The Russian Book Market: to Be or not to Be?

Abstract

The paper examines the current problems of the Russian book market. Tendencies to the reduction of total circulation of printed editions on the background of book diversity growth are highlighted. The structure of book production is analyzed. Statistics show the decline in the market of printed books over the past decade, the extreme point of which was reached during the pandemic. High monopolization is observed. A trend of the Russian book market is the growing popularity of samizdat and a variety of writing schools. As the interest in reading fades, the army of those who want to be writers grows. There has been an increase in the share of translated books, as well as the influence of bloggers on the promotion of new books. An unspoken requirement for writers’ presence on social media as a form of promotion is discussed. In addition to statistical information, interviews with market participants and readers are used.