Post History

Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/33950
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

_The New York Times_ ran [an obituary for R.A. Montgomery](https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/20/business/ra-montgomery-publisher-of-the-choose-your-own-adventure-series-dies-at-78-.html), creator of the _Choose Your Own Adventure_ book series, that referred briefly to the state of the market.

> Bantam Doubleday Dell, by then a Random House imprint, stopped publishing new Choose Your Own Adventure books in 2000 because of diminished sales. Mr. Montgomery and Ms. Gilligan began reprinting old titles and publishing new ones in 2006 under the name [Chooseco](https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-book-news/article/58698-chooseco-kickstarts-choose-your-own-adventure-series.html), both as printed books and e-books. The company says it has sold more than 10 million copies.

So the market for this type of book declined by 2000 (perhaps as a result of internet access being commonplace?). While 10 million copies of the series between 2006 and 2014 may seem like a lot, I do think that being an established brand with nostalgia helped a lot there. At any rate, it's certainly not the market it used to be back in its heydey.

I think the biggest change in the market is that most kids these days have smartphones where they can access interactive media quickly, which diminishes some of the appeal of an interactive book. If you choose to publish, you'll have to be aware that you'll compete with that.

That said, one of the niches that _Choose Your Own Adventure_ books always had was helping young kids get into reading (many of the testimonials at the front of the book said as much). I think that's still an accessible market.

Original score: 4