The essay “Sustainability in Publishing and in Life” originally appeared on Jeannie’s Substack. Subscribe here for monthly updates!
April 17, 2024 at Beacon Hill Bookstore and Cafe
Sustainability was a primary motivation for our getting into farming, however, the principles have seeped into every aspect of my life, including the way I think about book publishing.
Each year about 4 million book titles are released, about half of which are self-published and either e-readers or Print-on-Demand. The remainder generate print runs which are estimated in advance of a book’s release. Often, those estimates are way off. Creating physical books consumes pulp, water, glue, energy, transportation, and physical space for storage. With an average sell-through rate of 50%, that equates to hundreds of thousands of new books being returned to publishers and destroyed each year. This “traditional system” has been publicly scrutinized recently for a wide array of antiquated practices, but maybe not as much as it should be for the tons of waste it is responsible for.
Taking a more sustainable approach, my publisher and I decided to forgo a hard-cover release and were conservative with the initial print run. When stock runs out, we will opt for a print-on-demand model. I strongly encourage my readers to download digital e-reader copies or audiobooks (the narrators are phenomenal by the way!!) and start to transition to a reading life that consumes fewer natural resources.
Check out an excerpt of the audio version here:
Then there’s the human dimension of sustainability. Please don’t interpret the fact that I am not running around the country on a frenzied book tour as me not caring as much. I am committed more than ever to my work: to creation, expression, art, and leaving the earth a better place.
Flynn Creek Farm in all its earthy glory.
I hope you have a meaningful Earth Day and incorporate one new practice into your life — compost food waste, forego insecticides in your yard, or just buy less stuff.
As always, thanks for reading!
PS – I just finished JAMES by Percival Everett and I’m finishing up SOLITO by Javier Zamora, both of which I highly recommend!!