We live in an age where it would be easy to believe that digital technology is everywhere. Yet paper books still have a bright future ahead of them, and their words are still being printed. With figures to back it up, the various publishing sectors are confirming the leading position of this medium, which has never failed to live up to its reputation.

Paper continues to dominate

Book fairs would undoubtedly be gloomy if publishing were exclusively digital, and book signings would undoubtedly be less attractive. The organisers of the latest Paris Book Fair are delighted that this is not yet the case. Printed books are still more than in the majority and have even made an interesting comeback, boasting a 2% increase in sales in 2015. Across the Atlantic, where the digital market is making the biggest impression, they account for only a quarter of book sales, whether fiction or practical titles, and this figure has already been declining for two years. While this may seem like a large number at first glance, France is far from having reached this plateau. It’s a milestone that e-readers are struggling to reach, with purchases by ebook fans stagnating a little more every day.

Print that adapts to our tastes

If books in their most tangible form are still very much with us today, it’s also because they have been able to adapt to our times. We are a long way from the era of copyist monks and texts calligraphed over many months. Now you can choose a title from a publishing house, out of print or not, and have it printed in just a few minutes. That’s what the“Expresso Book Machine” in the Parisian Presses Universitaires de France shop is all about. Several million books are already available, some of which have fallen into the public domain, so they can be sold, printed and bound in just a few moments. It is entirely conceivable that other publishers will imitate this approach and that we will soon be able to go to our favourite bookshop to place an order for a book… and receive it immediately. This offer is, of course, in line with the print-on-demand approach already used in a number of catalogues, notably those of Bragelonne, which publishes fiction from its Snark collection in this way, or reissues older titles. In all cases, the quality remains high, as does the pleasure.

Physical better than digital

Under the impetus of publishers, paper books now offer unexpected prospects. It should not be forgotten that one of its greatest strengths is that it can be used without the need for an adapter. Reading devices have had a hard time catching on in this country because they were introduced at the same time as tablets and smartphones, and not everyone necessarily wants or needs to buy multiple electronic devices. However, most of us have eyes, and paper remains the best medium for communicating with this tool, which can also be lent out as and when required without the need for complicated handling.

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