In the first six months of 2014 eBooks are still not outselling print, whether its a hardcover or paperback novels. According to a new report by Nielsen paperback sales accounted for 42% of all book sales, followed by hardcovers with 25% and finally eBooks with a paltry 23%.
In the real world, eBooks still have ground to make before they can ever compete with trade paperbacks. The average person still finds themselves purchasing content from their local bookstore. How exactly do people find that next great read? 12% of book buyers said that they learned about the titles they purchased through in-store displays, which is quite telling on the role bookstores continue to play in book discovery. The second most widely reported discovery method was via friends and family members at 10%. The most surprising aspect is the reverse show room method, where people browse books online and then buy them from a store, which only accounted for 8%.
There is no denying that we still have a penchant towards print and according to a new report, young people in the UK think that reading on paper provides a more holistic experience, especially when engaging with images and text which can’t be replicated in digital. 73% of youth stated that they prefer print over eBooks.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.