Percentage of Readers - Page 3

nomesque · 08-26-2010, 02:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sydney's Mom

Agreed. I just don't understand, if you like to read, why you would waste 20 minutes staring out the window. I read the entire Harry Potter Series on the train. Some days I wanted the trip to last longer, because my daugher was young and I couldn't get any reading time at home.

I'm amazed that my husband so rarely looks out the window of a train that I can mention something we each travel past 10 times a week, and he'll have no idea what I'm talking about.

Scenery is sometimes worth looking at - real life out there!!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sydney's Mom

I don't consider someone who reads less than a book a month a reader. That would be like calling someone who has less than a drink a month a drinker. Seems to me it has to be more of a habit than that.

Show me someone who can knock back 5 books in 10 minutes, and I'll grant you your analogy... ;-)

Lady Fitzgerald · 08-26-2010, 02:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott Nielsen

Your reading seems obsessive. What's the diagnosis?

Hopeless (sounds better than OCD?). Actually, I have ADD; I have to be doing something all the time or I (and anyone around me) go nutz!

GraceKrispy · 08-26-2010, 02:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott Nielsen

Your reading seems obsessive. What's the diagnosis?

I prefer "genius," but I'm not sure the experts would all agree

Actually, I think I just always require input of some sort. I even read the shampoo bottles while taking a shower. Maybe "print whore" is more accurate?

afa · 08-26-2010, 04:31 AM

In another thread, a poster provided the following link:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...277291226.html

While the article itself is about pricing, it does mention this:

Quote:

The median American book-buyer purchases just seven books a year, according to an AP-Ipsos poll in 2007.

mbovenka · 08-26-2010, 04:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GraceKrispy

I prefer "genius," but I'm not sure the experts would all agree

Actually, I think I just always require input of some sort. I even read the shampoo bottles while taking a shower. Maybe "print whore" is more accurate?

That sounds familiar... I do that too

mgmueller · 08-26-2010, 04:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by patrickt

First, a definition. Readers is like drinkers. I have a glass of wine once or twice a month but I don't call myself a drinker. I would also not call someone who reads a book a year a reader.

With that in mind, and no hard numbers given, what percentage of the population would you consider readers?

When I get on a plane I look around to check out how many readers are on board. It's sometimes one, me, and sometimes three or four. Never more. Look around the terminal in an airport and see how many people are actually reading a book. I see far more people watching the televisions which are in all terminals now.

I know people who buy books for people to see but they don't really read them. Someone picked up a book on my bosses desk and opened it and we all heard the new-book crackle. The boss stuttered and said, "My working copy of that book is at home." Sure, it was.

I would say that no more than 10% of the people in the U.S. are readers. What number would you guess?

Interesting comparison.
I'm an avid reader, maybe 100 eBooks per year.
But I hardly ever read at airports. 90% of my flights are business trips. Usually I'm just too busy or tired to read at the airport or on the plane.
My guess would be, most of the reading happens "privately".

Of my friends and colleagues, I'd estimate about 40% being readers by your definition.
But only a tiny minority seems to be reading eBooks. I see far more eBook readers in the US than in Germany...probably because of Gutenberg...

HamsterRage · 08-26-2010, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by afa

In another thread, a poster provided the following link:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...277291226.html

While the article itself is about pricing, it does mention this:

Yes, but what percentage of the population at large counts as "book purchasers"???

Tanzaku · 09-07-2010, 09:13 AM

Research for an article I wrote several years ago (data therefore aging by the minute) about the book publishing business. Frightening.

Readers

1/3 of high school graduates never read another book for the rest of their lives.
42% of college graduates never read another book after college.
80% of U.S. families did not buy or read a book last year.
70% of U.S. adults have not been in a bookstore in the last five years.
57% of new books are not read to completion.
70% of books published do not earn back their advance.
70% of the books published do not make a profit.

(Source: Jerold Jenkins, www.JenkinsGroup.com)

About 120,000 books are published each year in the U.S.

(Source: www.bookwire.com)

A successful fiction book sells 5,000 copies.
A successful nonfiction book sells 7,500 copies.

