Will online sales save the midlist?
This from Publishing News.
Well, not sure if this answers the question, but I suspect SF&F writers are more likely to benefit than some others, as the readership's always been ahead of any computer-related trends.
On the other hand, it looks like book-buying is still primarily tied to bookshops, and if your book isn't getting on those shelves where folk can see it, your chances of building a writing career aren't helped.
RECENT RESEARCH BY Key Note, the market intelligence providers, has been produced figures that look at book buyers buying books from bookshops as against on the internet.
Their research shows that only 38.8% of book buyers would be “more likely” to buy a book online that from a bookshop. Of that sample, who “sometimes” bought books over the internet, 94.4% had bought at least one book online over the past 12 months. Convenience was cited as the reason for doing so by 62.4% and “greater choice” by 66.4%. The survey also revealed that those aged between 30 and 65 were more likely to purchase books online than those in their teens and twenties, or those over 65. Not surprisingly, those between 35 and 44 are the most likely online bookshoppers, with most of those living in Greater London, East Anglia and the South-West. Internet buyers are evenly spread across the social spectrum.
A similar survey by Key Note in 2003 found that just 6% of internet buyers were more likely to buy that way than from the high street. The increase shows “the proliferation of access to and usage of the internet”.
Well, not sure if this answers the question, but I suspect SF&F writers are more likely to benefit than some others, as the readership's always been ahead of any computer-related trends.
On the other hand, it looks like book-buying is still primarily tied to bookshops, and if your book isn't getting on those shelves where folk can see it, your chances of building a writing career aren't helped.