With the 2012 London Olympic Games right around the corner, individuals are preparing themselves, and not just by ensuring that their television set is working, but by purchasing books. Record levels of publishing has occurred, inspired by the Games and its athletes, according to Bowker Books in Print.

The company, which focuses on information on books and publishing said 120 books – in print and e-version – were brought to market for this year’s Games, compared to 109 titles released for the start of 2008’s competition in Beijing.

Kelly Gallagher, the vice-president of Bowker Market Research, said in a press release that there is a clear distinction between summer and winter Games as reports starting in 1996 show consistent peaks in book production related to the Summer Olympics but not in years for the Winter Games. For example, 2010’s Vancouver games only had 55 new titles brought forward.

“Popular sports combined with big personal medal counts, such as those of Michael Phelps’, adds to the ability of publishers to capitalize on interest surrounding and sparked by the Games,” Gallagher said.”

Specifically, 32 books have been written about Phelps and his record-breaking swimming career. According to Bowker, in 2008, nine books were written about him and the number jumped to 21 in 2009, after his spectacular medal-winning spree in Beijing. That is in stark contrast to Olympian Mark Spitz, who previously held the record for most gold medals won in one Olympic Games, and who has two books written about him.

In addition to publishing companies creating books about the Olympic Games, other businesses and organizations that want to follow suit with this trend – and create their own pamphlets or booklets on the subject – need to ensure they invest in proper coil binding or wire binding equipment. This way, the printed materials will be securely bound together in an organized fashion that can easily be presented to customers.