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Ebook sales not cannibalizing pbook sales for O’Reilly
August 7, 2009 | 11:21 am
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By Paul Biba
That is the message from the latest Tools of Change blog by Andrew Savikas. Here is the conclusion. The full post makes worthwhile reading.
By looking at the data and these charts we infer that while O’Reilly physical book sales are down compared to last year, this seems more the result of the drop in demand for computer books since the financial meltdown than the impact of ebook sales. Since O’Reilly is a relatively prolific publisher of econtent we would expect that ebooks would affect O’Reilly’s physical book sales more than other publishers and we don’t see that evidence in these results. Even if ebooks are taking a bite out of O’Reilly physical book sales, we see no negative effect on O’Reilly’s slightly increasing share in the physical book market nor on how O’Reilly’s sales correlate with the overall market for physical computer books.
So, for now, if what we infer is correct, you can put away your exorcism crosses, ebooks seem more a legitimate expanded market opportunity than a projectile vomiting Linda Blair wannabe.
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Comments:
I don’t buy pbook computer reference anymore because they just go out of date too quickly and clog up shelves, but having purchased 6 oreilly ebooks on the basis of no-drm 3 for 2 offers I’m part of that phenomenon who stopped buying printed computer ref once online docs improved, but are going back into the market now the convenience and price is right. I buy from other niche computer ref publishers as well, even if their pdfs are password protected, but always favour the drm free Oreilly on equivalent topics.