Small publishers are growing, but it is alarm on paper

 The race of small and medium-sized publishers does not stop, which in Italy represent 45% of the market, and flies beyond the pandemic. In 2021, the small ones grew more than the market average, marking + 25% against + 22%. And it is the small and very young, from 0 to 14 years, the age group that reads the most in our country with 77% compared to a national average of 56%. It opened on 4 December with large numbers on the vitality of the book and great confidence in the future of book publishing 'Più libri più libero', the national fair of small and medium publishing at the Nuvola dell'Eur in Rome that celebrates 20 years and returns in attendance until December 8th. Culture Minister Dario Franceschini underlined this at the cutting of the ribbon: "I think it's a really important day.For many years we have talked about the crisis of the book, of reading, of lagging behind other European countries. Today we can finally look to a future in a different logic. There is an important growth in sales, in readers. "And the mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri underlined:" this event which is now twenty years old is very important because small and medium publishing is a central component of our cultural industry ". But the alarm also comes, launched by the Italian Publishers Association and the Federation of Paper and Graphics on the increase in paper prices and supplies, which is a concern for the entire supply chain, but above all for small publishers." They are an emergency to which we have been looking at with concern for several months "says the president of Aie,Ricardo Franco Levi. Average increases for paper over the past year have been 20%, in some cases higher, according to data collected by the Aie research office. And to these increases, which could have new increases already in the first months of 2022, are added those for inks, packaging, energy. "This is why we are once again asking for emergency mitigation measures such as the tax credit for the production of books. Recently this measure was reactivated, for 2020 and 2021, with the 'Relaunch Decree', but excluding businesses libraries "explains Levi. However, something good could come, as the undersecretary for publishing, Giuseppe Moles, hopes. "In recent months and years, the cost of paper has become exorbitant.I insisted a lot initially with a measure of 90 million and now also in maneuver, which I hope will be approved, with 120 million tax credit on the card, precisely for the cost. I believe that Parliament can further improve the maneuver and I hope there can also be initiatives for medium and small publishing "explained Moles. Publishing houses with sales of various books, novels and essays, in trade channels up to 25 million euro per year at cover price, excluding subsidiaries and subsidiaries of publishing groups, are 6,998, up by 17% on 2020 and have sold a total of 612.4 million euro of books, over 120 million more than in 2020 (+ 25% ).Publishers with sales between 10 and 25 million euros jumped from 3 to 12 in a year and those with less than one million euros in sales went from 5,698 to 6,901. An effervescence, according to the surveys of the AIE Studies Office that promotes and organizes the fair, which is also found in the market in general: in the first 11 months of 2021 and therefore excluding Christmas, which is a golden period, it was sold 25% more books than in 2020. And the end of 2021 is estimated to grow, between 16.3% and 12.6%, for the publishing of various, namely essay novels and comics sold in bookstores and large retailers, compared to 2020. And the cover price of books sold fell, equal to 14.67 euros, down 2.4% compared to 2020 and 1.7% compared to 2019.The book has shown a great resilience and a rebirth beyond expectations, thanks also to the support of the government with initiatives such as the "App18 which this year has become permanent and two emergency funds, each of 30 million, for libraries for the purchase of volumes in local bookstores ", as Franceschini recalled. In this positive scenario, readers between 0 and 14, who are 5.9 million in Italy, remain those who read the most. And it is significant that even in early childhood, as shown by the Aie survey in collaboration with Cepell, presented for the first time, it is girls who surpass children in reading: 80% against 75%. They surpass them in all age groups: 4-6 years 97% against 90%, 7-9 years 85% against 82%, 10-14 years 72% against 59%.The 0-3 age group is an exception, where males prevail with 80% versus 74%. According to estimates by the AIE Studies Office based on NielsenIQ data, women dominate the top ten of the best-selling books in 2021, led by female writers. On the podium Stefania Auci with 'The winter of the Lions' (North) followed by Valerie Perrin with 'Changing the water to flowers,' (E / W) and at the third Madeline Miller with 'The song of Achille' (Marsilio).The song of Achilles' (Marsilio).The song of Achilles' (Marsilio).