By Carlo Carrenho, Contributing Editor
Among the headlines this week: Kodansha reports mixed results and digital growth; Why Spotify might spur more audiobook growth in Sweden; Irish publishers report modest growth, driven by backlist sales; and how AI publishers may be gaming South Korea’s mandatory deposit requirement.Kodansha’s Digital Payoff
According to Shinbunka Tsushinsha, Kodansha reported mixed results for its 87th fiscal period (December 1, 2024 to November 30, 2025), with net revenue edging down 1.1% year-over-year to ¥169.169 billion ($1.13 billion) and net profit rising 19.4 percent to ¥11.188 billion ($75 million), reflecting improved operational efficiency across divisions. Digital income grew 8% to ¥86.191 billion ($575 million), helping to offset an 8.6% decline in physical product sales to ¥43.021 billion ($287 million). Rights revenue fell 11.8% while advertising revenue slipped 2.6%.
The figures highlight how the largest Japanese publisher’s digital growth effectively compensated for falling print sales, though it is difficult to determine whether print’s decline is being driven by digital uptake or whether digital sales are simply offsetting a contraction that would have occurred regardless—particularly given that Kodansha is privately owned and not required to publish detailed annual reports. The comparatively lower cost structure associated with digital may also help to partially explain the rise in profitability.
As Spotify Hits Play, Sweden adds a Million Audiobook Listeners
Spotify’s November launch of audiobooks in Sweden has expanded the country’s audiobook market by approximately one million households, according to a press release from Mediavision. The Stockholm-based media analysis firm reports that this represents an 80% increase in household penetration, with more than half of Swedish households now having access to audiobooks through a subscription. Principal Analyst Fredrik Liljeqvist says the move has “changed the competitive landscape overnight,” adding that while the full impact on other players remains unclear, the market is entering a new phase. By integrating audiobooks into existing premium subscriptions, Spotify now accounts for more than half of all households in the Swedish audiobook market.
With Spotify’s entry into audiobooks, a key question has been whether the streaming giant would expand the market for everyone, or take share from existing players. The Mediavision data now suggests there is significant potential for a rising-tide effect. With one million additional households now experimenting with 12-hour audiobook access, increased usage could lead some subscribers to upgrade within Spotify, while heavier listeners may turn to dedicated platforms like Storytel, BookBeat, and Nextory. Family-plan structures—where only the primary account holder can access audiobooks unless additional hours or subscriptions are purchased—may further stimulate demand across platforms.
From Consoles to Books: Poland Presses the Start Button
Polish game developer Bloober Team and Foksal Publishing Group, part of the Empik Group, have formed a strategic partnership to publish books set in the universes of games. According to Rynek Książki, the first title—a horror novel by Marta Bijan set in the Layers of Fear universe—is scheduled for release later in 2026 under Foksal’s science fiction, fantasy, and horror imprint Uroboros. The agreement covers Polish-language editions as well as worldwide rights sales, with audiobooks also planned. Bloober Team CEO Piotr Babieno described the collaboration as a new way of expanding narrative immersion beyond game adaptations. His company is known for horror titles including its acclaimed remake of Silent Hill 2.
This partnership stands out as a notable example not only of stories expanding organically from games into books, but also of a publisher working in partnership with a media player from another sector. Traditionally, such cross-industry dialogue—particularly with audiovisual and interactive media—has been limited, with only agents and rights professionals serving as bridges to the “exotic landscapes” of other creative sectors. But the Bloober/Foksal approach builds on existing engagement with stories and characters, potentially drawing new audiences into reading through familiar universes rather than simply selling books to kids and gamers.
Ireland’s Golden Oldies Keep the Cash Registers Ringing
The Bookseller covered the annual Irish Book Trade Conference, where Sara Mulryan of NielsenIQ BookData showed sales revenue rising to €164 million ($177 million) in 2025, up from €162 million ($175 million) in 2024. In addition, Peter McKay of Publishing Ireland, the national publishers’ association, noted that 80% percent of annual sales now come from backlist titles, calling it a “significant shift” in consumer purchasing and discovery. Based on a 2024 survey conducted by Publishing Ireland (which draws on data from Irish publishers and reflects sales to bookshops, wholesalers, and direct-to-consumer channels), McKay also emphasized that 100 active publishers now operate in Ireland—most small presses with two to five employees. He also urged government recognition of bookshops as cultural and community spaces to unlock additional funding.
The 80% percent share of sales attributed to backlist is striking—notably higher than in major markets such as the U.S., where backlist revenue is around 70%. In response to questions from Publishing Perspectives, McKay explained that the output of Irish publishers “is heavily dominated by nonfiction, particularly titles concerning Irish interest, biography, memoir, history, and culture,” categories, he noted, that traditionally have “legs.” McKay added that many Irish publishers release just two or three new titles annually while maintaining active backlists, suggesting that the combination of a nonfiction focus and a marketplace made up of smaller publishers likely “skews the overall sales profile” of Irish publishers “compared to larger international markets.”
In Russia, Digital Soars and Censorship Roars
Russia’s book market grew by more than 13% in 2025 to 111 billion rubles ($1.18 billion), according to an interview with Evgeny Kapyev, CEO of Eksmo in Kommersant, with growth driven largely by digital and audio formats and flat sales of physical volumes. Meanwhile, at Eksmo, total revenue increased by more than 18%, with audiobooks up 52% year-over-year and now accounting for more than 60% of digital revenue. Ebooks grew 11%. With Eksmo’s revenue outpacing overall Russian market growth, the data suggests further consolidation around the country’s largest publishing group.
