Perry Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 Kindle books now outsell paperbacks When Amazon announced that its third-generation Kindle "eclipsed 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' as the bestselling product in Amazon’s history," we knew it'd only be a matter of time before we heard the announcement that Kindle books outsell paperback books. And now, about a month after that Kindle announcement, it's here, from Jeff Bezos: "Kindle books have now overtaken paperback books as the most popular format on Amazon.com." This comes six months after Amazon announced Kindle book sales had overtaken hardcover sales and had predicted Kindle books reaching this milestone in the second quarter of this year, so it's ahead of schedule. Not only that, but the company announced that its fourth quarter sales topped $10 billion for the first time. Since the beginning of the year, for every 100 paperback books Amazon has sold, the Company has sold 115 Kindle books. In July, Kindle books surpassed hardcovers, selling 143 for every 100. Do you have a Kindle? I love mine, although I never thought I'd say that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OregonNative Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 I don't have one, but I'm not surprised Kindle books outsell paperbacks. I don't know if I could give up "real" books tho. I do like to have something to hold in my hands:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 I don't have one, but I'm not surprised Kindle books outsell paperbacks. I don't know if I could give up "real" books tho. I do like to have something to hold in my hands:001_smile: I used to think the same thing. Really. I got one for Christmas and I *love* it. I like my real books, too, but my kindle is da bomb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 I have a Kindle app on my phone, but not an actual kindle. I wonder if they count the free books as sales. I technically have to check out when I "buy" those. I like the app okay. I get the free classics that I'd not spend money on otherwise. Once the free ones are gone I probably won't use the app much. I'd rather have the book in my hands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perry Posted January 28, 2011 Author Share Posted January 28, 2011 I used to think the same thing. Really. Me too. I forget it's not a "real" book. I find myself reaching up to turn the page.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Medieval Mom Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 Argh! I'm a die-hard bibliophile, but I've been seriously considering a Kindle for quite some time. All those classics that we could get! My rationale goes something like this: 1) We won't have to buy 20 new bookcases! 2) Ds could read all those classics (since they certainly are NOT stocked at our library :glare:) 3) I could buy the entire Yesterday's Classics collection for $150. :svengo: 4) I could save money, so that the books I *do* buy in physical print form are gorgeous hardcovers :D 5) I could load ds's audiobooks and music on it. So, a few questions for you lovelies who have Kindles: 1)Do you find that you actually save money? 2) Are those "free books" garbled, horrible OCR texts, or are they nice and readable? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perry Posted January 28, 2011 Author Share Posted January 28, 2011 1)Do you find that you actually save money? 2) Are those "free books" garbled, horrible OCR texts, or are they nice and readable? 1. I don't save money, because I was getting almost everything from the library. I still use the library a lot, but I buy many more books than I used to. 2. I haven't had any problems. 3. Also consider the environmental impact. I'm saving lots of trees. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 1)Do you find that you actually save money? 2) Are those "free books" garbled, horrible OCR texts, or are they nice and readable? I've saved probably over a thousand dollars since I got it on Christmas. No, really. I've got over 200 free books downloaded-some of which I had been waiting to get for years because I just couldn't justify the purchase at the time. Nice and readable-just like the regular kindle formatted books. And, I bring it everywhere-it's a flipping portable library. Sitting at the Drs office? NP! I whip it out and we read. If a kid wants to read something, I click out of what I'm reading and click into what they're reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom0012 Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 That's amazing to me since most of the people I know don't even have a kindle yet. I figure I'll get one eventually, but to think that they already sell more books in that format seems crazy. I wonder if it's because anyone who owns a kindle is a diehard booklover and invests in books more than your average customer? Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurel Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 I have a Kindle app on my phone, but not an actual kindle. I wonder if they count the free books as sales. I technically have to check out when I "buy" those. I like the app okay. I get the free classics that I'd not spend money on otherwise. Once the free ones are gone I probably won't use the app much. I'd rather have the book in my hands. Apparently, free books are not counted, which surprised me. From an article linked in the original quote: Amazon.com is now selling more Kindle books than paperback books. Since the beginning of the year, for every 100 paperback books Amazon has sold, the Company has sold 115 Kindle books. Additionally, during this same time period the Company has sold three times as many Kindle books as hardcover books. This is across Amazon.com's entire U.S. book business and includes sales of books where there is no Kindle edition. Free Kindle books are excluded and if included would make the numbers even higher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sun Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 That's amazing to me since most of the people I know don't even have a kindle yet. I figure I'll get one eventually, but to think that they already sell more books in that format seems crazy. I wonder if it's because anyone who owns a kindle is a diehard booklover and invests in books more than your average customer? Lisa I imagine that's probably true. However, I do know quite a few people with Kindles, and I even know several multi-Kindle families. