This is a question asked by Publishing Perspectives. According to the author:
Spanish publishers Maeva and Random House Mondadori are approaching the mobile and e-book markets in Spain. While both are making progress in the mobile market, the e-book segment appears stalled in beta.
The market for Spanish-language e-books has potential to be huge, as it encompasses both Spain and all of Mexico, Central and Latin America. And it was last June already when Spain’s “Big Three” publishers — Random House Mondadori, Santillana, and Paneta — announced plans to collaborate on a digital distribution company. The company is now scheduled to launch in May.
In a companion set of articles they take a look at the mobile and ebook market in Spain and publishers’ online marketing in Spain.
A not very wild guess:
* Bookstores and the politics involved in keeping those jobs are stalling the introduction of electronic bookstores.
* Sales of electronic readers are slow in Spain and even slower in South America.
* Spanish readers are a bit more loyal to paper. I.e. audiobooks have never been as popular here as overseas.
* Publishers are very scared of piracy, which is quite prominent in Spain.
* Some of the readers of digital books are reading English editions anyway.
* Competition hasn’t been fierce enough and there hasn’t been pressure to promote forward-thinking publishers.