Don’s recent article reminds me of some recent data digital publishers will love. According to Pew Internet & American Life Project, 21% of American adults have read an e-book. For the e-book publishers in the group, have you seen similar results from your own data or sales?
The summary for this study brought up another important statistic that speaks to the larger world of digital printing. Towards the end of 2011, Pew reported that 43% of Americans at least 16 years old have read some form of long-form content on a digital device, be it mobile or from the desktop.
The consumers of e-books are portrayed as avid readers, not just technology fans. A large percentage of them (88%) read print books in addition to e-books, and they are also more inclined to buy books; not just borrow them from a friend or library.
This portrait looks like an ideal customer for digital publishers. They like books in all formats, are willing to pay for quality products, and are clearly lovers of content.
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One point of interest from Pew’s research is how avid readers valued the format for difference purposes.
For instance, “Being able to get a book quickly” ranked as the top purpose for utilizing the e-book format. In second place was “Reading books while traveling or commuting”, followed by “Having a wide selection of books to choose from”.
This information from Pew can be quite helpful to digital publishers, especially those producing e-books. Take a look at the research for more insights.
