A new study by Bowker, the company that prints Books In Print, has released a new study that it calls the “first complete consumer-based research report.” The report provides a breakdown of who is buying what and how.
Though the full report costs way too much for this unemployed writer to purchase, the company did release a few takeaways, which I found very interesting.
For example, 57% of book buyers are women, plus they purchase 65% of the books sold in the U.S. So women are certainly at the forefront of keeping book publishing alive. Thank you ladies!!
Women are also more traditional when it comes to book buying, as they make the majority of paperback, hardcover and audio-book purchases. Men, on the other hand, account for 55% of e-book purchases. Again, I have to tip my hat to the ladies because I, myself, don't like the e-book trend (my personal opinion!). I prefer a real (i.e. physical) book in my hand. I like the feel of turning the page and dog earing my spot. There's something very personal aboout a real book. An e-book on the other hand seems so sterile to me. I know I can't fight “progress” but I certainly hope physical books don't disappear any time soon.
Another statistic I liked – mystery books are the most popular genre for book club sales, with 17% of all mystery book purchases coming directly through book clubs. As an aspiring mystery writer, I am very happy to hear mysteries are still very popular.
Other takeaways from the report:
Generation X consumers buy more books online than any other demographic group, with 30% of Gen Xers buying books through the Internet.
21% of book buyers said they became aware of a book through some sort of online promotion or ad.
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