write next because there is an emotional tie to the author.

LIKE: Set the Standard, Build A Reputation

These are the building blocks to get readers to pay attention. If the standard an author sets is sloppy, inconsistent, lacks value and quality, few people will stick around. This is equivalent to putting one's best face forward. A quick example:

Bakeries don't sell moldy sandwich bread while holding on to their artisanal baguettes because they don't have a lot of customers. Their reputation would become that of a “moldy bread bakery” that no one would want to visit. But if they started with their artisan baguettes? Lines out the door, rave reviews on Yelp, selling out within hours of opening. Why? Because their reputation—their standard—becomes “baguettes holy enough to make the heavens weep.”

Saving “better” quality content for when hundreds or even thousands of followers have been gained means sealing the reputation as mediocre and sad.

KNOW: Consistency is King

The adage, “Rome wasn't built in a day,” should become the new mantra for any author looking to make waves in the market. Daily actionable steps need to be taken to achieve greatness.

Find a routine that works and stick with it. If that means posting twice a week, sending out a monthly newsletter, or hosting one Live per quarter, commit to the routine and don't deviate. Routines and schedules shouldn't be rigid; instead, they should make sense for the lifestyle they're accompanying and be consistent.

Consistency should be kept simple.

TRUST: Don't Just Talk the Talk, Walk the Walk

When an author has something important to say, like Orwell's opposition against a totalitarian government or Dostoyevsky's exploration of morality and the human condition, they don't say it once and fade into the background. They keep saying it, in many forms and many ways, and they get people to listen. They become a pillar of expertise or authority on X-subject. Appearing on podcasts, sharing guest blog posts on other websites, agreeing to interviews for organizations that hold similar beliefs to them, or having open-floor discussions on a Live stream they host themselves are a few ways to prove an author's position further.

In her books, Jane Austen's characters were designed to challenge the societal expectations and limited freedom of women. In Pride and Prejudice, Mr. Collins makes it clear that another offer of marriage may never be given to Lizzie, which was a harsh reality many women had to come to terms with during that time in history. This is further showcased in Charlotte Lucas's response when she announces her engagement to Mr. Collins in Chapter 22.

“I'm not romantic, you know; I never was. I ask only a comfortable home; and considering Mr. Collins's character, connections, and situation in life, I am convinced that my chance of happiness with him is as fair as most people can boast on entering the marriage state.” –Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

This theme repeated itself in Austen's other novels, and she herself also turned down marriage offers that would have, in some regard, made for a comfortable living and provided security throughout the rest of her short life.

When an author has something to say, they often express it with passion and lend their voice to the cause that fascinates them.

Don't be afraid to stand out… or to ruffle some feathers along the way.

“Well-behaved women seldom make history.” –Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

In a world where reading time is declining and the over-production of books is showing no sign of following the same trend, indie authors who know their audience, stand out with courage, and build trust through emotion will be the ones who build reputable careers.