(Source: Authors Guild, www.authorsguild.org)

Quantity of Publishers by Year

1947: 357 publishers
1973: 3,000 publishers
1980: 12,000 publishers.
(The New York Times, February 23, 1981.)
1994: 52,847 publishers.
(Books in Print.)
2003: Estimated 73,000 publishers
(parapublishing.com)

Book in Print

1.5+ million titles in print (currently available in the U.S.)
Since 1776, 22 million titles have been published.

(Source: Jerold Jenkins, 15 May 99. http://www.JenkinsGroup.com US)

FlorenceArt · 09-07-2010, 09:48 AM

The French Ministry of Culture publishes a very comprehensive survey every 10 years or so. The latest one was in 2008, and the results (in French) can be found here.

From a quick look at the books section:

30% of the total population has read no book in the last 12 months
27% 1-4 books
12% 5-9
15% 10-19
11% 20-49
5% more than 50

In all, 16% read 20 books or more in the last 12 months (men 13%, women 18%).

59% regularly read a magazine (men 56, women 62)
29% read a paying daily newspaper almost every day (men 32, women 26)

Worldwalker · 09-07-2010, 10:13 AM

I'm a bookworm (several books a week) but I rarely read in airports or on airplanes. Airports are generally just too annoying, and I'd rather watch them pushing the planes around on the tarmac anyway. In planes, if it's daytime I'll look down (I insist on window seats and love figuring out what's underneath me) and if it's night/cloudy I'll fall asleep. Only rarely do I read. So if you were counting me, you'd definitely mark me down as a non-reader 90% of the time, although there's a 505 tucked away in my stuff. Get me to a hotel or something, on the other hand, and the 505 comes out, and I'll probably fall asleep with the lights on, still clutching it ... but you don't see that part.

Just about everyone I know reads, and reads a lot. This is, of course, an example of self-selection: people who don't read are too boring to know.

DMB · 09-07-2010, 10:30 AM

I don't know where I would fall in the statistics. I am certainly what was called a "print whore". Reading is a compulsion with me and I hate that I can't manage to read in the shower. I do read while cleaning teeth, while sitting on the throne and while cooking.

But I don't read just books. I subscribe to a whole lot of magazines, many with pretty weighty articles. And I read a lot more on-line. I don't think I read more than 50 books a year on average.

I have only just acquired an ereader and I suppose I am doing what many people do at this stage: loading a few books I've read before. So that doesn't even count as reading new books. Or does it? No-one else seems to have mentioned it.

FlorenceArt · 09-07-2010, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Worldwalker

I'm a bookworm (several books a week) but I rarely read in airports or on airplanes. Airports are generally just too annoying, and I'd rather watch them pushing the planes around on the tarmac anyway. (...)

I agree, that's fascinating to watch!

Emmaleigh · 09-07-2010, 11:31 AM

Where we live the population isn't that well educated, so my guess based upon watching others in waiting rooms across the area is probably less than 5% are reading something (including newspapers). Both my husband and I come from a family of readers, and most holidays we bring along books to exchange with the family "pile." We also have four children (ages 12, 14, 17 and 18) and they are all "readers." Even our just-graduated daughter continues to be a reader (and continues to write, thankfully).

My mother was a middle school English teacher for many years...we grew up with piles of books next to big comfy chairs. That has always been my normal.

GA Russell · 09-07-2010, 12:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Worldwalker

...people who don't read are too boring to know.

Thanks for your candor. That is an idea that I think should be impressed upon kids in school. No kid wants to be boring.

Elfwreck · 09-08-2010, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tanzaku

A successful fiction book sells 5,000 copies.
A successful nonfiction book sells 7,500 copies.

(Source: Authors Guild, www.authorsguild.org)

Wow, that makes Konrath's sales numbers even more impressive.

I wonder if there are any statistics on ebooks, especially on books that have never been released in print.

