Sunday, July 11, 2010

Sunday News from the E-World

I regularly fly around the Internet checking out the news in the writing world, sometimes finding information to pass on here, sometimes finding articles to post in my newsletter. There’s a lot of interesting stuff out there, like the article in The Philadelphia Inquirer called “E-readers are on the rise thanks to older readers.” Right off, the title’s interesting because we tend to associate computers and e-books with young people. So, I, of course, started reading.

Here are a few quotes:
 It's early yet, and the data are churny, but some see an unusual tech trend - led by mature users, 40 and above.

Fully 50 percent of all downloaded books are still free - but the e-books market is finally starting to be substantial.

Sony debuted its Reader in 2006, and since then has sold 10 million e-books …
About 1.5 million Kindles had sold as of December - and the world took note when Amazon said that on Christmas Day, it sold more e-books than physical books, for the first time.

E-sales rocketed to $117.8 million through April of this year, at an annual rate double 2009's. Americans now own an estimated 2.8 million e-readers - not counting computers, still the most common kind.

E-book users, Becker said, tend to earn more than $100,000 a year, be college-educated, and be very Web and social-media savvy...

The iPad is one potential game-changer. Another is the Google Editions eBook Store, scheduled to go live any moment now, Google-big, Google-strong, to square off against Amazon and other e-vendors.
And these are only snippets from the article. Feel free to link over and read the full article, called “E-readers are on the rise thanks to older readers.”

What about you? Are you warming up to e-readers? We have one in our house. It’s my husband’s, so I’ve not yet read a book on it. He loves his iPad though.
TweetIt from HubSpot

29 comments:

  1. I keep saying I'm not getting one, but I have a number of books on the computer to read. When I'm away from the computer I think how handy an e-reader would be. In addition, I'm starting to notice a trend that some publishers are only offering e-books for review.

    Mason
    Thoughts in Progress

    ReplyDelete
  2. I ignored the readers and said never. I put books on my laptop and that was great for travel. I started reading more articles about them and began comparing to see which I might like.
    Last evening played with several different ones at Best Buy. I see one
    From: Me
    To: Me
    under the tree at Christmas.
    This will be for reading only. The last thing I need is another internet gadget.
    Giggles and Guns

    ReplyDelete
  3. Interesting demographics! I think the numbers might change (particularly the affluence of the usual ebook reader) once the prices come down a little. I'm on the brink of getting an ereader because it's costing a fortune to keep my teenage son in books--so I'm actually looking at it, long-term, as a money-saving device. :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. The iPad has potential, but I'm not in love with mine. I've looked for 3 books in their store and none of them are available. You can't read it in direct sunlight and it's harder on your eyes than a dedicated eReader.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I don't mind e-readers, and I probably read as many e-books as I do print books. They're useful if you have to travel a lot and don't want to cart heavy books around - it saves a great deal of space in a suitcase. :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Mary, never say never. My husband uses his primarily for books, but he's discovering it can also be a quick way to check email without dragging out the computer.

    Elizabeth, (again using my DH as an example), he started reading a paperback I have in the series he was reading (rather than buying the e-book). I asked him if he liked the print better and he said, no. He's now fully in the e-camp, it seems.

    ReplyDelete
  7. bermudaonion, my husband overcame that problem by downloading from other sites, such as B&N. He hasn't mentioned the lighting problem, but does like being able to enlarge the print.

    jenniferkoliver, that's exactly why he got the iPad in the first place. He travels extensively.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I adore my Kindle! I can read it in full sun, enlarge the print, store hundreds of books in one little pad that's the size of a paperback, not have broken spines, or my thumbs aching from holding the book open, can read while on the treadmill...

    Have I mentioned that I love my Kindle? ;)

    ReplyDelete
  9. My very first thought when I read that headline was that older readers choose them so they can make the print size larger to accommodate their vision!

    Yes, I'm warming up to eReaders, and now see them as a wonderful new avenue for stories and books to travel down. It's all about having options, and this is one of many.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I am totally on board with releasing my books as ebooks as well as harbound and soft cover. I;m thinking big thoughts and expecting serious sales. Have a great week.

    Stephen Tremp

    ReplyDelete
  11. The real question is: Laura, do you love your Kindle?

    True, Joanne. We have so many more choices now that ever before!

    So many more opportunities to reach readers. Sounds like you're aiming to hit all the avenues, Stephen.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I'm hoping to get an ereader one day. Love the idea of getting to read the books of some of my bloggy friends who published buy only electronically.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I still read all my eBooks on my computer, but I'm glad my own novels are available for all formats.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I think the iPad and iBookstore really jolted the industry.
    And I'm still loving my iPad!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I am starting to read a great deal more on Kindle and on line. It doesn't bother me.

    CD

    ReplyDelete
  16. I think the biggest thing is the price holding back more people from having them. Many of us want one. Each new model is better than the last. There's no going back now and as an author I only wish the piracy issue could be solved.

    ReplyDelete
  17. I agree about the piracy, Susan. It seems it would help if folks would realize they can download free from their libraries a lot of the time.

    I haven't read a book on my computer yet. I seem to spend too much time on my computer already.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I love my Kindle. I don't know what I would do without it now that I have it. My mother and aunt are both looking at getting ereaders now that they have seen mine. They like that you can increase the font size - that was a big selling point.

    ReplyDelete
  19. 40 is not old is it? I don't have an E-reader and don't think I want one >:)))

    Cold As Heaven

    ReplyDelete
  20. Perhaps that explains why ereaders are so popular among the older generation, Laurita.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Until licensing expands here in Australia (many titles are just not available here) I'm reluctant to get into the e-reader thing.

    ReplyDelete
  22. I've go an E-Bookwise reader that is okay, but I am really dying to get a Kindle. From what I have seen and read about them they are better that what I have. To get a book I have to buy it, download it to my computer, then go to the e-Bookwise Web site and put the book in my online library, then download it. Lots of steps to get one book, whereas the Kindle and other readers do it all in one step.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Lynda, that will probably happen soon, I would think.

    Wow, Maryann, that is a lot of steps!

    ReplyDelete
  24. We don't have one yet, although I don't have any objections (besides affording it, lol!)

    ReplyDelete
  25. Hi Helen. I can see the convenience of e-readers but they are not for me at this stage - love paper too much! However, I can see how they might work when I am older - a button to easily increase text size, for instance, would probably be very helpful!

    ReplyDelete
  26. Jayne, they're also great if you travel extensively, like my husband. He can download several books and not have to worry about running out of something to read and having to scour airport bookstores to find something he likes, but hasn't read.

    Peggy, they are expensive. I hope they'll come down in price sometime in the near future.

    ReplyDelete
  27. I downloaded Kindle and the Borders reader onto my computer. Not quite the same, but it does mean I can read their books.

    ReplyDelete
  28. That's interesting, Sheila. I hadn't thought of that. (Although I'm still not sure I want to do more reading on my computer.)

    ReplyDelete
  29. Hi Helen. I was going to send you an email about your offer to host me during my virtual tour in October, but I couldn't find your email. Mine's alexjcavanaugh AT earthlink.net. Sorry, I picked an older post to leave this on - hope that's okay.

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...