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 I have a Nook, and I think it's pretty cool, but I'm not ready to give up "real" books yet. :-) I did enjoy going into B&N and reading books for free (although Mr. Ellie pointed out that it wasn't really "free," as I had a coffee drink and a pastry in the Starbucks while I read). Kind of like a girl's day out. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Medieval Mom Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 With Amazon, you can still "buy" all the free books, even if you don't have an e-reader. I do think you need to have a place to send them, so you would have to download Kindle for PC or the Kindle app for a smart phone, but you wouldn't need to actually keep the files on your computer, as Amazon backs everything up for you. Ooh! Thanks for this tip! I have an iPad, but I'm not fond of reading from it (except for the internet, of course ;) ). All these threads are rather dangerous on the pocketbook... :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 That's amazing to me since most of the people I know don't even have a kindle yet. :iagree: I've only seen one in real life, and I work with 2000 people, many of whom read on their break (mostly mystery and romance and WWII history). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LidiyaDawn Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 That's amazing to me since most of the people I know don't even have a kindle yet. Most of people that I know don't even know what a Kindle IS yet. :laugh: I've no interest in them what.so.ever. Just leave me over here with my REAL books TYVM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhonda in TX Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 I have a Nook, and love it, but I can't bring myself to buy books for it yet. I use paperback swap and buy just about every book I own used. If I do buy a new book, I always have plans to trade it in at a used bookstore. It is soooo much cheaper than buying Nook books. So far, I've only gotten free ones on my Nook. Well, that's not true. I did find a book I wanted for $2, so I did buy that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sasharowan Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 I have a Nook. All I have downloaded on it since Christmas is free books. I find it is more expensive than before because now I have to by books for my kids to keep them off my Nook. I think we'll be looking at a few more next Christmas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lolly Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 So, a few questions for you lovelies who have Kindles: 1)Do you find that you actually save money? 2) Are those "free books" garbled, horrible OCR texts, or are they nice and readable? 1) Oh my, yes! The Kindle has more than paid for itself. I have purchased very few books for $. The ones I have purchased have been for ds for school. Other than that, I have just gotten classics and free books. 2)They are nice a readable. In fact, they usually become for pay books after a time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWOB Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 My dh recently gave me a request to decorate more. I bought books to go on our shelves. I love, love, LOVE books. I usde to think e-readers were evil. Then dh bought me a Kindle 3G for Christmas. You would not be able to pry that things out of my cold dead hands. I take that thing everywhere. Instantaneous books?! My life now has meaning! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWOB Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 Argh! I'm a die-hard bibliophile, but I've been seriously considering a Kindle for quite some time. All those classics that we could get! My rationale goes something like this: 1) We won't have to buy 20 new bookcases! I think dh bought me a Kindle so I would stop filling our house with books. Silly dh! 2) Ds could read all those classics (since they certainly are NOT stocked at our library :glare:) Nor ours. 3) I could buy the entire Yesterday's Classics collection for $150. :svengo:Tempting, isn't it? 4) I could save money, so that the books I *do* buy in physical print form are gorgeous hardcovers :D Oooooo! You just gave me an idea! 5) I could load ds's audiobooks and music on it. So, a few questions for you lovelies who have Kindles: 1)Do you find that you actually save money? Oh heavens yes! No shipping plus cheaper editions. 2) Are those "free books" garbled, horrible OCR texts, or are they nice and readable? Very readable! Just do it! You won't regret it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 (edited) I don't have one, but I'm not surprised Kindle books outsell paperbacks. I don't know if I could give up "real" books tho. I do like to have something to hold in my hands:001_smile: Why would you need to give them up? Edited January 29, 2011 by WordGirl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephanier.1765 Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 Me too. I forget it's not a "real" book. I find myself reaching up to turn the page.... I have the opposite problem. I keep trying to push the button on the side of my real book to turn the page. :lol: I feel like such a dope sometimes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 Do you have a Kindle? I love mine, although I never thought I'd say that. Yes I do. In fact, I'm so spoiled that after I bought some books I needed for school, I bought a Kindle version of one. It's just so much easier to read. I'm spoiled by the larger font. But I do have an eye appt. on Tuesday. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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