Comments on: Book Buying Habits

By: graywave

graywave — Mon, 05 Aug 2013 04:36:15 +0000

*Sigh!* Oh all right then, I'll give it another few decades. But if sales don't pick up by then, I'm going for my gun (which by then will be a double-barrelled laser I expect).

By: Graham Clements

Graham Clements — Mon, 05 Aug 2013 04:01:24 +0000

Hi Graham,

With the rise of ebooks we can hope that science fiction sales will increase, as I have read that science fiction is one of the bigger selling ebook genres. So don't shoot yourself yet.

By: Graham Clements

Graham Clements — Mon, 05 Aug 2013 03:54:37 +0000

Hi Anthony,

No doubt price has a big part in the rise of ebooks, convenience too. But I do like paperbacks as objects and things of beauty. Interesting that I read Wool as an ebook, but then when I wanted to get its prequel, I wanted to physically possess it, so I ordered a paperback from the Bookdepository.

By: Graham Clements

Graham Clements — Mon, 05 Aug 2013 03:47:41 +0000

Greenspace,

Good to read of your support for indie bookshops, if only there was one in Wangaratta, it might have more obscure works than the mass market list that the book chain carries. I do like browsing in bookshops.

I read a bit of YA too, Little Brother by Cory Doctorow, being the last.

And Graham Storrs who has also commented on this post, will be glad to hear you read science fiction.

By: graywave

graywave — Sun, 04 Aug 2013 23:17:44 +0000

Jeez, that's dismal news. Even if Sci-fi is bundled with the Fantasy figure, it puts Sci-fi sales down around the 1% mark or less! Excuse me while I go shoot myself.

I buy all my books online now (either from Amazon, or direct from the author) and they're all ebooks. The only paper books I get any more are either gifts or they're review copies sent by publishers (even there, most publishers prefer reviewers to pick up ebook ARCs from sites like NetGalley these days).

By: Anthony J. Langford

Anthony J. Langford — Sun, 04 Aug 2013 22:56:58 +0000

Great article Graham.
Nice to see some graphs and great to see that all the predictions haven't come to fruition as I love paperbacks but 22% is quite a hefty chunk. Price may have something to do with that too.
Plenty of city bookstores have healthy arrays of sci-fi so it's a shame for you and other locals.

Adding my bit, I have bought 100% paperbacks. Love em.

By: greenspace

greenspace — Sun, 04 Aug 2013 13:46:15 +0000

interesting – both the USian stats and yours.

I don't know if I'll do such a thorough analysis of my buying habits, but off the top of my head, I'd say in the last 12 months I've bought maybe 60/40 print to ebooks. print mostly from indie bookshops (when they're having sales) with online bookseller (booktopia) close behind. ebooks all online, not surprisingly, many from Kindle store. I choose print books based on what I've read previously, browsing shelves/sale tables, and sale webpages, and friends' recommendations (plus books written by friends). I choose ebooks based on what I've read previously, browsing sale pages, and posts on FB.
very rough guess, it'd be at least 30% YA (of many genres), 60% grown-up fiction (also of many genres, incl crime, historical, chick lit, science fiction), 10% non fic.