One of the few sources we’ve seen that has information about actual dollar sales of self-help/self-improvement books is Simba Information Inc.  Simba reported, in its publication entitled: Trade Book Publishing: Analysis By Category, that sales of self-help books for 2003 were estimated at $640 million, up from $621 million in 2002 and versus $611 million in 2000. 

Simba further reported that in 2003 there were 2,310 self-help titles published through November 10, 2003. This does NOT include “health” titles such as Dr. Phil’s book or the South Beach Diet. The 2003 total, based on that pace, will come in slightly higher than the 2,363 titles published in 2002. By comparison, in 1997 there were 1,818 self-help/inspiration titles published, generating $538 million in sales. Thus, the category grew  30% from 1997 to 2003, or about 5.0% annually. When adding in the books Marketdata considers under the scope of self-improvement (i.e. diet books), not just “self-help”, this rate of growth is undoubtedly significantly higher.

The biggest SI/motivational sellers still are authored by the celebrity names (Deepak Chopra, John Gray, Dr. Robert Atkins, etc.), but some new authors have been creeping onto the list in recent years.  Publishers Weekly  goes on to say that: “Self-help, a popular category of the ‘90s (not to mention the ‘80s) is represented by Body For Life, Relationship Rescue, and Eating Well For Optimum Health (by Andrew Weil, who had many bestsellers in the 1990s).”

Where People Buy Self-Improvement Books

Readers are increasingly buying books by mail, in places such as Wal-Mart stores, and online (via Amazon.com, Barnes & Nobles.com, and Bookwire.com).  Publishers also attribute the sales surge to the growth of the superstore, with its environment that fosters browsing and staying in the store longer.  Barnes & Noble and the Borders retail chains have expanded the number of superstores they operate, and have posted strong sales there.

Below are the major book selling outlets, by market share...

 Source: American Booksellers Assn.

* card, gift, hobby, dept. stores

Topics Covered

Today there is real growth in spirituality oriented books, and a transition from addiction recovery to spirituality.  A major part of the recovery boom was a huge latent demand for books addressing issues of spirituality and personal growth.  Today, we’re seeing a blending of recovery titles with self-help.  Publishers are trying to hold onto the recovery audience while capitalizing on the growing mainstream popularity of spiritual books.

Life-probing inquiries are fueling the industry to produce more products that promise to provide some answers.  People are realizing that they can get information and change their perspectives on their own rather than go to a therapist  There’s a general movement toward ‘let’s learn to do this for ourselves’. People no longer have time to follow strict regimens or a guru’s lifelong path.  People want the “nitty-gritty” of a subject so that they can work on themselves and their bodies now.

Several physicians, including Herbert Benson, Bernie Sigel, and Christiane Northrup, have also been at the forefront of complementary medicine.  Books by Andrew Weil and Deepak Chopra have made The New York Times bestseller list.

Not surprisingly, the celebrity circuit has had a strong influence on mainstream interest in alternative health books.  Sales of Deepak Chopra’s books were fueled by endorsements from celebrities like Demi Moore.  And, people like Oprah Winfrey are playing a huge role in introducing people to alternative ways to help and heal themselves.

New Age Bookstores

There are now approximately 5,000 new age bookstores/gift shops now operating in the United States, up from about 4,000 in 2001 but still down substantially from an estimated 7,000 in 1997. 

Several trends are apparent when one makes a few phone calls to the industry’s leading trade journals and organizations. For example, the New Age Journal no longer goes by that name and has changed its focus to an affluent women’s magazine. It is now called: Body & Soul Magazine.

In addition, most “new age” bookstores can’t survive by just selling books. Stores are carrying less books and more gifts (which are more profitable). There has been a major increase in sales of pagan, earth lore, wicca (witchcraft)-related items. Self-help is a tough sell today. Retailers and book publishers have cut back in this area. Self-help has been over-sold and is old news now. Spiritual self-help is the more up-to-date term.

Most of these “new age bookstores” are small operations serving very local areas.  Frequently, they are the center of new age activity in that area.   In addition to selling self-improvement books and cassettes, they also sell such things as jewelry, incense, periodicals, videos, and healthy foods.  SI books focusing on more practical topics are selling well, as are nutritional supplements and herbs. The number of new age “products” continues to rise, in tandem with the increasing number of distribution channels.  Another trend is that more and more bookstores are setting up their own websites, but few are interactive.  Most are simply advertising vehicles.

There are very few new age bookstore chains with multiple stores. Evolutionary Products finds that the Psychic Eye Bookshops has 11 stores (in California, Nevada and other states).