PENGUIN BOOKS

JAN. 2018
Chad Bramlett
25 January 2018
JMC 415

PENGUIN BOOKS

SUMMARY
Penguin Books is one of the leading trade book publishers in the United States. Allen Lane
originally founded Penguin Books in the United Kingdom in 1935 to establish an accessible and
trusted provider of affordable and attractive books. Penguin Books Ltd. opened in the United
States in 1939 and has merged with a number of other publishing houses since its inception.
Penguin Books is now an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, the largest division of Penguin
Random House, Inc. Penguin Books publishes a range of books, including contemporary fiction,
poetry, nonfiction and more.

The book industry is an evolving and popular business in the United States. The industry alone
generated $27.78 billion1 in the United States in 2015. Reading is still a popular activity, as 73
percent of Americans have read a book within the last year and the median U.S. adult has read
four books within the last year.2 Although many critics predicted e-books would outcompete
print books, 73 percent3 of readers prefer print books. Despite concerns about technology and
interest, Penguin Books is still a leader in a popular industry.

STRENGTHS
1. Industry Status—Penguin Books is an imprint of Penguin Random House, which is
recognized as one of the “Big Five” publishers. This group comprises the largest, most
popular traditional book publishing companies in the United States, such as Simon &
Schuster and HarperCollins. With this status and its company history, Penguin Books is a

1
U.S. publishing industry’s annual survey reveals nearly $28 billion in revenue in 2015. (2016,
July). Retrieved from Association of American Publishers website:
http://newsroom.publishers.org/us-publishing-industrys-annual-survey-reveals-nearly-
28-billion-in-revenue-in-2015/
2
Perrin, A. (2016, September). Book reading 2016. Retrieved from Pew Research Center
website: http://www.pewinternet.org/2016/09/01/book-reading-2016/
3
Rumors of the demise of books greatly exaggerated. (2017, January). Retrieved from Gallup
website: http://news.gallup.com/poll/201644/rumors-demise-books-greatly-
exaggerated.aspx
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JAN. 2018
trusted provider of quality books. It regularly publishes new works from the biggest
names in contemporary fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Titles from Penguin Books are
available at major chain and independent bookstores across the United States as well as
online. The iconic Penguin logo is the most recognized logo of any book publishing.

2. National Reach—Although the company is based in New York City, Penguin Books works
with authors across the entire nation. The publisher regularly receives manuscripts from
established literary agents. Many of these literary agents represent award-winning and
talented authors, bringing only the best works for Penguin Books to review possibly
publish.

3. Innovative Technology—Penguin Books currently employs an adaptive approach to
technology in publishing. The company offers most titles in multiple formats: print, e-
book, and audiobook. This range of technology makes its books more accessible and
convenient to read in an environment that consumes media in a variety of ways.
Although e-books and audiobooks might be more convenient, more readers prefer print
books, proving publishers need to accommodate all formats.

4. Range of Titles—Penguin Books releases titles in a number of genres, including literary
fiction, mystery and suspense, romance, fantasy, science fiction, poetry, nonfiction and
more. With such a wide range of works, Penguin Books has options for every kind of
reader.

5. Dedicated Staff—Penguin Books comprises a diverse and talented staff. The publishing
house trains and employs individuals needed at every part of the publishing process,
including editing, design, production, marketing, publicity, and operations. Penguin
Books employs editors, editorial assistants, publicists, marketing managers, designers
and other types of professionals, creating a large and skilled staff.

6. Social Media—Penguin Books has a large social media presence. Its accounts currently
have almost four million followers on Twitter, 150,000 likes on Facebook and over
185,000 followers on Instagram. The publisher also uses other social media platforms
such as Pinterest, Google+, YouTube and Tumblr. These platforms allow Penguin Books
to release news about new titles and events and interact with its followers.

7. Academic and Library Services—As a publisher, Penguin Books is committed to
promoting and contributing to education with assistance to schools and libraries. It
provides desk copies of books, guides for teachers, and catalogs of materials for
colleges, universities and academic libraries.

8. Bookseller Services—Penguin Books provides retail assistance and services to
independent and chain bookstores across the United States. Booksellers can access
materials such as catalogs to review and select titles. The company has an established
speaker program that brings gives booksellers access to authors for events. It also
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promotes a business-to-business program, which helps booksellers connect with other
businesses in their communities.

WEAKNESSES
1. Outdated Model—Penguin Books uses a traditional editorial model in which authors
submit manuscripts through literary agents, editors select works, and then the
publishing house further develops the piece. This process can take up anywhere from
one to two years. Although Penguin Books has always used this system, it has become
slow and increasingly selective in the digital age. New models, such as hybrid presses
and independent publishing, allow authors greater control over their material and how
to sell it. Self-published ISBNs grew 21 percent from 2014 to 2015,4 and Penguin Books
cannot attract authors who chose to publish their own work.