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09-07-2010, 09:13 AM	#38
Tanzaku Enthusiast Posts: 34 Karma: 225 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Anacortes, WA Device: Kindle Fire, Kindle 3	Research for an article I wrote several years ago (data therefore aging by the minute) about the book publishing business. Frightening. Readers 1/3 of high school graduates never read another book for the rest of their lives. 42% of college graduates never read another book after college. 80% of U.S. families did not buy or read a book last year. 70% of U.S. adults have not been in a bookstore in the last five years. 57% of new books are not read to completion. 70% of books published do not earn back their advance. 70% of the books published do not make a profit. (Source: Jerold Jenkins, www.JenkinsGroup.com) About 120,000 books are published each year in the U.S. (Source: www.bookwire.com) A successful fiction book sells 5,000 copies. A successful nonfiction book sells 7,500 copies. (Source: Authors Guild, www.authorsguild.org) Quantity of Publishers by Year 1947: 357 publishers 1973: 3,000 publishers 1980: 12,000 publishers. (The New York Times, February 23, 1981.) 1994: 52,847 publishers. (Books in Print.) 2003: Estimated 73,000 publishers (parapublishing.com) Book in Print 1.5+ million titles in print (currently available in the U.S.) Since 1776, 22 million titles have been published. (Source: Jerold Jenkins, 15 May 99. http://www.JenkinsGroup.com US)

09-07-2010, 09:48 AM	#39
FlorenceArt High Priestess Posts: 5,761 Karma: 5042529 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Montreuil sous bois, France Device: iPad Pro 9.7, iPhone 6 Plus	The French Ministry of Culture publishes a very comprehensive survey every 10 years or so. The latest one was in 2008, and the results (in French) can be found here. From a quick look at the books section: 30% of the total population has read no book in the last 12 months 27% 1-4 books 12% 5-9 15% 10-19 11% 20-49 5% more than 50 In all, 16% read 20 books or more in the last 12 months (men 13%, women 18%). 59% regularly read a magazine (men 56, women 62) 29% read a paying daily newspaper almost every day (men 32, women 26)

09-07-2010, 10:13 AM	#40
Worldwalker Curmudgeon Posts: 3,085 Karma: 722357 Join Date: Feb 2010 Device: PRS-505	I'm a bookworm (several books a week) but I rarely read in airports or on airplanes. Airports are generally just too annoying, and I'd rather watch them pushing the planes around on the tarmac anyway. In planes, if it's daytime I'll look down (I insist on window seats and love figuring out what's underneath me) and if it's night/cloudy I'll fall asleep. Only rarely do I read. So if you were counting me, you'd definitely mark me down as a non-reader 90% of the time, although there's a 505 tucked away in my stuff. Get me to a hotel or something, on the other hand, and the 505 comes out, and I'll probably fall asleep with the lights on, still clutching it ... but you don't see that part. Just about everyone I know reads, and reads a lot. This is, of course, an example of self-selection: people who don't read are too boring to know.

09-07-2010, 10:30 AM	#41
DMB Old Git Posts: 958 Karma: 1840790 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Switzerland (mostly) Device: Two kindle PWs wifi, kindle fire, iPad3 wifi	I don't know where I would fall in the statistics. I am certainly what was called a "print whore". Reading is a compulsion with me and I hate that I can't manage to read in the shower. I do read while cleaning teeth, while sitting on the throne and while cooking. But I don't read just books. I subscribe to a whole lot of magazines, many with pretty weighty articles. And I read a lot more on-line. I don't think I read more than 50 books a year on average. I have only just acquired an ereader and I suppose I am doing what many people do at this stage: loading a few books I've read before. So that doesn't even count as reading new books. Or does it? No-one else seems to have mentioned it.

09-07-2010, 11:31 AM	#43
Emmaleigh Enthusiast Posts: 26 Karma: 12 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: St. Augustine, FL Device: NOOK	Where we live the population isn't that well educated, so my guess based upon watching others in waiting rooms across the area is probably less than 5% are reading something (including newspapers). Both my husband and I come from a family of readers, and most holidays we bring along books to exchange with the family "pile." We also have four children (ages 12, 14, 17 and 18) and they are all "readers." Even our just-graduated daughter continues to be a reader (and continues to write, thankfully). My mother was a middle school English teacher for many years...we grew up with piles of books next to big comfy chairs. That has always been my normal.

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