From Jacobin · · 2m
Publishers Killed the Paperback, Then Blamed Readers
Publishers killed mass-market paperbacks in 2025, then blamed readers for the decline.
In brief
Publishers killed mass-market paperbacks in 2025, then blamed readers for the decline. The Big Five publishing houses discontinued mass-market paperbacks in 2025, claiming consumer demand was the cause despite evidence of supply-side failures. Originally reported by Jacobin.
The decline of reading
In 2023, 28 percent of American adults scored at or below the lowest literacy level, up from 19 percent six years earlier.
Publishers blamed readers
The Big Five publishing houses claimed consumer demand was the cause of mass-market paperbacks' decline.
Mass-market paperbacks' history
Pocket Books launched in 1939 and sold 8.5 million copies within two years.
The format's decline
In 2024, the last year of full national distribution, mass-market paperbacks sold only 53,000 units.
The Big Five's role
The Big Five publishing houses (Penguin Random House, Macmillan, HarperCollins, Hachette, and Simon & Schuster) discontinued the format in 2025.
The 1939 paperback catalog
Pocket Books published ten titles including Emily Brontë, Bambi, Dorothy Parker, Agatha Christie, Shakespeare, and a Victorian bildungsroman.
The 2025 catalog
In 2025, the top ten mass-market paperbacks were all contemporary commercial fiction with series titles.
Affordability gap
In 1939, a paperback cost ¢25, equivalent to a gallon of gas or a dozen eggs today.
Hardcover pricing
Today's hardback novels cost $28 to $32, 40 percent cheaper than 1940s prices after discounts.
Retail decline
By 2024, only 600 Barnes & Noble stores remained across 19 percent of the nation's counties.
Literacy comparison
In 2023, 28 percent of US adults scored below the lowest literacy level versus 18 percent in Canada.
Publishers' excuses
Publishers claimed consumer demand was the cause of mass-market paperbacks' decline.
The real issue
The Big Five's consolidation and pricing decisions harmed reading habits despite blaming readers.
What happened next
The Big Five publishing houses discontinued mass-market paperbacks in 2025, claiming consumer demand was the cause.
What to remember
The Big Five publishing houses discontinued mass-market paperbacks in 2025, claiming consumer demand was the cause despite evidence of supply-side failures.
