Slow sales at Madurai book fair, a cause for concern

COVID-19 turned many readers into ‘Kindleworms’

Visitors browsing books at Madurai Book Fair 2023 on Wednesday. | Photo Credit: R. Ashok

It’s almost seven days since the book fair began in Madurai and for publishers who have set up stalls there is a growing sense of unease. The number of books being sold is on the decline though the number of footfalls to the fair is on the rise.

For emerging publishers this has been a serious cause of concern. COVID-19 turned many readers into ‘Kindleworms’ and for authors platforms like amazon that help in self-publishing seem to be the one-stop solution.

Jeeva Karikalan of Yaavuram Publishers, a Chennai-based publishing house, says that if for another couple years this slow decline is seen then publishers will be in a dire straits. “As an emerging publishing house looking into contemporary literature, I am here in Madurai as it is here that I can interact with readers and also gauge the kind of books that will sell. But now, I see many people give a glance and walk past. Queries are there but it does not translate into business,” he points out.

“Of the many visitors who came, only one person stopped and talked with me. I then realised that he writes and I hope that this conversation with him will help in bringing me business, if he approaches me for publishing his work. This is how many publishing houses function,” he says.

But, the majority of visitors who come do not even visit all the stalls and neither do they browse books. As most of them are active on social media platforms like Instagrams and Facebook, they visit stalls that sell books that are ‘trending’ in other words they buy books that are promoted and reviewed by well-known writers on these platforms.

The other major section that come to visit the fair are school students. Given an hour’s time by the school management, these students crowd stalls selling books and interactive study material for children.

Another reason cited for the lack of interest in serious books, is the numerous book fairs that are being organised by the government in all districts - ‘exhibition fatigue’. A visitor at the fair said that he had already bought some books at the Dindigul exhibition and he had only come here to see if there was anything new.

“If the government is serious in helping publishers then focus should shift in buying books from us for district libraries and for libraries such as the Kalaignar Centenary Library. There are many publishing houses focusing on books only for colleges, the government should encourage college managements to purchase from them directly instead of sourcing books from abroad. Only this will help us break even,” says another publisher.