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This paper analyzes how entrepreneurs’ characteristics impact the failure of companies in the book trade. After reviewing the types of entrepreneurs, the use of a logistic regression provided a failure rate of about 65.51%; which is otherwise explained by the following key factors: a profile relating to the field of employment, a higher level of education, less than five years’ experience in business management, and choosing to operate officially increase the risk of failure. On the other hand, a level of primary or secondary school education, more than 5 years’ experience, and choosing to operate informally reduce the probability of failure. Managerial capacity-building policies need to be conducted to further reduce this rate: an awareness of the adoption of product development policies and a mastering of their dissemination is required, as is the setting up of a favorable legal framework for the emergence of a book industry.