I’m Still Not an E-Book Convert
…and even I don’t know why.
The simple fact of the matter is that I like to hold the physical artefact—there is something about holding a book and turning the pages that seems to honour the hard work that went into creating the words on the page. It is probably old-fashioned thinking,
and it is definitely unprogressive, but I just can’t help it. A book isn’t a book unless it’s a book: it’s just a story.[i]
Plus, I cannot allow myself to give up on my dream of having a room filled from floor to ceiling with books. Now that is a fire hazard.
But the reality is that a lot of people are converting to e-books, and despite my own reluctance I can see why. Not only is it time and space efficient, not only is it a money saver, but it is definitely not a fire hazard.
I will admit that I have used Kindle, iBooks, and even Kobo. I have experienced all the benefits they have to offer, and I was impresses. Using e-books for my English Literature classes at university saved me from hauling multiple books around campus, not to mention the time it saved me in searching for quotes. Who could not be an e-book convert after that?
One of the biggest incentives for buying an e-book is the lower cost compared to the print version. And while, yes, you do save money, the percentage of that saving is not what you would expect.
On 1st May 2015, I took the top 10 new releases on Amazon and averaged out the prices of those books in print and e-book. The average price of the print books was $15.71, while the average price for the same books in digital format were $12.96. That is a saving of $2.75.[ii] At first glance that saving may seem modest but it is still a 17.5% saving. Admittedly this price difference is going to change depending on how old the book is, whether it is in hardback or paper back, and which country you are in, but the fact remains the same: you do save money buying an e-book—even if it is not as much as you would expect. Not to mention the fact that you don’t even have to leave the house to buy them.
And let’s not forget the free books available for digital download. How many times do you walk into a book store and walk out with a shopping bag full of freebies? Sometimes you have to wade through a sea of crap to find a good one, but there are some gems hidden in the free to download lists.
So, really, what more could you want? E-books are cheaper, faster, and easier.
These benefits are reflected in the statistics. While paper formats are still grossing the most money, that trend is predicted to change within the next couple of years and it’s not hard to see why.
[iii]The graph below highlights the consumer book and e-book sales revenues in the United States from 2008 to 2013 (in US dollars), and a forecast until 2018. By 2018, the revenue made from printed books will drop to $7.94 million, whereas e-book revenues will rise to $8.64 million.
Does this trend predict the eventual death of hard copy books?
It has been no secret that over the last five years publishing companies have been focusing more intently on the digital format, but I think we will have a long wait ahead of us before books are no longer published in hard copy. However, at some point, hard copy books will not be financially beneficial, which leads to the inevitable conclusion that the consumer will have to pay extortionate prices for them. It will be at this point that stubborn book readers, like myself, will convert to e-books and display their book collections like they are precious artefacts.
So you are probably sitting there wondering where I am coming from right now because I have said that I am not an e-book convert but I bloody well sound like an e-book convert.
I am converted in theory, but in practice there will have to be a much larger disparity between the monetary values for me to convert fully: I will not give up on my dream just yet. If, or when, that day comes it will be a very sad one indeed.
References
[i] “A written or printed work consisting of pages glued or sewn together along one side and bound in covers” (Oxford English Dictionary online: http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/book)
[ii] http://www.amazon.com/gp/new-releases/books
[iii] The Statistics Portal (http://www.statista.com/statistics/190819/consumer-book-sales-revenue-forecast-for-the-us-market/)
