Surprising E-Book Reading Study

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Tablet Reader

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Book Industry Study Group announced their findings of a survey, comparing e-reader and tablet users and what they read:

Consumer Attitudes Toward E-Book Reading

The survey shows that 44 percent of e-book readers prefer a tablet, up from 37 percent in the August 2012 survey.  During the same period, respondents’ choice of a dedicated e-reader fell from 49 percent to 42 percent.  The study suggests the trend will continue as respondents’ intent to purchase a dedicated e-reader has dropped, while intent to purchase has remained consistent for tablets, at about 37 percent.
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Understanding device choice is important as the survey reveals further correlation between device choice and genre preference, with certain fiction genres continuing to dominate on dedicated e-readers, while some specialized nonfiction genres perform better on other devices.

• Those who prefer dedicated e-readers were more likely to select general fiction, mystery, literary fiction, or romance as key e-book genres than users of other types of devices. 
• How-to guides and manuals were more popular with those who prefer reading e-books on personal computers. 
• Consumers who prefer e-reading via smartphones were more likely to read travel books than either tablet or dedicated e-reader users.

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The study also shows the consistent upward swing in preference for e-books over print. About 82 percent of Power Buyers (consumers who acquire e-books on a weekly basis) say they prefer e-books over print and nearly 70 percent of Non-Power Buyers say they now prefer e- over print.

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If you would like to get help in all things publishing, have your book heavily promoted and learn how to navigate social media sites: We offer all this and more for only a “token” of $1 / day for 3 months. Learn more about this individual book marketing help: http://www.111Publishing.com/seminar

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More Options for Authors to Sell Their Books

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Amazon’s global competitor Kobo sells not only in Great Britain and Ireland. More countries will follow as Kobo will be soon the second-largest international online e-book retailer.  In former blog posts we covered the benefits of Kobo’s “Writing Life“.  Uploading is easy and you get 70% royalties, same as on Amazon.
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More and more bookstores will sell books in any form, on any platform, Kobo e-books is one of them. The Huffington Post published an article a while ago, how independent bookstores can survive and mentioned the iconic San Francisco bookstore Kepler’s in Menlo Park, CA, who is listed under the Independent Bookstore participants and the Kobo e-reading program.

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Indiebound.org
Indiebound offers more than 3.5 million titles. Check out these independent Bookstores in your town/State, that are participating at Indibound.org  and upload your book or e-book to Kobo.  And than for sure, you can arrange a book signing with these “brick & mortar stores”.  Indiebound.org’s website offers also a North America map, the “Indie Store Finder” for USA and Canada where you get lists of all indie bookstores in your area.
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Authors can also earn on their website from Indie books. As part of the IndieBound.org Affiliate Program, they can extend the passion and knowledge of independent bookstores into your online community, and earn generous commissions.
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Writer Molly Greene explained on her blog Kobo to her (non-Canadian or UK) writing audience and how they set up and sign in with Kobo and how to upload and sell your e-book with Kobo.
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In a recent article we reported about the great improvements for Kobo Authors.  Kobo lets you sell your e-books to readers worldwide, e.g. Canada, USA, Australia, Japan, Brazil and European countries.  Kobo customers own their books for life! Read your Kobo books on any open standard device and bring your books to a growing number of Kobo eReading Apps.  Free Kobo eReading apps are offered for smartphones, tablets and computers – Kobo automatically saves your place and syncs your bookmarks across devices.
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Why sell books only to one or two companies? Well, actually, it’s not even selling, it is a kind of consignment… as online book retailers don’t pay you upfront, only when your book is sold will you get money. Upload your book not only to Amazon and Barnes&Noble, but to Kobo as well, an online retailer where your books can be sold in independent, local bookstores.

