Comments on: New Benchmark for eBook Sales, and New Questions http://www.digitalbookworld.com/2010/new-benchmark-for-ebook-sales-and-new-questions/ The publishing community for the 21st Century Fri, 10 Feb 2012 23:07:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Evening Links 10 June 2010 | The Digital Reader http://www.digitalbookworld.com/2010/new-benchmark-for-ebook-sales-and-new-questions/comment-page-1/#comment-2727 Evening Links 10 June 2010 | The Digital Reader Fri, 11 Jun 2010 02:29:36 +0000 http://digitalbookworld.com/?p=3393#comment-2727 [...] From consumer demand, to devices and DRM schemes, to piracy concerns and reliable sales data, the nascent but undeniably booming eBook market is becoming a smoke and mirrored mess for anyone looking for straight [...] [...] From consumer demand, to devices and DRM schemes, to piracy concerns and reliable sales data, the nascent but undeniably booming eBook market is becoming a smoke and mirrored mess for anyone looking for straight [...]

]]> By: Gareth Cuddy http://www.digitalbookworld.com/2010/new-benchmark-for-ebook-sales-and-new-questions/comment-page-1/#comment-2439 Gareth Cuddy Wed, 26 May 2010 08:17:08 +0000 http://digitalbookworld.com/?p=3393#comment-2439 The 100,000 dolar question is an interesting one. I think transparancy has to become an integral part of publishers mindsets in the coming years for a number of reasons; 1. In an era of easy self-publication where publishers are no longer the gatekeepers, but now the facilitators, they will find that they may need to pitch to the authors, not the other way round! Sales figures etc wil be needed to prove their case! 2.They will also need to become more accountable to their authors in terms of real-time reporting and sales figures. 3. Having less to spend on marketing is a very real issue even right now and enlisting the help of your authors to promote themselves and your titles online will mean closer collaboration and full disclosure. 4. Last but not least, Consumers are becoming more and more savvy as well as paradoxically remaining susceptible to market trends. Justifying the cost of your product to consumers who expect "free" will probably involve removing the shroud of mystery that surrounds publishing. Creating real, meaningful communities around your products online will involve a little exposure and honesty to gain credibility. The world of publishing is changing and hopefully Publishers will catch up. Soon. The 100,000 dolar question is an interesting one. I think transparancy has to become an integral part of publishers mindsets in the coming years for a number of reasons;
1. In an era of easy self-publication where publishers are no longer the gatekeepers, but now the facilitators, they will find that they may need to pitch to the authors, not the other way round! Sales figures etc wil be needed to prove their case!
2.They will also need to become more accountable to their authors in terms of real-time reporting and sales figures.
3. Having less to spend on marketing is a very real issue even right now and enlisting the help of your authors to promote themselves and your titles online will mean closer collaboration and full disclosure.
4. Last but not least, Consumers are becoming more and more savvy as well as paradoxically remaining susceptible to market trends. Justifying the cost of your product to consumers who expect “free” will probably involve removing the shroud of mystery that surrounds publishing. Creating real, meaningful communities around your products online will involve a little exposure and honesty to gain credibility.

The world of publishing is changing and hopefully Publishers will catch up. Soon.

]]> By: Jose Afonso Furtado http://www.digitalbookworld.com/2010/new-benchmark-for-ebook-sales-and-new-questions/comment-page-1/#comment-2438 Jose Afonso Furtado Wed, 26 May 2010 04:11:32 +0000 http://digitalbookworld.com/?p=3393#comment-2438 <span class="topsy_trackback_comment"><span class="topsy_twitter_username"><span class="topsy_trackback_content">New Benchmark for eBook Sales, and New Questions, by Guy LeCharles Gonzalez (@glecharles) |Digital Book World http://bit.ly/9kFpHZ</span></span> New Benchmark for eBook Sales, and New Questions, by Guy LeCharles Gonzalez (@glecharles) |Digital Book World http://bit.ly/9kFpHZ

]]> By: Scott Nicholson http://www.digitalbookworld.com/2010/new-benchmark-for-ebook-sales-and-new-questions/comment-page-1/#comment-2436 Scott Nicholson Tue, 25 May 2010 18:30:25 +0000 http://digitalbookworld.com/?p=3393#comment-2436 I assume this doesn't count indie books--the vast majority of which are ebooks. Even if the individual sales aren't huge per author, cumulatively it has to be significant enough to note. I don't know where you'd ever get that information, though. Scott Nicholson I assume this doesn’t count indie books–the vast majority of which are ebooks. Even if the individual sales aren’t huge per author, cumulatively it has to be significant enough to note. I don’t know where you’d ever get that information, though.

Scott Nicholson

]]> By: Guy LeCharles Gonzalez http://www.digitalbookworld.com/2010/new-benchmark-for-ebook-sales-and-new-questions/comment-page-1/#comment-2430 Guy LeCharles Gonzalez Tue, 25 May 2010 02:17:27 +0000 http://digitalbookworld.com/?p=3393#comment-2430 I think it has to do with what they're including in the first number referred to as "Book sales tracked by the Association of American Publishers;" adding up the numbers from all of last year, it seems to exclude professional and educational book sales while the $23.9B is all-in. Apples-to-apples, Q1 2010 is slightly ahead of Q1 2009 at $1.76B vs. $1.74B, with the following three quarters of '09 coming in at $2.075B, $4.35B and $3.034B. Summertime and December are the biggest months by far, while the beginning of the year is quieter overall. I'm going to add "Trade" to that line to make the distinction and will try to get further clarification on it. Thanks for noting the oddity! I think it has to do with what they’re including in the first number referred to as “Book sales tracked by the Association of American Publishers;” adding up the numbers from all of last year, it seems to exclude professional and educational book sales while the $23.9B is all-in.

Apples-to-apples, Q1 2010 is slightly ahead of Q1 2009 at $1.76B vs. $1.74B, with the following three quarters of ’09 coming in at $2.075B, $4.35B and $3.034B. Summertime and December are the biggest months by far, while the beginning of the year is quieter overall.

I’m going to add “Trade” to that line to make the distinction and will try to get further clarification on it.

Thanks for noting the oddity!

]]> By: Moses Siregar III http://www.digitalbookworld.com/2010/new-benchmark-for-ebook-sales-and-new-questions/comment-page-1/#comment-2426 Moses Siregar III Mon, 24 May 2010 21:47:19 +0000 http://digitalbookworld.com/?p=3393#comment-2426 Thanks for this information. I'm confused by some numbers. <a href="http://www.publishers.org/main/IndustryStats/indStats_02.htm" rel="nofollow">AAP reported $23.9 billion in total book sales in 2009.</a> According to your post, they are only reporting 1.76 Billion in total book sales in the first quarter of 2010. That projects to only $7 billion for the entire year. It doesn't seem to add up. Thanks in advance. Thanks for this information. I’m confused by some numbers. AAP reported $23.9 billion in total book sales in 2009.

According to your post, they are only reporting 1.76 Billion in total book sales in the first quarter of 2010. That projects to only $7 billion for the entire year. It doesn’t seem to add up.

Thanks in advance.

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