Sunday, December 6, 2015

Reading E-Books on Mobile Phones: Is That in Your Present or Future?



Reading an e-book on a digital tablet
Photo by nenetus courtesy of freedigitaldownloads.net
E-books and e-reading devices, including phones, are sure to be under Christmas trees this year. Things are changing in our reading habits. 

The amazing news for the book world is the number of people reading books on their phones. The Wall Street Journal reports-- "In a Nielsen survey of 2,000 people this past December, about 54% of e-book buyers said they used smartphones to read their books at least some of the time. That’s up from 24% in 2012, according to a separate study commissioned by Nielsen."

The number of people who read primarily on phones has risen to 14% in the first quarter of 2015 from 9% in 2012.
Teenage girl reading on smart phone
Photo by Ambro courtesy of freedigitaldownloads.net

Why are people turning to their phones to read books? The use of Kindle and Nooks are down as well as tablet reading due to the convenience provided by books on the mobile phone. Mobile is the key word. Folks have the phone with them when waiting at the dentist's office, picking up the kids, lunch hour, and so many more situations.

How does this affect sales of books? E-book sales will increase especially since the sales of phones are increasing. In fact, sixty-four percent of American adults now own a smartphone, up from 35% in the spring of 2011, according to the Pew Research Center. More research suggests by 2019 over 80% of the U.S. population will be using smartphones.

The impact of this amazing technology is changing the publishing industry with apps for reading,  different ways of distributing books, and creating a book easily read on the device. To read this thought-provoking WSJ article by Jennifer Maloney, find it here.

Do you read books on your phone? Do you order your e-books from your phone? Or maybe I should be asking, "Do you read e-books??? I'm curious about the impact this will have on how we publish and market books. What do you think? Thanks!
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  • the author earns more royalty?




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12 comments:

Anonymous said...

I know a few people who read on their phones, JQ - not just books, but online newspapers, too. It's convenient if you're travelling by train or bus. The screen is too small for me, personally, but I can understand why many people do.

J.Q. Rose said...

HI helena. I agree the screen is too small for me too. Plus the reading experience is quite different reading in a waiting room or at a coffee shop than mine which is usually in bed in the quiet of the evening. Thanks for stopping in!!

Marsha said...

Hey, JQ. Like Helena, I know people who read on their phones. I don't get it. I have the iPhone 6 large size and it's not good enough to read a book on. Old eyes, I guess! LOL
I find it easy to carry my Kindle with me, and will today when I go in for the annual squeeze the Ta-tas fun and games. :)
I think with each succeeding generation, we'll see more folks reading on some sort of device. Good for us authors if that means more readers. Thanks for the psot. I'll share.

ChrisChat said...

Hi, J.Q.

I have read on my Samsung Galaxy and our joint Publisher books are formatted to read easily, I've noticed some places I've bought from don't translate easily. I don't have any issues reading on my phone except for battery use.

However, watching my daughter and her friends I can see how eBooks on phones and iPods are going to be stronger than any eReaders. With smartphones many are using them as mini computers already.

I don't have the link nor can I remember the link, but there's been talk on how Apple is cutting into Amazon's sales for this very reason of iPhones and iPods, let alone iPads.

J.Q. Rose said...

Hi Marsha, Yes, I'm a Kindle kind of gal too and take it for reading wherever I go. I'm sure the Kindle stories will take your mind off the upcoming annual health check. Glad you're taking good care of yourself!!

J.Q. Rose said...

Hey Chris, a few years ago the topic was reading ebooks vs print book. Now a whole new "conversation" of reading on an e-reader, phone, or tablet....Who knows what the future will bring? Thanks so much for stopping by.

emaginette said...

I've been reading ebooks for years, but only started reading them on my phone, handy when waiting in line or anywhere else. :-)

Anna from Elements of Writing

Loni Townsend said...

I read a lot on my phone because of my kids. I always have my phone with me, and it saves my place when I turn off the screen because my 2yo son is making a grab for it. Try not losing your place with a physical book like that. :)

J.Q. Rose said...

Anna, glad you discovered another use for your phone! Thanks for stopping in.

J.Q. Rose said...

So true, Loni. That bookmark is a definite plus for reading ebooks. Thanks for stopping by.

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