E-books have established themselves as a pillar of the publishing sector during the past few years. But contrary to expectations, the rise of e-books has not resulted in the death of printed books. The Association of American Publishers reports that e-book sales in the United States decreased marginally to $983 million in 2019 from the previous year. After several years of double-digit decreases in e-book sales, the growth rate was lower. The market is still dominated by hardcover and paperback books, with sales of $3 billion and $2,5 billion, respectively, in 2019.
The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 was beneficial for print publishing. According to Printing Impressions, a publication for the publishing sector, sales increased 8.2% from the previous year to 751 million copies overall. The necessity to educate kids at home and having more free time were both given as justifications for the book shopping binge. While e-books are beneficial to the publishing industry, readers may find them a little intimidating. You can still do this with e-books, perhaps with a little modification, if you are used to visiting your neighbourhood bookshop, perusing the aisles, and possibly reading the first chapter before making a purchase.
E-Books
Hardcover books in particular are cumbersome to carry about as books on paper. An e-reader or iPad is much easier to carry than a book or a stack of books if you enjoy reading and are travelling or simply heading to a coffee shop. There is also the gratification of having a sizable library at your disposal, not to mention an endless supply that is only a click away and available for immediate download. E-book buyers also benefit from the advantages that the internet offers buyers of all products: No restrictions on size. Almost everything ever published is constantly accessible. There are some shortcomings. An e-reader or any other electronic device needs to be recharged. Some screens are difficult to view in direct sunlight. Additionally, reading your favourite author on a computer screen in the evening may not appeal if you are one of the millions of people who spend their entire workday in front of a computer.
Print Books
Many readers adore the feel of print books as a physical objects. You can feel the paper, turn the pages, and hold it. People who enjoy reading invest a lifetime in collecting books. They could find it painful to give up their bookcases in favour of a single piece of plastic. The print versions may be preferred by readers who compare the illustration quality between the two distribution methods. Both the hardcover and Kindle editions of The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes are available for purchase, but readers may find the Kindle edition to be lacking due to the pictures’ reduced size and the very awkward transition between the story text and annotations.