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If you enjoyed this blog post, please feel free to check out all previous posts of this blog (there are
almost 700 of them : ) if you haven’t already. Why not sign up to receive them regularly by email?
Just click on “Follow” in the upper line on each page – and then on “LIKE” next to it. There is also the
“SHARE” button underneath each article where you can submit the article to Pinterest, Google+,
Twitter, Chime.in, Facebook, Tumblr and StumpleUpon.

Thanks a lot for following:

@111publishing

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http://on.fb.me/TvqDaK

http://bit.ly/VmtVAS 111Publishing @ Google+

Don’t forget to spread the word on other social networking sites of your choice for other writers who
might also enjoy this blog and find it useful. Thanks

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Young Readers Use Social Media to Discover Books

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Young E-Book Consumers Three Times More Likely to Use Social Media for Book Discovery reports Digital Book World.  Social media is an increasingly important discovery tool for all forms of entertainment, and the survey shows the impact it is having on the book publishing industry. 

iPad

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E-reading consumers who use Amazon or Barnes & Noble e-readers are more likely to use online and e-book storefronts as a book discovery tool, according to new research by NextMarket Insights.

Another interesting finding is the drastic difference in the usage of social media for e-book discovery by age group:
According to the survey findings, e-book reading consumers aged 18-29 are two times more likely to use social media for book discovery than those aged 45-60, and over three times more likely as those aged over 60.

Read the whole article / Press Release at Digital Book Worlds’ website.

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Kobo now in Thousands of British Book Stores

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Kobo has not only partnered with American Booksellers in August, but now also with the British Booksellers Association. 3,000 book stores, including 1,000 independents, in the UK and Ireland will carry Kobo’s e-readers in the future and sell e-books directly to Kobo users.  Participating stores will receive a commission of every sale.

The total value of digital fiction book sales grew tremendously in Great Britain in the first 6 months of 2012 – up by 188% by value from the same period in 2011. Children’s digital books sales and digital non-fiction sales increased during the same time period as well, by 171% in books and 128% in e-books.

The overall number of digital sales of consumer titles increased from 30 million pounds to 84 million pounds while physical book sales during the same time dropped 0.4% by value, from 985 million pounds to 982 million pounds, and 3.8% by volume, from 260 million to 251 million. For both, books and e-books, the total value of sales increased by 6.1%, resulting in 1.1 billion pounds in sales for the first six months of 2012. Digital sales made up 12.9% of that 1.1 billion total.
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Good news: British publishing performs exceptionally despite difficult economic conditions. The key will be for UK booksellers to be able to reach consumers with e-books prior to the all-important holiday shopping season. 

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If you enjoyed this blog post, please feel free to check out all previous posts (there are more than 550 of them : )  if you haven’t already. Why not sign up to receive them regularly by email? Just click on “Follow” in the upper line on each page – and then on “LIKE” next to it. There is also the “SHARE” button underneath each article where you can submit the article to Pinterest, Google+, Twitter, Tumblr and StumpleUpon.

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And don’t forget to spread the word on other social networking sites of your choice for other writers who might also enjoy this blog and find it useful. Thanks, Doris

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KOBO Launch in Japan and also in Italy This Fall

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Earlier this week, KOBO announced that it is launching in Japan on July 19.
Now there is another press release to announce that Mondadori Group, Italy’s leading retailer and publisher of books and magazines, will be bringing the awesome KOBO e-Reading platform and e-Readers to Italy this fall!

KOBO and Mondadori will offer popular e-books in Italian – ranging from major international works, romance, to bestsellers and favorite local authors. Italians can select from an extensive catalogue of more than 30,000 e-books in Italian language and from Italian and foreign publishing houses, plus KOBO’s other 2.5 million e-books in 60 languages.

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The KOBO Touch e-Reader will be available for €99 in Mondadori stores and online.

Andiamo Italy!

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If you enjoyed this blog post, please feel free to check out previous posts (there are almost 500 of them : ) if you haven’t already. Why not sign up to receive them regularly by email? Just click on ”Follow” in the upper line on each page – and then on “Like” next to it.

