Image: From the Federation of Spanish Publishers’ report on their market
By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson
FGEE’s Stand at Frankfurt: 56 Publishers and Institutions
Having covered the 2024 Guest of Honor Italy program at Frankfurter Buchmesse this year, of course, Publishing Perspectives has been in touch with Madrid’s José Manuel Anta, managing director of the Federación de Gremios de Editores de España— the Spanish Book Publishers Federation.
Our specific interest here is in a quick look at the Spanish market two years after Spain’s own Frankfurt guest of honor year (2022). Much of the research the industry has done for the figures Anta has provided to us comes from the federation’s latest annual report, produced by Conecta.
Anta is well-known in the international book industry, of course, having preceded his tenure as managing director of the publishers’ federation–a post announced in July—with his years as general manager of the Federation of National Associations of Distributors of Editions, FANDE, and the International Publishing Distribution Association (IPDA)—both providing many chances over the years for Anta to speak at Frankfurt and in other international programs.
At Frankfurt last month, Anta tells us, the Spanish delegation carried through on the second year after its guest of honor program with the participation of 211 publishing houses and literary agencies representing Spain.
“The Federation of Spanish Book Publishers (FGEE),” he says, “was leading the Spanish delegation with its own stand, which featured the participation of 56 Spanish publishers and institutions.
“The remaining 155 publishing houses, agencies, and distributors were presented in individual stands or in spaces reserved by their respective publishing houses or distributors.”
Digital Publishing Holds at 5 Percent of the Market
The newest available market data on Spain, Anta says, shows turnover (trade volume) growing by 5.1 percent, which puts post-pandemic advances up to 17.09 percent.
José Manuel Anta
In fact, Anta tells us, in the past 10 years, “The increase in turnover has been 30.1 percent.”
“The increase in turnover in the sector,” he tells us, “has been mainly thanks to an increase in the numbers of copies sold—5.2 million units in 2023, which is 3.4 percent more in 2023 than in 2022, with an increase in the average price of 1.8 percent.”
All sub-segments of publishing, Anta tells Publishing Perspectives, are growing, especially children’s books and young adult literature, “which continues to grow above the sector as a whole,” Anta says, “by 5.9 percent, as well as nonfiction, with 5.6-percent more.”
Publishing production, Anta says, reached 85,077 titles published. Of those, 59,528 were produced in paperback, 4.2 percent more, and 25,549 were released in digital formats, which was a step back—1.6 percent less than in 2022.
The average print run fell slightly (0.7 percent) to 3,586 copies per title, while the sector increased the number of copies sold by 4 million—coming in at 184.27 million—and the average price stood at €14.66 (US$15.54).
The digital book also increased its turnover, Anta says, by 3.5 percent, to €144.13 million (US$153 million).
The digital segment of the book market, Anta says, “continues to represent 5 percent of the sector’s total sales.” The number of downloads and sales reached 14.86 million, up 5.6 percent, at an average price of €9.7 euros (US$10.28, which is some 2 percent less than in 2022).
Bookstores Persist as Spain’s Primary Retail Channel
Image: From the Spanish market’s 2023 financial report
Bookshops and bookstore chains remain the main distribution channel for books, accounting for 54.9 percent of sales.
“Online sales of books in paper format,” Anta says, “continue to increase, although they only represent 2.1 percent of distribution channels.”
Regarding exports of the Spanish book sector, during 2023, exports of the book sector continued to show a good performance, Anta reports. In fact, sales of the book sector in foreign markets reached €376.70 million in 2023 (US$399.2).
Latin America remained the main destination for exports of the Spanish book sector (publishers and graphics), with sales of 183.65 million euros. The European Union market followed with revenues of 138.31 million (US$146.6). Between them—Latin America and Europe—they represent 85.47 percent of Spain’s export destinations.
If the results are analyzed by country, Anta points out, among the five main destinations, which concentrate 56.74 percent of the total exports, are:
- Mexico with €63.32 million (US$67.2 million)
- France with €61.55 million (US$65.27 million)
- Argentina with €31.13 million (US$33 million)
- Italy with €22.99 million (US$24.4 million)
- The United Kingdom with €18.04 million (US$19.1)
Imports from the book sector fell by 12.86 percent in 2023, ending the period at €105.75 million (US$112.10).
“These figures,” Anta points out, “mean that the trade balance remains positive, reaching €270.95 million euros” (US$287.1).
More from Publishing Perspectives on industry statistics is here; and more on Spain’s book industry is here. Our coverage of Guest of Honor Spain in the 2022 Frankfurter Buchmesse is here.
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