Consumer preferences in the choice of book products among users of self-publishing platforms

With the penetration of the Internet, the growing number of users of electronic gadgets, and the improvement of the technological characteristics of mobile devices, more and more consumers of book products choose to read books in electronic format. The growth of this type of product (which does not require the costs of production of circulations and distribution through bookstore networks) has led to the emergence and growth of popularity of such Internet resources as self-publishing platforms. Where everyone can try himself as an author and place on wide display, for a fee, or for free, the product of his literary work. This article is devoted to the analysis of consumer preferences in the selection of book products on the relatively new in Russia, which have developed their popularity with the growth of Internet penetration, electronic services of self-publishing. The article suggests the author’s algorithm for conducting desk research, including search, ranking by fame and popularity and sequential selection of the most famous services for self-publishing. At the second step of the research, the analysis of literary works that are in maximum demand among readers on these platforms is carried out. The works are classified according to popular literary genres, topics and directions that are particularly popular and in demand among users of self-publishing services are identified. An economic assessment of the level of competition that samizdat platforms can create for publishers in the electronic literature market has been made.