"More than 18 years ago, as the internet was transforming how we consume everything from news to music, someone called books "the last bastion of analog." That someone happened to be Jeff Bezos. And he made the observation in a Steven Levy Newsweek article about Amazon's original Kindle e-reader, a device designed to drag books into the digital age."
"To be clear, the internet in general-and Amazon in particular-has transformed how we buy and consume books. Market share figures for booksellers are tough to come by, but estimates show the company controlling 50% or more of print book sales, leaving chains such as Barnes & Noble and independents to jostle for what's left. That's before you account for e-books and audiobooks, where Amazon's Kindle and Audible platforms are overwhelmingly dominant."
"Despite that, paper books remain popular, and many people choose to buy them at brick-and-mortar stores. As of mid-December, roughly three-quarters of the 707 million books sold last year were of the traditional, dead-tree variety. In the first 10 months, e-books accounted for only 11% of revenue, down from 17% in 2016. The American Booksellers Association's ranks swelled by 422 new shops-independent ones, not chain operations. On top of that, we got dozens of new Barnes & Noble locations, with more on their way."
Jeff Bezos once called books "the last bastion of analog" in connection with the original Kindle e-reader. Amazon controls roughly half or more of print book sales and dominates e-book and audiobook platforms through Kindle and Audible. Still, print remains robust: about three-quarters of 707 million books sold were physical copies, and e-books generated only 11% of revenue in the first ten months, down from 17% in 2016. The American Booksellers Association added 422 independent shops, and Barnes & Noble opened dozens of new locations. The tactile, physical experience of reading differentiates books from other media.
Read at Fast Company
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