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And don’t forget to spread the word on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Tumblr or StumbleUpon – or other social networking sites of your choice) – other writers might also enjoy this blog and find it useful.

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E-book Nation: Did You Know?

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I just found very interesting stats for authors, publishers and readers at OnlineUniversities.com. They published an appealing and creative info-graphic how e-books are bought, used and how much they are appreciated.  Did you know: 

• The average e-book reader has read 24 books in the past 12 months, compared to 15 books by a non-e-book-consumer.
• Ownership of e-book readers doubled almost between December 2011 and January 2012 – in just one month!
• 30% of those who read e-content say they now spend more time reading.

Find out more on this attractive info-graphic:
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Brought to you by: OnlineUniversities.com

If you enjoyed this blog post, please feel free to check out previous posts (there are almost 500 of them : ) if you haven’t already. Why not sign up to receive them regularely by email? Just click on “Follow” in the upper line – and on “Like” next to it.
Follow me on Twitter: @111publishing
And don’t forget to spread the word on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Tumblr or StumbleUpon – or other social networking sites of your choice) – other people might also enjoy this and find it useful.

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More Revenue From e-Books

American publishers are now bringing in more revenue from e-books than hardcover books, according to a report published by the Association of American Publishers (AAP).

Audio-books also keep accelerating vs last year – as some experts have said, tied to ongoing popularity and acquisition of smartphones and mobile devices.

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The figures, which were posted on GalleyCat on Friday, show that net sales revenue from e-books exceeded that of hardcover books in the first quarter of the year: a first. The data was compiled from 1,189 publishers and did not include children’s books.

Collectively, adult e-books brought in $282.3 million in Q1. That’s an impressive 28.4% increase from the same period a year ago. Young adult and children’s e-books performed even better, catapulting 233% to $64.3 million. Sales of adult hardcover books grew too, but more modestly, up 2.7% to $229.6 million in Q1 2012.

What’s driving the growth?  Read the whole story at Mashable

 

E-Books More and More Popular Among Seniors

According to market researcher Bowker, older age groups’ e-book consumption continues to grow: more than a quarter of 45- to 55-year-old and a fifth of over-55s bought an e-book in the six months to March 2012, up from 17% and 15% last November. All this while younger people’s e-book consumption is plateauing.

A OnePoll survey last year found the over-55s were more likely to own an e-reader than 18- to 24-year-old. No wonder: older people tend to be heavier book-buyers and e-readers have qualities that could make them indispensable to an ageing population. An obvious plus is the option to adjust text size and contrast. Until recently, people with increased eye-sight could only buy large-print books, which are hard to find. Now, not only can they read erotic books without anyone noticing, they can read these books in an 18-point font.

For the elderly, e-readers have even greater potential. They are light, which is handy for arthritis sufferers, especially those with poor vision as large-print hardcovers are pretty heavy. Devices with 3G are perfect for people who find it hard to get about, letting them download new books – and thousands of free classics – from the comfort of the armchair.

Perhaps the British government could issue pensioners with a Kindle instead of a free TV licence? Not only would this add up to a saving of £56.50 per person, it might end up bailing out our sickly publishing industry. Older readers have a distinct advantage over younger ones: they are more willing to pay for what they read.

Excerpt from an article in the Guardian

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KOBO Takes On Amazon with KOBO “Writing Life”

Digital reading company KOBO is launching a competitor to Amazon’s KDP and B&N’s PubIt: KOBO “Writing Life”, a free self-publishing platform for independent authors and publishers.

Writing Life is in beta tests with 50 authors now and will launch in English by the end of June. Authors who were asked what they felt was most important in a self-publishing platform, wanted: openness, control, great royalties, clear and instant reporting and global reach. Powerful but simple.

KOBO takes on Amazon’s KDP program on its website: “Unlike some self-publishing portals, KOBO doesn’t bind you to us. Publish to KOBO and take your ePub to your adoring fans, no matter where they might be. You’re free to sell your eBook the way you want.”

