Study finds print books outsold ebooks in 2014's Q1, Q2

Rechan

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This is an interesting article. (Which is just summarizing this)

Paperbacks sold 42%, to ebooks' 23% and hardbacks 25%.

Here's an interesting quote, too:

"The e-books have developed a share of the market, of course they have, but every indication – certainly from America – shows the share is already in decline. The indications are that it will do exactly the same in the UK."
 
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stephenf

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Hi
I can't say if the article is right or wrong . It seems to me there is a lot of contradictory information , with regards E-book sales. I download lots free and long out of print books that would not be part of any sales statistics , so sales is not totally reflective of e-book readership. I think the various e-readers available and the attempts by some to monopolize the market is discouraging. It is still so much easier to just buy a book .I believe a simpler and cheaper device will emerge and will be offered free by some on-line retailers that would tip the balance .
There is one other thing , that might just confirm my ignorants, but 42% +23% +25%= 90%. So what is the missing 10 % ?
 
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frimble3

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A comparison of books and music: In my day, I have had vinyl (78's and 45's) cassettes, CDs and, now, and MP3 player.
I buy less and less music every year, because I'm sick of format changes.
There are how many formats now for e-books? And no reason that some outfit with a ton of money and a desire for market-share won't invent another, slightly different one to fragment the choices even more.
Or, some, that looked like contenders, will drop out, or be 'up-graded', rendering their devices museum pieces.
Whereas with a paper book - as long as it survives, it works.
 
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Old Hack

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I looked at the article and clicked through a few layers of links, but couldn't find the original report. However, what I did find was that the report was produced by Nielsen Books & Consumer, and I suspect they used the sales information which is generated by ISBNs to produce this report.

If I'm right (and please say if you know better) the report therefore excludes most self-published books, which don't have ISBNs; and it includes all sorts of things like diaries, calendars, and so on, which do sometimes have ISBNs and which will skew the results in all sorts of odd ways.

I'd be interested in knowing more about what data was collected, and how.
 

Shadow_Ferret

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I download lots free and long out of print books that would not be part of any sales statistics , so sales is not totally reflective of e-book readership.
The majority of books I buy are also long out-of-print books, but I buy mine at used bookstores. Also not reflective of book sales. Just sayin.
 

shadowwalker

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Intuitively, it makes sense to me. When ebooks first started coming out, it was like any other Brand New Thing - everybody and their uncle wanted to try it out, to play with it. Having tons of free books available certainly didn't hurt. Now the novelty is starting to wear off, and thus sales decrease or maintain. I don't see it as a "win" for print over ebooks - just the usual run of a new product.
 

stephenf

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The majority of books I buy are also long out-of-print books, but I buy mine at used bookstores. Also not reflective of book sales. Just sayin.

Hi
Yes , of course that is true . I have been involved in the sale of books for a long time . The book trade is , and has always been, a complex business that is continually changing . I have only been involved in the sale of paper books , and my personal experience would suggest paper book sales are in decline . The availability of information on the internet is also having a impact on book sales . There are lots of schools that only use tablets in class. The sales of academic books in some subjects has almost gone .I seems to me most young people don't have passion for books and the interest is in decline, regardless of the media used . The sentiment of the study is, e-book are in decline and Paper books are enjoying a resurgence . I don't know if that is true. But I would guess , nobody knows.
 
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AnthonyJones

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This is good to hear. I've only read a few books on my buddy's kindle, and even though I like it, I prefer Print.
 

shaldna

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Most bookstores in my area closed, but I found one Barnes and Noble that still sells real books! (The kind that have pages made of paper). Yay!

Same here - we have a few second hand book shops and one Waterstones in town. But we also have a very large Tesco and a very large ASDA which both sell books and at half the price that Waterstones do - when I do my weekly shop I always throw in two or three new books - because at £2 or £3 each why wouldn't i? And although I feel guilty about it, unfortunately I have to weigh up my finances against industry solidarity, I simply can'y afford to maintain my reading habit if I am paying £8 for each book.

Supermarkets make it cheaper, and also easier for joe bloggs to buy books - they are right there in a shop you were already going to - you don't have to travel to a bookshop specially.