Doing Some Math
In relation to the previous post, I decided to crunch some numbers, making some conservative assumptions along the way, and just to drive myself a little bit more nuts.
As of the latest census I could find, the Philippine population is listed at over 73M right now. Would it be conservative to estimate that maybe 5% of that number are habitual readers? That's 3.65M. Okay, to be even more conservative, let's cut it to 3%, which is 2.19M. Still a big number, don't you think?
Now, out of that 2.19M, let's get a percentage of that number who read local books. How about another conservative 3%? That gives us 65,700. Surely, with a population of 73M, 65,700 readers who patronize local books is not impossible. Granted that not all 65,700 will buy, since some of them will be sharing books among themselves, let's take a very conservative fourth of that number to be buyers, which is 16,425.
16,425 buyers of local books, from a local readership market of 65,700, from a total readership market of 2.19M.
Being a printer/publisher who knows the value of economies of scale and the current prices of printing materials like paper, plates, and ink, I can assure you that an order of 16,425, though not big by international standards, is still "aight" in the RP. You can achieve a healthy measure of production scale with 16,425, and dilute the fixed costs fairly significantly. Consider that a first print-run for a new author's first novel in the US is between 5,000 to 10,000 pieces.
And yet, I have heard reports from other publishers that to sell even just between 2,000 to 5,000 locally made and written books is already considered excellent. And that this could take a year or more. 5,000 is not even a third of 16,425; and 2,000, even less so.
So, what gives? How do countries like India and Vietnam generate the number of readers that they do? True, India's population is above the billion mark, so that larger starting figure to draw percentages from can create a larger market, but Vietnam is close to the Philippines at 85M.
Frankly, I would be happy if the number of total readers, not just of local books, is indeed 2.19M, but even that figure feels a bit high. Nevertheless, I acknowledge that this could indeed be a true figure (and maybe even too low) because the Philippines, through the bookstores here, is a heavy buyer of imported books.
So is it safe to say that local books and authors don't have a large enough market, even among their own countrymen? Painful as it is to admit, that statement might be true. If so, why don't we read our own?
Have to give this some more thought. There are many possible reasons. Will continue this in the future. Synapses are snapping and overheating, since they're not used to any kind of serious thinking. Have to wait for them to cool down. (I really should learn never to try things beyond my capabilities).
Besides, I'm distracted by the current results of the French Open. :D Go Roger and Rafa! I want to see you both in the Finals!
As of the latest census I could find, the Philippine population is listed at over 73M right now. Would it be conservative to estimate that maybe 5% of that number are habitual readers? That's 3.65M. Okay, to be even more conservative, let's cut it to 3%, which is 2.19M. Still a big number, don't you think?
Now, out of that 2.19M, let's get a percentage of that number who read local books. How about another conservative 3%? That gives us 65,700. Surely, with a population of 73M, 65,700 readers who patronize local books is not impossible. Granted that not all 65,700 will buy, since some of them will be sharing books among themselves, let's take a very conservative fourth of that number to be buyers, which is 16,425.
16,425 buyers of local books, from a local readership market of 65,700, from a total readership market of 2.19M.
Being a printer/publisher who knows the value of economies of scale and the current prices of printing materials like paper, plates, and ink, I can assure you that an order of 16,425, though not big by international standards, is still "aight" in the RP. You can achieve a healthy measure of production scale with 16,425, and dilute the fixed costs fairly significantly. Consider that a first print-run for a new author's first novel in the US is between 5,000 to 10,000 pieces.
And yet, I have heard reports from other publishers that to sell even just between 2,000 to 5,000 locally made and written books is already considered excellent. And that this could take a year or more. 5,000 is not even a third of 16,425; and 2,000, even less so.
So, what gives? How do countries like India and Vietnam generate the number of readers that they do? True, India's population is above the billion mark, so that larger starting figure to draw percentages from can create a larger market, but Vietnam is close to the Philippines at 85M.
Frankly, I would be happy if the number of total readers, not just of local books, is indeed 2.19M, but even that figure feels a bit high. Nevertheless, I acknowledge that this could indeed be a true figure (and maybe even too low) because the Philippines, through the bookstores here, is a heavy buyer of imported books.
So is it safe to say that local books and authors don't have a large enough market, even among their own countrymen? Painful as it is to admit, that statement might be true. If so, why don't we read our own?
Have to give this some more thought. There are many possible reasons. Will continue this in the future. Synapses are snapping and overheating, since they're not used to any kind of serious thinking. Have to wait for them to cool down. (I really should learn never to try things beyond my capabilities).
