Decoding The Evolving Reading Habits With HarperCollins’ Poulomi Chatterjee

If you’re an avid reader like me who has not picked up a book to read in a while, today is the perfect day to begin again. Because it’s National Book Lovers Day! Today, you remind yourself about the timeless joy of being immersed in a story. Let’s celebrate the love for uncovering different stories, exploring diverse worlds, and expanding our horizons through the written word!

From traditional print to e-books to audiobooks, our reading habits continue to evolve, but the passion for discovering new tales and ideas remains constant. Many of us have grown up reading stories published by various renowned publishing houses. How has the reading industry grown and transformed in the last few years? Let’s hear it from the Executive Publisher and Rights Director of HarperCollins Publishers India, Poulomi Chatterjee.

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Hear It From Poulomi

22 years into the Indian publishing industry, Poulomi joined HarperCollins India as a Publisher in July 2022. In the course of her career, Poulomi has acquired and edited the works of some of the most talented and prominent Indian writers writing in English, led teams responsible for rights and contracts, and represented Indian publishing in English on a variety of platforms across the world.

We had a bunch of questions for her about the constantly evolving reading audience and communities. Let’s dive right in:

What are the changes you’ve noticed in the reading patterns of your readers over the past few years?

In the past decade or so, the way people read and consume books has changed quite a bit. Our attention spans have shortened, and we’re easily distracted, so shorter content with instant takeaways has become more popular as reading material. In terms of entertainment, there are many, many options – of excellent quality at that – to reading written/printed material. Reading a long-form narrative or book is a serious investment of time, energy and brain space, and the publishing industry across the world is now acutely aware of that.

How has HarperCollins India adapted to these changes?

We’ve adapted to these changes in multiple ways. One is obviously to ensure that the books we publish are made available simultaneously as ebooks and audiobooks. For the latter, we also work with partners who not only deliver entire audiobooks to customers but also those who serve up books in sections or chapters, which readers/listeners may find easier to access and consume.

The other is to shape books with authors so that they hold the attention of current readers. This is specific to genres of course. In popular fiction, perhaps ensure that novels are short and pacy, and in specific non-fiction genres like lifestyle, health, self-help, etc, to ensure the content is more ‘visual’ with illustrations and easy breakdown.

Having said that, the universal truth is that there is a reader for every book. So we make it our mission to have a book for every reader. There are many readers who love to snuggle in with a long read, or linger over words and scenes, or want in-depth knowledge of science, medicine, geopolitics and history. And we ensure that we publish a good mix of books of all subjects, lengths and content treatment to satisfy them all.

What measures is Harper Collins taking to combat book piracy, especially in the digital space?

Book piracy is handled through legal mechanisms because it is a serious violation of an author’s intellectual property rights and there are laws in every country governing such violations. The key is to be vigilant – this is as much for the author as the publisher. On the ground, it may be easier to monitor and report instances for the police/law to take care of, but the digital space is trickier.

While there are global organizations whom we reach out to for every breach we come across to shut down a site, a seller, etc., other means of piracy like WhatsApp forwards of full PDFs of books are difficult to track and pin anyone down for. There is also a lack of awareness among consumers who readily forward PDFs of popular/bestselling books to their friends and family. Most people are ignorant or unmindful of the fact that there are consequences for a creator when their IP rights are violated, or that this is a violation of law.

How have audiobooks influenced reading habits, and what is Harper Collins India’s strategy for this growing market?

Audiobooks have taken off really well across the Western world. In India, the pickup is gradual and it is still print books that seem to be the preferred medium for most readers. So I wouldn’t say it’s influenced reading habits as yet, except among a handful. However, we believe in delivering content/ stories/ narratives in all forms. Thus we make our books available in audio formats, in full or piecemeal, ourselves (as Harper Audio editions), as well as through audiobook licensing and retail partners.

What role do you see social media and online communities playing in shaping modern reading trends?

Book-reading is a personal business and books have traditionally been sold by word-of-mouth. A massive chunk of that buzz has moved online, to social media. For instance, in the last few years, some of the biggest global bestsellers have been created by BookTok. While we don’t have access to it in India, we have communities of bookstagrammers and other influencers who spread their love for books, specific authors, and particular genres, very effectively.

Online communities too are hugely influential and impactful when it comes to building buzz for and creating awareness of books or selling them. People pick up books for different reasons – for entertainment, knowledge, education, and even as therapy or to address a specific pain point in their lives. Communities of people with similar interests or concerns thrive online and become effective channels of awareness for them.

Can you share any upcoming initiatives or innovations from Harper Collins aimed at enhancing the reading experience for book lovers?

We’re constantly thinking of new ways to attract new readers, retain the attention of existing ones and make the books we publish enjoyable and useful for all. We shape content to make it more accessible or enjoyable to readers, publish them across mediums in e- and audio forms, and seek out avenues for them to be made into films or visual content. We also run special campaigns like our ongoing READ campaign, wherein our authors continuously remind people about the importance and joys of reading books.

Reading this article should remind you of the joy of reading well-written stories. So go snuggle under your cosiest blanket, find a comfy spot, and let your favourite book/ ebook/ audiobook whisk you away on a magical journey this National Book Lovers Day. Happy Reading!