KOBO allows authors to set their book price to “FREE” at any time without restrictive exclusive agreements, in addition, KOBO pays 10% higher royalties on sales in many growing international markets and allows authors much more freedom on pricing. “Writing Life” also gives authors an analytics dashboard showing real-time sales stats, including sales by country.

From their press release:
E-book downloads up 400%, e-reader device sales up 160 % and the number of people reading internationally with KOBO up 280% and 8 million users in 190 countries.

KOBO was acquired by Japanese e-commerce company Rakuten for $315 million in November 2011 and will be launching in Japan, with subsequent launches planned for Portugal, Spain, Italy, with more launches to follow. These markets have distinct needs for digital reading and KOBO intends to provide access in regions where printed books are inaccessible and where electronic devices can be more easily obtained.

KOBO’s “Writing Life” launch seems to be good news for authors and publishers alike who don’t want to put their “eggs in one basket only”.  

Read more:

http://www.kobobooks.com/KoboWritingLIfe

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/06/05/4539143/kobo-writing-life-delivers-best.html

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/retailing/article/52275-kobo-to-launch-kobo-writing-life-self-publishing-portal.html
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AMAZON on Shopping Tour?

Amazon has acquired Avalon Books, a small publisher that focuses on hardcover mystery, “wholesome” romance and Westerns, and will make its titles available digitally for the first time. Avalon Books have been geared and marketed primarily toward the library market; now Amazon will seek to market them to a wider audience.

The acquisition, for an undisclosed sum, covers Avalon’s entire backlist of about 3,000 titles. Avalon launched in 1950 and is now run by the founder’s daughter Ellen Bouregy Mickelsen, who said she chose Amazon to buy her company because “they care deeply about the writers, readers and categories that have long mattered to our family business and they are uniquely positioned to assure that our titles make the leap forward into the digital future.”

Amazon will release the Avalon titles under its West Coast imprints, including Montlake Romance and Thomas & Mercer. The press release says “these books will continue to be available in print for booksellers and libraries nationwide. Amazon acquired Marshall Cavendish’s children’s book list last December.

To get the whole story about Amazon’s almost 20 years “THE AMAZON EFFECT” (I almost typed: “The Amazon Waste Land”, when I read the last sentence of the story)  - have a cup of coffee or a glass of wine and take your time : )  it’s an extensive article, almost a novella or an Amazon “Shorts” to speak in their language.

You will learn not only about Amazon, but about the last 20 years of publishing and book selling. Print out the article, it might make an interesting part of literature and publishing history one day…

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E-book sales in Great Britain rose by 366%

 

Philip Jones wrote about the latest surveys: “E-books are really going global, sales rising worldwide”. Consumer e-books accounted for 38% of Britain’s publishers’ digital sales in 2011, up from 13% in 2010, and compared to 2% in 2009.

This is a hefty shift in the market, and one that will impact pretty much every part of the trade book business: bookshops, agents, commissioning, and of course, writers. However the digital migration had minimal impact on the overall children’s bookmarket, taking only just over 1% of value share of children’s books.”

From scholarly publishing to trade e-books, the industry is facing an unprecedented level of upheaval, some of it being pushed through by the internet, and the huge tech giants such as Amazon, and Apple.

Australia and India have joined the UK and the US in leading the world in e-book adoption rates, according to Bowker Market Research’s Global eBook Monitor with adult fiction the main target of book buyers in Great Britain and Australia, while in India and South Korea the concentration is on both professional and academic/textbooks.

According to the research 24% of respondents in India have bought an e-book in the six months prior to the survey, putting that market ahead of Australia (21%), the UK (21%), and the US (20%). Respondents in France and Japan were the least likely to have purchased an e-book, at 5% and 8% respectively.

The report reveals that the market for e-books is set for a rapid increase in Brazil and India.
Over 50% of respondents from these two countries said that they were likely to buy an e-book in the next six months, a prediction that would double the number of e-book buyers in India, and triple the number of e-book buyers in Brazil. About a third of respondents in the UK and US say they have plans to purchase an e-book soon, compared to one in five in France, and one in seven in Japan.

