How Social Sharing, E-samples, And Mobile Can Revitalize Book Publishing
E-Samples And The Mobile Reader
Around 2010, the ebook phenomenon reached a tipping point among North American readers, as documented in the Book Industry Study Group (BISG) survey report series, Consumer Attitudes Toward E-Book Reading. The percentage of book buyers reading ebooks on a daily or weekly basis rose sharply -- from about 5% in 2009 to over 20% in 2012. In 2012, the Association of American Publishers (AAP) reported that overall ebook revenues ($282.3M) have surpassed hardcover revenues ($229.6M) for adult fiction and nonfiction titles. For some book categories, especially the "guilty pleasure" fiction genres, ebooks have surpassed print by even greater margins. Preferred e-reading device preferences also shifted significantly during that time, with dedicated e-readers being supplanted by multi-purpose tablets and smartphones.
John Parsons (john@intuideas.com), former Editorial Director of The Seybold Report, is an independent writer, ghostwriter, and editor. He is the co-author of the interactive printed textbook, Introduction to Graphic Communication, on the art, science and business of print, which has been adopted by Ryerson, Arizona State, the University of Houston, and many other schools and vocational training centers. Custom editions of the book are under consideration by major printing companies and franchises for internal training purposes.