Electronic books
![Picture](/uploads/1/8/1/4/18149137/6036079.jpg?313)
Ebooks accounted for nearly a quarter of the U.S. trade book business in 2012, according to statistics released Thursday by the Association of American Publishers. The ebook industry appears to be maturing, however, and triple-digit growth is likely a thing of the past.
Ebooks accounted for 22.55 percent, or nearly a quarter, of U.S. book publishers’ sales in 2012, according to a full-year report released by the Association of American Publishers Thursday. That’s up from 17 percent of sales in 2011 and 3 percent in 2009. Ebook growth continued to plateau, however, suggesting that the industry is maturing.
Revenues for the total U.S. trade book industry — in which the AAP includes religious publishing — were $7.1 billion in 2012, up 6.2 percent from the previous year. Of that, $1.54 billion came from ebooks: $1.25 billion from adult fiction and nonfiction, $232.8 million from children’s/young adult and $57 million from religious books.
This data comes from the AAP’s monthly StatShot reports, which survey around 1,200 publishers on category and format sales. It’s different from the data provided by BookStats, an annual survey from the AAP and the Book Industry Study Group that aims to estimate the full size of the book publishing industry in the U.S. BookStats data for 2012 will be available in May.
Revenues for the total U.S. trade book industry — in which the AAP includes religious publishing — were $7.1 billion in 2012, up 6.2 percent from the previous year. Of that, $1.54 billion came from ebooks: $1.25 billion from adult fiction and nonfiction, $232.8 million from children’s/young adult and $57 million from religious books.
This data comes from the AAP’s monthly StatShot reports, which survey around 1,200 publishers on category and format sales. It’s different from the data provided by BookStats, an annual survey from the AAP and the Book Industry Study Group that aims to estimate the full size of the book publishing industry in the U.S. BookStats data for 2012 will be available in May.
Top 5 Reasons Why You Should Buy an eBook Reader
- Portability. For anyone who travels a lot, this is a significant feature. After all, how do you know exactly what your reading mood will be after a long day of travel? Perhaps you’ve had a tough and grueling day and would like nothing more than to curl up with a heartwarming novel. Maybe after sitting in a cramped airplane seat for five hours you'll feel like reading something more adventurous. Whatever your reading mood, having an eBook reader allows you to keep several genres right at your fingertips, without all the heavy lifting. Not only that, but buying new books for many eBook readers is as easy as a mouse click.
- Convenience. Today’s eBook readers offer many features that previous versions didn’t have available. For instance, many eBook readers now come with wireless capabilities, allowing you to download the local newspaper or read blogs and magazines from around the globe. Many of these features come without download charges as well, so as long as there is an accessible Wi-Fi available, you are on the road to reading bliss.
- Selection. As with real estate, there is one thing that most significantly defines a good eBook reader, and that is the ability to choose from a wide selection of books. Today’s eBook stores offer millions of selections, and millions more are available and free to download online. Many online eBook stores also allow you to download a free sample chapter to make sure you want the book. It's just like walking into a bookstore and reading the first few pages of a promising book. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to buy it. Additionally, some eBook readers allow you to share specific selections with friends or family who have the same eBook reader. Talk about making reading a family affair. Find a great book and share it with others who can enjoy it for free.
- Features. Today’s eBook readers come packed with special features that can make reading far easier than ever before. One significant feature improvement is text-to-speech capabilities. This feature allows you to listen to your online purchases as they are read out loud by the device. Of course, this feature is not available for all products, but many book rights holders have made this feature available with download purchases. Another great feature of many eBook readers is the ability to zoom in on pages and text. This is especially useful in areas that are not as well-lit, or for individuals who prefer reading larger text.
- Environment. There is no question that eBooks are easy on the environment. Printing books is not only expensive, but it also uses many resources that are often simply wasted in the printing process. Many people may not realize just how much wasted resources are involved in printing just one book; from the energy spent in oil for print machines and the printing process, to the books that are eventually tossed in the dump because they didn’t sell, printed books have many downfalls. Many argue, however, that eBooks are not a complete replacement for printed materials; however, any amount of print resources that we can save is worth a million more in environmental accolades.