Overall, the article offers a revealing snapshot of the Russian publishing sector. In addition to the figures, Kapyev told Kommersant that new regulatory requirements have led to the withdrawal of some titles and that content-labeling legislation—described as unclear and technically difficult to implement across backlist titles dating to 1990—have also imposed significant operational burdens. Just after the Kommersant interview ran, Eksmo had withdrawn the Russian edition of Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami from sale. First published in 2002, the novel is no longer available on the company’s website. On his Telegram channel, Kapyev wrote that prosecutors had raised concerns about the title and that it has been sent for expert review.
Keep the Drama—India Wants the Data
Indian publishing trade All About Book Publishing reports that NielsenIQ BookData has introduced its Books & Consumers study in India, expanding the continuous consumer research program already operating in the U.K., Australia, and New Zealand. The study complements NielsenIQ BookScan India, combining retail sales tracking with consumer insight. Among the report’s early findings: across the total trade market in India (including print, ebooks, and audiobooks) adult nonfiction accounts for 51% of sales (and 54% among the 16-24 age group), followed by adult fiction at 25%, and children’s & YA at 24%. In audiobooks, “personal development” is the most popular category, followed by fiction and Children’s books. The full report also includes additional age-group data.
The availability of new aggregated data for a major international market such as India is a welcome development. And the findings here highlight a notable trend: That sales of personal development titles lead among Indian audiobook categories stands in sharp contrast to the Nordics, widely regarded as the most mature audiobook market globally, where fiction overwhelmingly drives audiobook sales and revenue, and nonfiction represents a much smaller share.
Japan Rethinks the Textbook
Asia News Network reports that Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology is considering a reform that would grant digital textbooks the same official status as print editions. At present, digital versions are treated only as supplementary materials. Under the proposal, digital texts would undergo the government’s textbook screening process and qualify for free distribution in compulsory education, just as printed textbooks do now. Local boards of education would then be able to choose between print and digital formats. The new framework is targeted for introduction in fiscal year 2030, alongside the next national curriculum revision. Some academics, however, have cautioned that it is too early to confer official status, citing concerns about learning effectiveness and the strain on eyesight.
The debate in Japan mirrors similar discussions in markets such as Sweden, Portugal, and Brazil, where print and digital formats are often positioned as competing models. The priority, however, should be ensuring access to multiple formats and allowing schools and students to choose what works best for them. Audio formats also merit consideration. As the Dutch entrepreneur Julian Jukema, founder of Anywyse, once said: “It is incredible that we still confuse learning with reading today.” This distinction may become increasingly relevant as education systems reassess format choices and audiobooks continue to gain ground, particularly by the 2030 date targeted in Japan.
In South Korea, AI Discovers Legal Deposit
South Korea’s National Library of Korea has rejected deposits from an artificial intelligence-based publisher that is reportedly producing some 9,000 titles annually, according to The Chosunilbo. The library cited “edited public materials” and “repetitive content” in what marks the first time that AI-generated publications have been declined under the country’s mandatory deposit system. The decision comes amid mounting concerns about publication proliferation. The report also notes that compensation paid out for ebook deposits has risen sharply—from 12.13 million Korean won ($10,600) in 2016 to 2.6 billion Korean won ($2.3 million) last year.
The rise in deposit payouts is worth a mention. Because South Korea issues ISBNs free of charge and compensates publishers for legal deposit—typically 50% of the retail price, including for e-books—the framework creates a financial incentive that can be leveraged—and possibly abused—through large-scale automated production. While South Korea’s remuneration model makes the country’s framework an outlier, the broader pressure on legal deposit systems is not unique. Self-publishing first tested archival capacity. But AI-driven mass production now represents a new challenge, prompting questions in multiple markets about whether comprehensive archiving remains practical as digital output, and the adoption of AI, accelerates.
What Else Caught My Eye
A listening cow. The Salon international de l’agriculture in Paris is hosting its first-ever pop-up bookstore at the 2026 edition, reports ActuaLitté. Organized by Librairie Eyrolles—in the best “la vache qui écoute” style—the AGRI’LIBRAIRIE adds books and audiobook stations to a fair better known for livestock than literature.
A bookstore. Mainz-based bookstore Cardabela was selected for the first time for the German Bookstore Prize (Deutscher Buchhandlungspreis), reports Börsenblatt. Gutenberg must be happy.
An investment. Frankfurt-based social reading app READO—now counting more than 500,000 active users—has secured a seven-figure funding round, notes Börsenblatt. Are you ready to abandon Facebook and move your bookshelf to READO?
A lost & found. Warsaw’s Municipal Lost Property Office received 61 e-readers in 2025, informs Rynek Książki. Any column reader left a device at Warsaw Chopin Airport, by any chance?
A webinar. Crius Group is hosting “Accessibility and AI in the publishing sector” on February 26, bringing together technology leaders to discuss compliance, workflows, and AI’s impact on content and discovery. Among the participants are consultants George Walkley and Matthäus Cygan, promising practical insight. It’s free, so jump in.
A human paper. “The Artificial Intelligence Disclosure Penalty” presents 16 experiments with more than 27,000 participants showing that creative writing is rated less favorably when labeled as AI-generated—even when identical to human-written text. The paper, notably, is not labeled as AI-generated.
The writer of this column once spent long afternoons playing Atari—thus revealing his vintage. As the main subscriber (and payer) of the family Spotify account in Sweden, he now keeps receiving steady requests for audiobook access. He has never visited Ireland—an omission that clearly requires correction, though he has already made up his mind about at least one national question: Guinness or Murphy’s.