Ebooks 10% of sales by 2011 says Frankfurt Book Fair Survey
By Paul Biba
Here are some of the major ebook related items from the survey of 840 of the participants at the Frankfurt Book Fair:
50 % of industry experts see 2018 as the year when digital content will generate more income than traditional content. 41% think that sales will reach 10% in 2011.
The price for an e-book should be
more expensive than the printed book: 4 per cent
as expensive as the printed book: 15 per cent
10 per cent cheaper than the printed book: 11 per cent
20 per cent cheaper: 17 per cent
30 per cent cheaper: 14 per cent
more than 30 per cent cheaper: 16 per cent
a standard price as with Amazon ($9.99): 15 per cent
other price model: 6 per cent
“The accompanying commentary and the tremendous range of opinions it represents demonstrates just how contested this question really is. It is still completely unclear whether or not E-Books will be used merely as a “second book” for a quick glimpse, or whether portions will, in fact, ultimately be sold as mobile content for a price many times higher than the printed work. Also enlightening is the fact that only 35 per cent of those polled count themselves among e-book readers and only 22 per cent use e-readers. The majority of those polled, however, indicate that they never read e-books (65 per cent). Reading online on the screen of a PC or laptop is, with 65 per cent, preferred unequivocally by those polled over the use of special e-readers or multifunctional handhelds.”
September 30th, 2009 at 10:11 am
Oughtn’t we to distinguish between the publishers who think that e-books are worthless and those who think that they are worth something?
The former will not consider e-books to be a threat to the printed book – merely a marketing tool that at best increases sales of the printed book and at worst makes no difference. They will be completely free to price e-books how they want. Not really expensive, or the e-book will not be bought; and not really cheap, or the e-book will seem worthless and won’t be bought either.
The latter (the publishers who think that e-books are worth something) have a far harder time because they have to worry about e-books displacing sales of hardbacks or paperbacks. Their pricing decisions will be made in a completely different context, with different constraints.
September 30th, 2009 at 10:23 am
Martin: I expect the former e-book publishers will change when they discover that more and more readers are happily taking their free e-books, and not buying their printed books at all.
I note (with an “I told you so” air) the stats on PC and laptop e-book reading. As I keep saying, don’t count those people out… they are a bigger influence than you think…
September 30th, 2009 at 12:12 pm
I am convinced that no one really reads a whole book on a PC/laptop. If they have ever used a ebook reader, they could NOT say that reading it on a laptop is better. So those comments are skewed by people who haven’t experienced them.
September 30th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
The stated facts seem to contradict you, Richard. And I personally know plenty of people who read on a PC/laptop. For myself, I’ve seen a number of eInk readers, and I don’t like them myself… I’d much rather read on the LCD screen of my PDA. And I am not alone.
People are different. Some people love shiny new Jaguars, and some people love used VW Beetles.
September 30th, 2009 at 2:29 pm
I like to take these surveys with more than a grain of salt. So – in nine years time it is expected that 50%+ of the revenue is “digital content” (whatever that means) and almost everyone agrees at a lower price per unit. This must mean huge losses of volume in traditional books since most of it will be substitution. The most important factor in pricing a p-book is the print run, so such a decrease would drive book prices to a ludicrous height and all but kill traditional publishing as well as the distribution network of bookshops.
I am not saying that this might not happen at some point in time. But just nine years? Don’t think so.
September 30th, 2009 at 6:55 pm
I am one who often reads books on my laptop. I prefer using my PDA or eink reader, but it is not bad to read on the PC. I use a very large font, put the laptop on the coffee table and change pages with it’s remote control while laying on the couch. It is a pleasant way to read a book.