Who will cry the loudest? A study published Thursday 1er February on “the sharing of value between authors and publishers”commissioned by the National Publishing Union (SNE) with the assistance of the audit firm KPMG, makes the following observation: publishers ensure that they reserve a share of the turnover from the sale of lower books to those affected by the authors.
The sample allowing such a conclusion to be established relates solely to the analysis of the accounting of the big houses (Actes Sud, Albin Michel, Editis, Glénat Editions, Hachette Livre, Madrigall – the parent company of Gallimard and Flammarion), Média- Participations and the small independent house Zulma. These heavyweights represented 29% of the market in 2022 and have the particularity of publishing the greatest number of bestsellers – and therefore paying the most royalties.
Furthermore, only five sectors were reviewed for this study: general literature, practical books, art books, children’s books and comics, which represented, in 2022, 68.5% of the French book market. publishing. Deemed unrepresentative, the school sector, random according to the reforms, and the manga, linked to transfers of rights abroad, were not kept.
The study therefore carries out an extremely limited analysis of the market. By retaining only half of the revenues from book sales (51% goes to booksellers, broadcasters and distributors) and focusing only on the remaining 49% (which goes to publishers and authors), the SNE says “that on average, 24.8% of a publisher’s net turnover goes to the authors, while 17.8% is kept by the publisher to cover its structural costs (real estate, support functions, depreciation, etc.). ) and its operating income. The rest (57.4%) includes manufacturing, editorial activity, marketing, communication, storage and logistics.
“Economics of poverty”
In light of these figures, copyright seems particularly low in art books (11.6%), and also below average in the youth (18.2%) and practical books sectors. (19.5%). General literature and comics are doing better.
“This study reminds us that if you need an author for a book, you need a publishing house to finance it”, insists Vincent Montagne, president of the SNE and CEO of Média-Participations. This report was all the more anticipated as negotiations between representatives of publishers and authors to reduce the latter’s precariousness have been slipping for years. Bruno Racine’s report on the status of the authors has still not been followed by any effects regarding the opening of global financial negotiations.
You have 25% of this article left to read. The rest is reserved for subscribers.