Trade E-Book Publishing 2011

Now in its third year, Simba’s Trade E-Book Publishing report series has been recognized as the source for independent and myth-busting analysis on the most exciting but least understood segment of trade books.

For our 2011 edition, Simba has upped the ante by continuing its exclusive, nationally representative survey of U.S. adults on a quarterly basis, allowing the authors of the report to add new e-book devices (including the iPad and the Nook Color) to our coveted device analysis and add more questions on this ever-changing segment.

This new edition expands on Simba’s already-extensive e-book category analysis, updated demographic data of e-book buyers, data on how consumers really feel about pricing, projections on how many consumers will enter this market in the coming years, and much more.

The report also provides demographic intelligence about the e-book consumer—including gender, age, household income, education level and more. Simba has also studied the average number of e-books read by consumers of the format and compared it to what is known about the consumption of print titles. Since Simba’s survey does not target book buyers exclusively, we are able to capture the nuances of the common e-book reader in ways the competition just can’t match.

Trade E-Book Publishing 2011 also features trends and pitfalls in the marketplace, key publisher and retailer initiatives, new psychographic details of consumers and a thorough device analysis. You can’t afford to be without this groundbreaking analysis.

Stamford, CT - April 27, 2011 -Trade E-Book Publishing 2011, the survey also revealed a shift in demographic makeup of the e-book buyer from men to women during 2010-which brings the e-book format more in line with longtime trends in print books.

Although the iPad has generated a lot of hype since its launch in April 2010, the survey reveals most owners do not use it to read books, suggesting the device is used for games and other media instead. The report finds owners of tablet devices do not make up the majority of e-book users, with 45% of survey respondents citing the PC or Mac as their e-reading device.

"A lot of people equate the sale of a new gadget with the creation of a new reader, and it just doesn't happen," said Michael Norris, senior analyst and author of the report. "In both the offline and online world, there are a lot of independent factors and distractions that will keep a person from discovering and enjoying a book."

According to the report, demographic shifts occurred within the population of e-book buyers in 2010, with women now outnumbering men. The shift was a dramatic change from the 2009 results, which revealed 13% of men and 9% of women had purchased an e-book.

"In 2009, about 6,000 people a day bought an e-book for the first time," added Norris. "2010 expansion was less dramatic on the newcomer side, but the population of e-book buyers shifted away from the disengaged and occasional buyer and towards consumers who are more committed to reading print and digital books in general."

The report, Trade E-Book Publishing 2011 includes an analysis of e-book consumption for smart phone and tablet devices, including Amazon's Kindle, Apple's iPad and iPhone and Barnes and Noble's Nook, as well as projections on which devices are expected to lead through 2013. In addition, the report provides a complete demographic profile of the e-book reader and features an extensive look at the best performing e-book titles, authors, imprints and categories.