Thread: E-reader owners still buying as many print books
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Old 01-19-2011, 08:22 PM   #34
Kali Yuga
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CleverClothe View Post
Ah, how to lie with statistics. Unless the article is getting the question wrong, it was only asking about ebooks.
They aren't "lying with statistics."

These folks have run a few surveys, dating back to 2009. They seem to re-run the same survey twice a year. Apparently this year they find:

• 26.8% of ebook device owners plan to buy 13 or more ebooks next year.
• "Roughly" the same percentage of ALL book buyers plan to buy 13 or more books of ANY type.
• Earlier surveys indicate that "ebook reader owners" still planned to buy paper books (slide #38 in the link below) in the coming year. (See slide #38 in the link below)

What's so unclear or manipulative about that?


Quote:
Originally Posted by CleverClothe
You could easily have people who are buying 12 pbooks and 1 ebook, so they would answer "1" to that question. Doesn't mean they are not an avid reader.
They offer multiple definitions of "avid readers" in their surveys (the most recent available btw is from April 2010).

One is "planning to buy 10+ books per year." Another is "reads 5+ hours per week."

But, one of their points point apparently is that the percentage of people who plan to buy 13+ ebooks next year is about the same as the percent who plan to buy 13+ books in any format next year. Not really seeing a problem.


Quote:
Originally Posted by CleverClothe
Also, there is no telling how much overlap there is between the 26.8% in the first question that was talked about, and the 25.8% in the later question....
It's barely relevant.

Ebook penetration is still at 10% or less in the survey population. 25% of that is, oh, 2.5% of the entire sample population. Not really that significant.

The more critical element, especially for indie booksellers, is that the avid buyers are a) reproducing their habits in digital form, and b) might not be abandoning paper books after all.

I've seen other stats which indicate that once you go digital you mostly discontinue paper purchases. However I don't think Verso is lying or manipulating the figures, they're just getting different results.
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