RIP Borders

[eldargal]

What I find interesting is that book sales are actually on the rise, as are e-book sales. Some market research I read a while ago said people will often buy both a printed book and an e-book, using the e-book while travelling/commuting/etc. and keeping the printed book at home.

I never bought from Borders in the UK. I buy my academic/history/classics books from the OUP store at Oxford or Heffers in cambridge, other things I buy from whatever independent store in London I happen to be near. Usually Foyles. Only things like the Mass Effect books I get from amazon.

[scadugenga]

What you'll find, I think, is that people are buying more ebook new releases or bargain (read: almost free) books because of the inherent price drop. (A new release is typically about $12.99 in ebook format, and $28.00 (US) for a hardcover.)

However, what I've seen more and more (to my annoyance) is that the vast amount of ebooks that are neither new releases, nor bargain books are selling for the same retail amount as an actual physical paperback.

That doesn't sit right with me. Paying the same price for a data file as you do for print&paper is just wrong. Particularly since the author really doesn't see that much more in profit from an ebook sale.

[eldargal]

Its interesting actually, in Britain atleast e-books were only 1% of last years sales and spending, though that will rise in the future. Book sales were down in 2010 well. Even in the US e-book sales were ninety million compared to hardcovers and paperbacks bringing in nearly ten billion dollars and academic books another thirty five billion, according to some figures I saw in Publishers Weekly. Sort of puts it in perspective when you see 'e-book sales triple, print is dying' headlines.

I expect hardcovers to become like video game collectors editions, limited in number for hardcore fans only, with e-book sales continuing to rise. Paperbacks will remain the mainstay of books, but e-booksales will continue to increase especially in times of financial hardship.