If Deseret Book (DB) turns into or is a negative cash flow what would The Brethren do?

Any insiders there know what is really going on with DB's financial statements?

Here is why I ask. Just go to DB's official YouTube channel and look at the miserable stats. For instance.

http://www.youtube.com/user/DeseretBook

DB's channel started October 2008

Total Subscribers: 1,284 (How many are DB employees, their family members or friends?)

Total views to date of videos posted by DB since 2008: 896,663

It appears the highest viewed video is of the Tabernacle Choir at 70,000 views.

Some of the lowest viewed are in the 30's.

Only a few hundred care to view what DB posts about Thomas Monson: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE9455ABBDFE8BCE8

I tried to think of a comparable organization to DB that also has a YouTube channel to compare stats but could not come up with one.

Google Trends shows flat or slightly declining interest in DB since 2005:
http://www.google.com/trends/explore?hl=en-US#q=desert+book

One would think that with smart phones, tables, kindles, etc that interest in DB would be on the incline, not decline.

Maybe the Brethren keep DB afloat in order to publish their own token/pet book ideas? How embarrassing for a General Authority to write a book and not have any place to sell it.

For example, Thomas S Monson's - "Teachings of Thomas S. Monson"
is ranked #684,589 at Amazon. And his "To The Rescue - Biography of Thomas S Monson is ranked #47,599. How many of these purchases are made as gifts for others and are never read but eventually returned to Deseret Industries for recycling?

Disclaimer: None of this data I've posted is scientifically analyzed nor do I have any marketing or publishing expertise. This is just another ramble from a non-fan of DB.

as long as their are TBM's there will be a Deseret Book. My TBM family shops there all the time.

three related observations:

(1)They are pretty high up the MLM chain, but still vulnerable.

(2)You can currently get the new four-pack online and tablet usage seems not to be discouraged at meetings. If this becomes standard practice, they will have a hard time staying staying afloat without scripture sales.

(3) If what happened to music (the mp3) is even comparably close to what the book industry is about to go through, publishers will suffer horribly in the future and spend decades reinventing themselves.

>>You can currently get the new four-pack online<<

o my...I bet it has an automatic update feature.

"please restart your computer now to install the latest critical doctrinal updates..."

+1

If DB is cash-flow negative, then how can the 12 make money on their books and live well-to-do? Book royalties is the excuse members give for why Monson (a life-long COB rat) has extra homes and nice cars.

Note: your google trends search is on 'desert book' not 'deserEt book'.

http://www.google.com/trends/explore?hl=en-US#q=deseret+book&geo=US


It's interesting to note that the trend of UTards looking for 'pornography' has been declining over the years. Provo still ranks the highest in UT, which is the highest in the USA.

http://www.google.com/trends/explore?hl=en-US#geo=US-UT&q=pornography



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/04/2013 02:00PM by Jesus Smith.

I love the regional interest map on the deseret book search. It's looks exactly like the where do Mormons live map.

I'm no friend to the Mormons but I think you are making incorrect conclusions from google trends. Utah is the first when you search the word "pornography". However they are pretty low on the list if you search "xxx", "free porn" or "free video porn". Texas and Nevada are the top of those lists. I think mormons are searching things like "how to cure a pornography addiction". They are obsessed with it but more obsessed with making sure their husbands and sons aren't doing it. IMHO