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| Where do you read books? |
January 15, 2013 – According to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, 23% of adult readers have now read an ebook.
In a blog last year I noted that percentage as 12%. Recognizing that there are no comprehensive studies – and the numbers seemingly change dramatically on a month-to-month basis – that is a growth rate of almost 100% in the past year. During the same period, ebook sales in trade publishing have risen from 17% to 25% of all books sold. Almost half of all adult fiction is now being bought for consumption on eReader devices.
I remember the prophecies of the paperless office back in the early 90s. I’m still waiting.
But to state the obvious, the digital revolution in publishing – starting with daily news and now moving to long form content – appears to be a relentless and unstoppable transformation in how we consume what we read.
The eReader is here to stay.
Where do you read your books?
I enjoy my Kindle, still using the 2nd. generation one I’ve had for 4 years. I like the ease of traveling with a library, with out the weight.
As a reader, I still need the feel of a solid book in my hand on occasion. Id’s say my reading is about 50/50.
As a writer, I make more off each e book I sell than paperback.
When a reader can get a great book for 10.00 as opposed to 20. And the writer twice as much, it’s a win win.
I used to love the smell of a slightly vanilla page blending with my coffee as I read. The mystique of the pressed book is fading, however. I find that I can curl up with a Kindle or Nook now that my mind’s adapted to the idea. The more I read from it, the more it becomes a regular part of my routine. Two years ago, I couldn’t imagine reading from a Kindle. Now, I carry a library in my pocket. I’ve sold out to the revolution. 🙂
I bought a Kindle a couple of years ago and returned it. The screen dynamic seemed primitive, not unlike one of my early greyscale Mac laptops, and with all the research my writing demands, I simply grew impatient. The iPad suited me for the ability to copy/paste/email/scan web, and so on. In May of this year I rethought that strategy, and mainly for the reasons you cited here. With so many readers turning to ebooks, as an author, I felt obligated to study the medium for myself, to see what ebook readers see, to experience what they experience. It may or may not effect my craft, but I felt it wise to investigate nonetheless. I bought a Kindle Paperwhite and am hooked, both as an author and as a reader. Not only is it easy on the eyes, but there are none of the usual distractions of iPad, the Kindle Fire and readers of that sort. I can highlight and bookmark, features I need and appreciate. I can understand why fiction is popular on the Kindle. It is a read only machine, and I love that. It doesn’t have the familiar smell one of my old paperbacks, but who knows? Other than that, I’m a practitioner.
David – hard to believe you and I could get distracted! When I got the Paperwhite I thought it would be about 10% of my reading – more like 80%.