Purchase rates in India, Brazil, the UK, US and France are highest in the 25–34 age group, with Australia, Spain, Germany, South Korea and Japan highest among 18-24 year youngs.

“The market for e-books is experiencing exponential growth internationally, with news each week of new e-readers and specialist e-retailers,” said Kelly Gallagher, vice-president, Bowker Market Research. “Publishers and retailers must adapt to a very changed landscape.”

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Harry Potter e-Books on Amazon and B&N

 

Amazon.com Inc. and Barnes & Noble Inc. reported they will offer Harry Potter e-books, according to Reuters News.

Amazon said it made a distribution deal with J.K. Rowling’s new website, Pottermore.com, which allows customers to read the Potter series e-books on Amazon’s Kindle e-reader and Kindle Fire tablet.

Similarly, Barnes & Nobles made a deal that allows its Nook e-reader and tablet customers to buy Harry Potter e-books through the Pottermore Shop.

Although financial details were not released, analysts said Amazon likely accepted a smaller cut than 30 percent of the sale price of the Harry Potter e-books.

The deals suggest the companies made big concessions with author J.K. Rowling for electronic access to her bestseller series. But both companies will take a hit as they have to send customers away from their websites to Rowling’s Pottermore.com, which will be able to gather valuable customer information.

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Shopping For Literature: Book and e-Book Prices

Amazon’s prices on books that can be discounted (and don’t belong to the “agency model” of the big Six), are generally less expensive.

A former sampling of pricing between Kindle and iBooks for the New York Times Bestsellers revealed:
80% of the books were the same price on each platform. And the 20% that are cheaper on Kindle were cheaper by an average of 11% or more.

If you want to shop around, a free tool like Inkmesh.com can save you a lot of time. The benefit of inkmesh is, that even if the prices listed may be different from time to time, it compiles all the links in one place, making it easy for a reader to compare the prices before purchasing. Most e-book prices are pretty similar from retailer to retailer but not all retailers have all those e-books available.

Free e-Books
There are also many classic books for free ( I read somewhere over 16,000 and counting to download) because their copyrights have expired. And the number of free books increases from year to year as more and more copyrights expire and go public.

Free books are also offered daily by Amazon. Even when you choose very carefully among these e-books and download only the best, you will have a whole library in no time. You don’t need to own a Kindle, just a free Kindle app and the e-book goes to any device.

And then there are the e-books that you can lent at your local library – or at Amazon, if you have a Prime membership. This is even a good deal for authors as well as they will receive an average of $1.70 for their book if it is lent by a Prime member, no matter what the retail price is: 99cents or $9.99, this way making more money with “unsold” books.

 

 

 

Apple iBook Author Reviews

 

iPad

1GB per iBook: More memory needed…

As pointed out during the event, some of these textbooks can be 1GB in size, so entry-level iPads for the educational setting may be out the question.

This means that poorer schools will be even less likely to buy the more capable iPads, while richer schools may still be able to afford them, but could be hit harder than they thought.

As one Twitter user put it: “If people knew just how bad the state of technology budgets is in most high schools, requiring tablets would seem hilarious.”

Other Challenges: more expensive iPads as iBook is not working on and with Windows…
Read more on this great blog post:
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/btl/apple-rocks-the-e-publishing-boat-three-key-questions/67193

 

Stats Forecast Tablets in Canada

 

CWTA and the Media Technology Monitor estimated that 5% of the population already had a tablet as of this spring, suggesting there could be in the neighbourhood of two million units across the country.  88 per cent of tablet owners said they would definitely or probably recommend their device to friends and family, while only 50 per cent said they probably would not, and three per cent said they would not.

MTM is forecasting that tablet ownership will double in 2012 with about 10 per cent of Canadians projected to own one.