Kindle sales outstrip paperbacks

January 28, 2011

There’s an article in today’s Bookseller reporting that Kindle e-books have overtaken paperback sales at Amazon.com.

For the quarter to 31st December 2010, for every 100 paperback books Amazon has sold, the company has sold 115 Kindle books.

The tide, it seems, has turned, raced in and I suspect that romance readers have been leading the way.

In fact, my hot new Samhain romance, Fever Cure, is being released in e-book first in July before going to print. I consider myself very lucky that it’s available in both formats – as are myLBD novels and US re-releases for Sourcebooks.

I love print books, I’d be very sad to see them go and I want to them to be available for a long time to come. I want bookstores to survive and thrive.

And some books will always be better in print – only this morning I bought a gorgeous ‘coffee table’ travel book as a gift for my husband. I don’t think an e-book can ever replace the ‘gift’ aspect of a book that’s been personally selected.

There will long be a market for print books, some people will be reluctant to use an e-reader.

And as an author, you can’t sign an e-book – can you?

What we want is choice of formats – but are we going to get it?

On a fun note, this month’s Love Letter in the Embrace Publishing newsletter has been written by – me (!) and you can read it here.

I’m also waiting to get my edits on Fever Cure – hence the random photo of Tom Ward from the BBC series Silent Witness. He’s how I envisage The Honourable Dr Tom Carew, the hero (well, I can’t have Richard Armitage for every book!)

Comments

1. On January 28th, 2011 at 10:08 am
   Debs Says:
   

   I saw that too and agree that what we want is the choice. I love my knew Kindle (I could have sworn only months ago that I would never have one) but still love paper books too. Hopefully both can continue for a long time to come.

   Thanks for the photo. I was so shocked by Monday’s episode of Silent Witness, and relieved that all was not as it seemed on Tuesday.

2. On January 28th, 2011 at 10:38 am
   Jude Says:
   

   Wowzer re the kindle sales.
   And wowzer re Tom Ward. I do love him so!
   J x
   P.S. Did I mention how much I love the Fever Cure title? Yum.

3. On January 31st, 2011 at 6:55 am
   Phillipa Says:
   

   Glad you love the title (and Tom)

4. On February 2nd, 2011 at 7:38 am
   Christina Phillips Says:
   

   I have heaps of e-books, but I do love print books… the feel and smell of them. although my husband still doesn’t quite get why I need to sniff books!

5. On February 3rd, 2011 at 5:15 am
   Phillipa Says:
   

   I don’t sniff new books but have been known to stroke them… I can’t imagine sniffing or stroking a Kindle. 🙂

6. On February 4th, 2011 at 9:56 am
   carol Says:
   

   Newbie to your blog…..

   I am a little sad to hear that Ebooks are outselling paperback but times are changing.

   I am holding off on having an ereader just yet, but the technology is calling me…I may succumb by Christmas!

   I will not give up my paperbacks…..I do love to hold a book, look at the pretty covers and be lured by the blurb.

   enjoy ur weekend!

   carol

7. On February 6th, 2011 at 8:03 am
   Phillipa Says:
   

   Hi there Carol and welcome!

   There’s a big article in the Sunday Times today about e books – it claims the Uk has a lot of catching up to do compared to the USA.

   I love print books too and hope that e readers are a boost to book sales in general.