E-Books Are Outselling Hardcovers at Amazon

Earlier this week Amazon.com announced that for the last three months their sales of e-books outnumbered hardcover books.

It seems - to this writer - that Amazon is making "Big News" that is supported by figures, but only for the publicity that it brings. Chloe Albanesius points out in her article that it is very impressive that that the e-book has come this far since it's only been 33 months since its inception. However, it must be realized that Amazon has a great deal to gain from this announcement.

The Slow Death Of The Traditional Book

First, Amazon has gained greater publicity for themselves as "pioneers" in the e-world. Their closest competitor, Barnes & Noble, has been trying to keep up with the release of their Nook e-reader. Second, they are using this announcement as a promotional tool for - you guessed it - the Kindle e-book reader. Lastly, The New York Times reported that Mike Shatzkin, founder and chief executive of the Idea Logical Company, which advises book publishers on digital change was quoted in saying, "This was a day that was going to come, a day that had to come." He also made the bold prediction that within a decade, fewer than 25 percent of all books sold will be print versions.

Jacinda Woodhead points out in her article that comparing e-books to hardcovers is not a fair comparison. She explains that most books nowadays go straight to paperback because hardcover is not a viable option anymore. Jacinda also makes a humorous analogy in saying that, "It's similar to comparing the sale of otters to the sale of monkeys. It isn't like comparing types of otters, but entirely different species."

This announcement is meant to glorify the news of the coming demise of the printed book. This is a way to psychologically "persuade" those not on the e-book bandwagon to abandon their old ways of reading. If the majority of people are doing it, then why aren't you?

The Traditional Books' Days Are Numbered

Printed media in general is on the cusp of obliteration. Newspapers, magazines, libraries and even banks see this coming and are moving towards an on-line and paperless form of distribution. The positives are reduced costs, easier access to information and reduced impact to the environment. The negatives will have to be considered, though. Such as not having a hard-copy of bank statements, the possibility of network crashes and losing the connection to something tangible as opposed to what's in cyberspace.

I for one, can see that this trend is inevitable. E-books are easy, take up no shelf space and are environmentally friendly. All positives. However, there will be the "old timers" who will prefer to physically hold their books and turn the pages. For the mainstream youth (who are all about what's new and easy) this news will be welcomed and seen as improvement.

On the brighter side, this new tool will keep the next generation reading which is much more stimulating for the mind than any movie or video game.

Works Cited:

Chloe Albanesius, "Amazon Selling More Kindle E-Books Than Hardcovers", News and Opinion, PC Mag

Claire Cain Miller, "Amazon Says E-Books Now Top Hardcovers", NY Times.com

Jacinda Woodhead, "Amazon and that old fudging figures manoeuvre", Meanland: Reading in an age of change