Besides, I'm distracted by the current results of the French Open. :D Go Roger and Rafa! I want to see you both in the Finals!
posted by pgenrestories at 7:00 AM
8 Comments:
At the PEN Conference last year, the Millflores guy mentioned that the publishers of the cheap Tagalog potboilers sells around 20,000 copies...per title. Anything less than that by their standards is a failure.
I think you, though, you have to make a distinction between reading and buying. In the previous post, I said that I thought that books here were "expensive"--hence my own solution has been to buy second hand, or mooch off friends. I'm reading alright, but my purchases probably don't reflect in any publisher's figures anymore.
Selling books is more of a marketing exercise, and that's something that Filipino publishers can't get their brains around. Many are quite happy to sell 2,000 copies -- the bulk of that being just school libraries in Manila. What ends up here in the provinces? Nada!
Following the marketing angle, here are other reasons I can think of:
1) Art, paper, and binding quality is atrocious. Compare a local publication with a US publication and you'll see what I mean.
2) Channels asking too much from (and not giving enough to) local publishers. (As publisher of PGS, you know who and what I mean.)
3) Local literary scene is too personality-oriented, rather than publisher-oriented or market-oriented.
4) Publishers too focused on Metro Manila (but more on that in an upcoming post.)
@dominique: Thanks for these thoughts. I was thinking of going in this direction in my next post, but I'm also trying to see if economics and distribution are the sole reason why the RP seems to have fewer readers. Or if it is just a matter of preference, that perhaps Pinoys are really not attuned to reading (as against, say, music. I know that most Pinoys go crazy when it's time to sing; maybe Pinoys are just more musically inclined than anything else).
Pinoy literature still has to convince Pinoys in general that not all of it is high-brow and artsy and academic. If we have more books like those romance things and the horror story compilations, but for scifi and the other genres, I guess people will buy.
EK 8 )
Hi, EK. Do you and your peers really do think it's content? That local works have a rep for being, to use your words, high-brow, artsy, and academic? Is that what's keeping Pinoys away from Pinoy writers' books? What else is being said?
According to one education expert, the lack of an intellectual culture might be one source. For example, one daily once conducted a survey and asked Filipino youth to name their heroes. From what I remember, showbiz personalities topped the list while Rizal's name was near the bottom. In a similar survey conducted in St. Petersburg, the result was upside down.
It's also possible that U.S. cultures may have also influenced local ones. Thus, a general dislike for what is high-brow or "academic," and an illusion of self-entitlement and false self-esteem. Thus, what is happening in the U.S. is also happening in the Philippines: low readership, poor education standards, and an emphasis on what is popular and entertaining.
Schools and cultural institutions in the Philippines, including museums and libraries, are poorly funded, and communities are not planned properly. Thus, there are few places in cities that encourage learning. Books and reading materials are also taxed considerably.
Finally, poverty and lack of government support might also have an effect on this problem, in the sense that most Filipinos have difficulty buying books because they are poor and cannot afford them. Meanwhile, the Philippine middle class will likely follow the lead of the U.S. middle class, and spend more time and money on cable television, Internet access, cell phones and other gadgets, etc., than on books and time spent in museums and libraries (which are lacking in many parts of the country).
Is that what's keeping Pinoys away from Pinoy writers' books?
Sir, I think there's actually a large following of Bob Ong's books... and Jessica Zafra's books prior to that, and by modern standards Zafra is already pretty "highbrow." I have friends who buy extra copies of Bob Ong's books that they give away as gifts (that's how I was able to build a small collection XD;). So I don't think I can say that Pinoys shy away from Pinoy writers' books as a rule - they just shy away from books they can't relate to. Any reader would, di po ba?
So I guess, yeah, it's largely content. Largely price din. Sir Dom made a good point about making a distinction between readership and buying. I still love to read and I enjoy promoting really good Pinoy authors/stories, but I confess I don't buy most books firsthand anymore, published locally or no. Although if Filipiniana titles were included in those 50% cut-off price sales, I'd be all over them for sure.
I don't think I can say that Pinoys shy away from Pinoy writers' books as a rule - they just shy away from books they can't relate to. Any reader would, di po ba?
I think those are the words I wanted to say. ^^;;
@ek and bhex: Good points, both. Which leads to this: why aren't there more Pinoy writers producing books that relate to more Pinoy readers? Why are the Bob Ong's and the Jessica Zafra's more the exception than the rule?
You're making me think hard again when I don't want to!
Post a Comment
<< Home