By Carlo Carrenho, Contributing Editor
Among the week’s headlines: A decline in the German book market; Norway reports high levels of parents who read to their children; In the U.S., Amazon could face a class action lawsuit over ebook prices, while in the U.K. Bookshop.org looks to take on Audible; Rakuten looks to expand its bookselling business in Japan; and Russian publishers report a surprising sales bump.Germany: Fewer Buyers, More Subscribers
According to Digital Publishing Report, citing the German Publishers and Booksellers Association’s Buchmarkt kompakt 2025/2026, Germany’s book market generated €9.619 billion ($11.0 billion) in 2025, down 2.7% from €9.882 billion ($11.3 billion) in 2024. The number of book buyers declined by 4.9% during the year, bringing the total loss since 2013 to around 10 million buyers. The sharpest declines were among 10-15-year-olds, where buyer numbers fell 30.6% and spending dropped 23.8%. Audiobooks were the strongest-performing format, with turnover up 13.2%. The e-book market remained stable, increasing its consumer market share slightly to 6.3%.
Adding Germany’s official 2025 inflation rate of 2.2% puts the market’s decline into sharper perspective, bringing the real year-over-year contraction to approximately 4.8%. Even more concerning is the continued erosion of the buyer base, particularly among 10-15-year-olds, where the number of book buyers fell by more than 30%. The main bright spot remains audiobooks. In 2025, streaming accounted for 47.2% of audiobook sales, nearly matching downloads (à la carte) at 47.4%. Streaming revenue grew 23.1%, compared with 9.2% for downloads, indicating the steady expansion of subscription listening. Meanwhile, physical CDs still represented 5.3% of audiobook sales—an unusually high share compared with many other markets, where the format has all but disappeared.
The Original Audiobook? A Norwegian Parent
In a new 2026 Reading Survey conducted by Norstat and Perceptor AS, the Norwegian Booksellers Association and the Norwegian Publishers Association, found that that 75% of Norwegian parents with children under 10 read aloud to their children—the same share as in 2023—while 65% do so at least two to three times a week, a slight increase from the previous survey. Reading aloud is most common among families with children aged 0-3, with more than half reading daily, compared with 20% of parents of children aged 6-7. The survey also shows that one in four parents of children under 9 do not read to their children. The associations say parents’ own reading habits strongly influence family reading, with nine in ten frequent readers reading aloud to their children, compared with four in ten non-readers.
Norway is not alone in this: reading aloud to children is common across the Nordic countries. It also raises an interesting question about whether these early reading habits have helped shape the region’s exceptionally high audiobook adoption. While the survey does not address that link, it is reasonable to wonder whether growing up being read to has contributed to a lifelong appetite for stories in audio form. Whatever the explanation, Norway’s strong culture of reading aloud is something the country can take pride in.
When Ebooks Are Judged by Price
A U.S. federal judge has indicated that consumers seeking class certification in an antitrust lawsuit against Amazon appear to meet the requirements to proceed as a class, according to MLex. The case alleges that Amazon and the Big Five publishers (Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Penguin Random House, and Simon & Schuster) overcharged US e-book buyers by more than $740 million since 2017. The proposed class would include purchasers of trade e-books sold through Amazon’s agency model between January 14, 2017, and the date of certification.
As Publishing Perspectives’ Editor-in-Chief Andrew Albanese has previously reported, the case was first filed in January 2021, alleging that the Big Five publishers were co-conspirators in a scheme with Amazon to suppress retail price competition and to keep e-book prices artificially high, specifically through the use of various forms of a most-favored-nation (MFN) clause. In 2023, a federal judge dismissed the publishers from the suit, but held that monopolization claims against Amazon could proceed.
The allegations in the U.S. present a notable contrast given with many international markets, where fixed book pricing is established by law, including Germany, Norway, and Argentina. At the same time, countries such as Brazil, Uruguay, and Poland, as covered by Publishing Perspectives, are actively pursuing legislation to introduce similar fixed-price systems, underscoring the different regulatory approaches to book pricing across markets.
Listen Up: Bookshop.org Takes on Audible in the U.K.
