Bowker’s statistical report of printed books in the US shows that there was an overall drop in the number of printed books between 2012 and 2013 (of 1.63%). However, there was a substantial drop in the number of ‘non-traditional’ or ‘unclassified’ books printed (45.75%). These non-traditional and unclassified books include those printed on demand, and those from wiki-based material. This large drop follows a substantial rise (55%) between 2011 and 2012.

Han Huang, director of product management for Data Licensing at Bowker has commented that the large drop was ‘simply a market correction. The huge production that took place from 2010 through 2012 was an unusual period for non-traditional publishing, reflecting higher levels of investment and innovation.’