The more things change, the more they stay the same. And while the book industry is no stranger to evolution, the written word remains popular.

In 2013, physical book sales stayed strong, with print book consumption only declining slightly from the year before (even when considering the success of the Fifty Shades and Hunger Games blockbuster trilogies of 2012). And some old favorites continue to see big sales. For example, the beloved espionage and thriller novelist Tom Clancy sold 553,000 sales in 2013 alone.  

E-book growth has slowed and the market has now matured. Nevertheless, more than half of Americans own smartphones, tablets and e-readers each. And the innovation is far from over.

As a result, for many authors, publishers, retailers, distributors, service providers, and especially consumers, the challenges caused by changes in technology, the marketplace, etc. turned out to be great sources of opportunity during the past year.