The Bookseller reports that Bookshop.org has launched audiobooks in the U.K., expanding its existing print and e-book offerings with a credit-based subscription priced at £12.99 ($17.50) per month and a catalog of about 500,000 titles. U.K. Managing Director Nicole Vanderbilt said the service was developed in response to bookseller demand for a straightforward model similar to Audible. Customers browse and sample titles in the Bookshop.org app, while subscriptions, purchases, and credit redemption take place on the website. The launch also includes indie-exclusive audiobook content and a pilot program with listening stations in eight U.K. bookshops.
If the platform’s mission is to provide an alternative to Amazon while supporting independent booksellers, extending that model to audiobooks and offering an alternative to Audible is a logical next step. The question now is whether Bookshop.org will also offer audiobooks directly on its U.S. platform. In the United States, it currently partners with Libro.fm, directing customers there whenever an audiobook edition is available for a title sold in print or as an e-book. It remains to be seen whether that partnership will continue or whether Bookshop.org will eventually bring U.S. audiobook sales onto its own platform.
BookBeat Picks Up the Tempo in Poland
Swedish audiobook platform BookBeat has reported 13% revenue growth in the first half of 2026. Paying subscribers continued to grow at a double-digit rate, surpassing 1.2 million in April, while the company recorded a record 10,931 new trial registrations in a single day on June 14. BookBeat also reported its highest-ever customer loyalty, measured by subscription retention. Germany delivered the strongest second-quarter performance, while Poland generated the largest number of new users.
Although BookBeat is not a public company, it continues to share an unusually high level of operational and user data, providing valuable insight into the digital publishing market. Its first-half 2026 results underscore strong overall momentum, but the standout from this story is the continued growth in Poland and Germany. In particular, Poland generating the largest number of new users—even ahead of BookBeat’s established Nordic markets—highlights the country’s rapidly expanding audiobook market and makes it one to watch.
Rakuten Is Much More Than Kobo
According to The Bunka News, Rakuten Books used a publisher strategy briefing in Tokyo on July 7 to outline plans to refocus on a more “Rakuten-like” online bookstore. The retailer reported 28 million monthly visitors, making it one of the largest of the approximately 60,000 stores on Rakuten Market. Its customer base is 57% female and 43% male, with housewives identified as its strongest segment, particularly for women’s products, while the company also sees growth potential in male-oriented categories such as business books. Rakuten Books said 63% of its users shop both online and in physical bookstores. The proposed strategy centers on four priorities: promotions through the Rakuten ecosystem, maintaining inventory to reduce missed sales, personalized discovery using Rakuten data and AI, and exclusive Rakuten Books benefits and experiences.
Outside Japan, Rakuten is often associated primarily with Kobo and the e-book market, making it easy to overlook the scale of its physical books business. This announcement is a reminder that Rakuten Books is a major player in Japan’s print book market, where it competes directly with Amazon Japan.
Colombia’s Book Market Beats Inflation
Colombia’s publishing market generated COP 1.06 trillion ($317.4 million) in revenue in 2025, up 7.5% year over year, according to the Colombian Book Chamber’s Estadísticas del Libro en Colombia 2025, as reported by PublishNews Spain. The increase exceeded Colombia’s 5.18% inflation rate, while unit sales rose 4.0% to 39.4 million copies. Print books accounted for 88.2% of net sales, while digital publishing grew 15.2% to reach an 8.8% share. Audiobooks declined 23.2%, representing just 0.1% of revenue. General interest titles generated 40.4% of net sales, educational publishing 30.0%, and bookstores remained the leading sales channel with 39.7% of total sales after 11.0% growth.
The Colombian Book Chamber provides valuable insight into one of South America’s key publishing sectors, and revenue growth above inflation and continued expansion in digital publishing are encouraging signs. The sharp decline in audiobook sales is the report’s most surprising finding, however, for which the report offers no explanation. But given that audiobooks account for a very small segment of the industry (just 0.1%) such a pronounced drop in the market percentage-wise isn’t unusual.
Publishers Called to Las Ramblas
According to PublishNews Spain, Liber 2026 is expanding its international outreach ahead of its September 29–October 1 edition in Barcelona by inviting more than 700 buyers, distributors, booksellers, literary agents, librarians, and publishers from 70 countries. The initiative, organized by the Spanish Federation of Publishers’ Guilds (FGEE) in partnership with Spain’s Economic and Commercial Offices abroad, is expected to generate more than 4,000 business meetings focused on rights trading and Spanish publishing exports. Organizers cited FGEE data showing Spanish book exports reached €381 million ($434.5 million) in 2024, up 1.16% year over year, while publishing rights sales rose from €66 million ($75.3 million) in 2014 to just over €72.5 million ($82.7 million) in 2024.
