For generations, editors and publishers have relied on gut intuition when making book acquisitions and sales projections. Those guts tell them who reads what. Well, maybe it’s time for a gut check.

The book business is conceding ground increasingly to data, and not just sales data focusing on units sold. More data than ever is available on reader demographics and reading habits. A standout source for book business data is Immersive Media and Books 2020, the first study to capture data expressly about how people engage with books, video games, film, and television. Co-authors Dr. Rachel Noorda and Dr. Kathi Inman Berens offer data-informed guidance on book buyers and cross-media consumption, and they probe incisively for why book readers may choose to become book pirates.