2. Competition—Penguin Books is one of the most popular and trusted imprints, but still
operates in a crowded and competitive market. Penguin Random House, the parent
company of Penguin Books, is only one of the “Big Five” publishers. In addition to the
other major four publishing houses, thousands of smaller, independent publishing
houses exist as alternatives for authors and readers. Breakthroughs in technology and
ecommerce have enabled individuals to self-publish and market their own works,
making the market even more competitive.

3. Mainstream Products—Although readers look to Penguin Books to produce some of the
best new titles, the imprint focuses on publishing books that ensure mass-market
success. This eliminates the opportunity for new and emerging writers to publish highly
original works, as the imprint tends to stick to works that follow a formula and minimize
losses.

4. Lack of Access—Penguin Books typically does not sell books directly to consumers.
Instead, the imprint sells books to retailers, which in turn sell books to consumers.
Those wishing to buy directly from Penguin Books must first open a business account,
limited to wholesale distributors, retail booksellers and promotional accounts. This
model prioritizes book distribution rather than individual sales.

KEY CHARACTERISTICS
Penguin Books seeks to publish books of all genres for every kind of reader, from the dedicated
bookworm to the reluctant reader. No matter their age or interest, readers continually turn to
Penguin Books to find affordable, attractive books written by talented writers and edited by
dedicated professionals. The following characteristics represent the characteristics of a typical
reader of books published by Penguin Books.

4
Anderson, P. (2016, September). Bowker: 727,000 US self-published ISBNs registered in 2015.
Retrieved from Publishing Perspectives website:
https://publishingperspectives.com/2016/09/bowker-isbn-self-published-us/

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DEMOGRAPHIC
FEMALE: A majority of book buyers are women.

AGED 18-65: Penguin Books publishes books for adults of all ages.

CAUCASION: Book buyers are more likely to be Caucasian.

ANNUAL INCOME > $50,000: Book buyers tend to come from the middle and upper classes.

COLLEGE-EDUCATED: Those with college-level degrees consume more books per year.

• About 60 percent of book buyers are women, and the average age of a book buyer is
41.5 in 2013. Likewise, over 63 percent of print book buyers have an annual income of
over $50,000, and 61 percent of buyers have been educated to the degree level in
2013.5
• Around 76 percent of Caucasian (non-Hispanic) Americans have read a book in any
format within the past year while 69 percent of black Americans and 58 percent of
Hispanic Americans have read a book within the past year.6

PSYCHOGRAPHIC
ACTIVITIES: All generations turn to books as a source of entertainment. Instead of television or
social media, consumers turn to books for an authentic and rewarding experience. Consumers
typically have a large amount of free time to dedicate to hobbies, such as reading.

ATTITUDES: Buyers hold books in high regard, and typically turn to books to research a topic of
interest or for academic reasons. Coming from middle and upper class backgrounds and higher
levels of education, they turn to books as a source of education and improvement as well as
value knowledge, art and culture.

BEHAVIOR: Consumers read books in a number of formats, but generally prefer to read print
books.

• All generations, ranging from Generation Z to the Silent Generation, picked reading as
one of their top three activities to do in their spare time.7

5
Schmidt, M., & Park, M. (2013, June). Trends in consumer book buying. Retrieved from
Penguin Random House website: http://authornews.penguinrandomhouse.com/trends-
in-consumer-book-buying-infographic/
6
Perrin, Book reading 2016.
7
On the same page, no matter the age: Reading is a top spare-time activity for all generations.
(2015, December). Retrieved from Nielson website:
http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/news/2015/on-the-same-page-no-matter-the-
age-reading-is-a-top-spare-time-activity.html
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JAN. 2018
• Research and interest in a topic is the most popular reason to read, followed by the
need to keep up with current events and for pleasure.8
• Younger readers want to spend less time online, increasing the demand for print books.
In readers aged 18 to 24, 37 percent claimed they wanted to spend less time on digital
devices.9

GEOGRAPHIC
NATIONAL: Penguin Books distributes to booksellers across every state in the United States.

URBAN/SUBURBAN: Although readers come from all states, more readers tend to live in large
urban and suburban areas, including major cities and family-oriented communities.

• 75 percent of Americans from urban backgrounds and 73 percent from suburban
backgrounds have read a book in the past year, while only 66 percent of Americans from
rural backgrounds have read a book in the past year.10

PENGUIN BOOKS

8
Perrin, Book reading 2016.
9
Milliot, J. (2017, June). As e-book sales decline, digital fatigue grows. Retrieved from
Publishers Weekly website: https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-
topic/digital/retailing/article/70696-as-e-book-sales-decline-digital-fatigue-grows.html
10
Perrin, Book reading 2016.