Sep 16 2008
BookPub News & Rumors, v.5: Take that, Amazon! Target to sell Sony Reader, Audiobook sales up
Although the Amazon Kindle appears to be the most popular (not that they’re releasing sales figures or anything…), Sony Reader got a nice boost by partnering with Target, which will sell the Readers for $299 apiece (same price that Sony sells them). It’s also interesting because Amazon powers the Target website… I wonder how they feel about this partnership.
In other news, Audiobook sales are up–surprising to me since book sales are down. What’s the appeal of audiobooks over paperbacks? Audiobooks are more expensive. Also, many people buy audiobooks for long drives–40% of consumers, according to Publsher’s Weekly, while 28% listen during their commute to work. This seems counterintuitive since high gas costs have forced people to drive a lot less. Regardless,
Sales of spokenword audiobooks rose 12%, to just over $1 billion, in 2007 and the percentage of adults that now listen to audiobooks rose to 28%, according the Audio Publishers Association’s annual sale and consumer surveys.
So it’s good news!
I’m writing this from my new Mac at work today. There are some odd things about it but mostly I’m enjoying the way it works! Who knows, maybe one day I’ll truly convert.
I have awarded you with the “I Love Your Blog” award. I have linked you in my blog announcing the awards. You are among 7 who I have given the award; feel free to pass the award on!
-Diana
http://single.today.com
Thanks Diana! That’s so great — I really appreciate that award!
Best,
Jess
Hey Peter,
Very interesting. See, I cannot for the life of me focus when listening to an audiobook. Nothing seeps in to my brain at all. So maybe someone who is good at multitasking would really enjoy audiobooks. I get frustrated by them too because I read faster than I listen. So it feels like they’re actually slower. Gah.
However, I do LOVE David Sedaris’s audiobooks because he has such a unique voice. Now I can’t read a Sedaris book without wanting to hear it!
Jess