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eBook sales up print books down

US publishers have reported that eBook sales in the US were up 160% in the first six months of this year.  In the same period publishers reported paperback sales fell 18% and hard cover book sales fell 23%.  Interestingly, religious book sales were up 10% in the same period.

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Media disruption

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  1. Peter

    Let us hope those religious books contained a few references to peace and tolerance.

    That aside, falls of that magnitude in traditional books shows the shift to digital is gathering pace in the U.S.

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  2. michelle

    Didn’t NewsXpress give away e-book readers for mothers day?

    This is probably a good justification not to run such a campaign of this sort again considering traditional newsagents would rely upon a number of physical book sales…

    Just a thought…

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  3. Mark

    Michelle, Hallmark gave away a Kobo eReader as part of the 2011 Mother’s Day promotion for all 400 or so Hallmark Alliance members. newsXpress stores get Alliance membership (worth $1,300 or thereabouts) for free. So, yes, we were one of several hundred newsagents giving this away.

    It would be ignorant for newsagents to think that ignoring or not engaging with eReaders will help our businesses in the future. You can worry about change or you can ride as a leader.

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  4. michelle

    being positive and promoing a competitor that will harme your sales are two different things???

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  5. michelle

    And another thing – hallmark also have a very big online presence which is also cornerning.

    It is also ignorant to think that by pushing something that will draw away from you sales will increase there loyalty and your sales? – you can’t sell them the ebooks … so why would you push this over a physical, more intimate experience of an actual book that they could return to you to purchase again and again…

    They aren’t coming back to buy the ebook…

    Just my opinion…

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  6. Mark

    Michelle I disagree with you. While I did not select the prize for Mother’s day, I happily promoted it. This promotion did no harm to my business nor any newsagent which engaged. Indeed, I say that it did the opposite is it demonstrated relevance to market trends.

    BTW I can see eReaders. So can you. Oh, and I can sell access to eBooks.

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