Liber has been the focus of a determined effort by the Spanish Federation of Publishers’ Guilds and other Spanish industry organizations to restore its standing as a leading international publishing event. Inviting hundreds of publishing professionals from around the world is a smart way to strengthen its business-to-business focus and reinforce rights trading. The Spanish-language publishing market deserves a major international event in Europe, complementing the role that the Guadalajara International Book Fair already plays in Latin America.
Against the Odds, Russia’s Book Market Carries On
According to Kommersant, several Russian publishers and booksellers posted higher sales and revenue in the first half of the year despite rising costs. Eksmo reported revenue growth of 7.6% alongside a 4.6% increase in print runs, while Alpina recorded 6% revenue growth, 10% higher unit sales, and an average 25% increase in print runs across the group. Bookseller Chitai–Gorod said turnover rose 2%, supported by higher average transaction values and a 3% increase in store traffic from the fourth quarter of 2025 through the second quarter of 2026. Rexoft Consulting said paper-book print runs across the market fell 26% in the first quarter of 2026, but forecasted the market would grow 5-8% in value this year, with future growth expected to depend on audiobooks and digital publishing.
The figures are notable given Russia’s continued international isolation following its invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing conflict. They also come after publishers faced additional challenges from tighter government regulations and censorship, which have required some to revisit their backlists, redact titles, or withdraw books from bookstores. Against that backdrop, the sector’s reported growth is a striking result.
What Else Caught My Eye
A literary eviction. New York writer and translator Mendel Uminer was forced to move after his landlord objected to the roughly 10,000 books packed into his 600-square-foot Manhattan apartment, arguing they created a fire hazard. According to The New York Times.
A Brazilian legend. A Brazilian legend. Publishing veteran Alfredo Weiszflog has received the 2026 IPA Champion Award, recognizing his five decades of service to the industry, including his leadership of Companhia Melhoramentos, the Brazilian Book Chamber, and Brazil’s first Guest of Honour appearance at the Frankfurt Book Fair in 1994. According to Publishing Perspectives.
A superhero sayonara. Shueisha will end its publishing agreement with Disney Japan for Marvel manga adaptations on September 30, ending print and digital distribution of 14 titles—including Deadpool: Samurai and Spider-Man: Octopus Girl. According to Oricon News.
A desert bridge. Saudi digital publishing company Samawy has signed a memorandum of understanding with Malaysia’s state-owned Kota Buku to collaborate on digital publishing, print-on-demand, rights management, and knowledge exchange. According to Samawy CEO Khaled Bamohamad’s LinkedIn post.
A Dutch kangaroo. Amsterdam University Press has acquired Australia’s ATF Press Publishing Group, adding more than 400 scholarly titles to its catalogue while expanding the international reach of the publisher’s theology, history, and social ethics list. According to inct.
A tech masterclass. The third Media Transformation Summit, powered by knk, will take place online on July 22, bringing together publishing experts to discuss AI, metadata, discoverability, workflows, rights, and other technologies reshaping the industry. Attendance is free.
A game move. Actes Sud is acquiring Lille-based Minus Éditions, a publisher specializing in collaborative books and card games designed to bring people together, while allowing the company to retain its management autonomy. According to Eric Dupuy at Livres Hebdo.
The writer of this column has had the privilege of meeting Alfredo Weiszflog on several occasions. He particularly remembers how meetings in Brazil that had every chance of becoming long and bureaucratic would suddenly become short, direct, and remarkably productive once Alfredo walked into the room. He will also never forget Alfredo’s wonderful stories about Brazil’s first appearance as Guest of Honor at the Frankfurt Book Fair in 1994. Those stories, however, are best heard from Alfredo himself. The writer also found himself wondering about the benefits of being read to as a child, as so often happens in Norway. As a Brazil fan still mourning his country’s FIFA World Cup elimination, he feels entitled to ask: Could that even help produce better football players?