According to February results of the Association of American Publishers (AAP), eBook sales have seen 202.3% growth vs. February 2010. For February 2011, e-Books ranked as the #1 format among all categories of Trade publishing (Adult Hardcover, Adult Paperback, Adult Mass Market, Children’s/Young Adult Hardcover, Children’s/Young Adult Paperback).
These results are not surprising. E-book readership is growing steadily and going by the record breaking sale of eReaders such as Kindle and Nook Color in the last few months, it’s not going to stop now. In spite of the insurgence of tablets toting eReader apps, the sale of eReaders has not abated.
The huge February numbers are also attributed to post-holiday eBook buying by people who have received eReaders as gifts. According to Tom Allen, President and Chief Executive Officer of AAP:
The February results reflect two core facts: people love books and publishers actively serve readers wherever they are. The public is embracing the breadth and variety of reading choices available to them. They have made e-Books permanent additions to their lifestyle while maintaining interest in print format books.
First, music went the digital way. Now, it’s going to be books. There will always be talk of piracy and publisher’s rights but that’s not going to stop the growth of digital readership. Book publishers too, in spite of the consequences to their physical stores, are trying to get into this new and growing field. EBooks mean wider accessibility and distribution and what publisher wouldn’t want that?
The proposed $125 million agreement between Google and content writers has been struck down by Federal Judge Denny Chin saying:
… the agreement gives Google a significant advantage over competitors, rewarding it for engaging in wholesale copying of copyrighted works without permission, while releasing claims well beyond those presented in the case.
While that’s quite correct, book sellers themselves want to get into the eBook business.
Kindle is leading the eReader market with the lowest costing Kindle 3 at $114. And the Nook Color too makes a great tablet-like eReader. The signs clearly indicate that eReaders are here to stay and that the eBook market is on the roll.
Source: engadget
