iPad Owners Not Using the Device to Read E-Books?

"It's also worth noting that e-books have the same problem as print books here: How do I get people engaged with my content? Because a very similar proportion of adults who don't buy books at all [in any format] is over 40 percent, so it's not a question of whether content can be accessed, but whether it is being valued," Norris notes.

Tablet owners don't make up the majority of e-book users, the report revealed, with 45 percent of survey respondents citing the PC or Mac as their e-reading device.

"A lot of people equate the sale of a new gadget with the creation of a new reader, and it just doesn't happen," says Norris. "In both the offline and online world, there are a lot of independent factors and distractions that will keep a person from discovering and enjoying a book."

The report also revealed a shift in the demographic breakdown of the e-book buying population, with women now outnumbering men for the first time. In 2009, Simba had found that 13 percent of men and 9 percent of women had purchased an e-book.

The report, "Trade E-Book Publishing 2011," includes an analysis of e-book consumption for smart phone and tablet devices, including Amazon's Kindle, Apple's iPad and iPhone and Barnes and Noble's Nook, as well as projections on which devices are expected to lead through 2013. In addition, the report provides a complete demographic profile of the e-book reader and features an extensive look at the best performing e-book titles, authors, imprints and categories. It is available for online download (for $3,250) or hardcopy deliver ($3,450).