EBook Reader Poll Results

This is Lisa, getting back with you with the results from my last post that included a reader poll on eBooks. Earlier this year, my husband bought me a Kindle for our anniversary. At the time, I wasn’t sure it would ever take the place of a “real” book, but I decided to give it a try. Eight months later, I’ve already noticed a huge difference in my reading habits. The biggest difference is that I’m reading much more. It’s just so convenient to take the Kindle with me wherever I go then decide once I’m there what I’m going to read. I can take notes and switch easily from book to book.

Like me, 59% of those who took the e-book reader poll now own an e-book reader, most of those having bought one within the last year. So here are the results to the poll with about forty people participating.

I always check for freebies, and so do 61% of those who responded. I agree that they are a great promotional tool, but I have found that I’m more likely to read a book that I’ve invested a bit of cash in.  This seemed to hold true in the poll as well as 55% of you were more likely to read a book that you paid for. I’ve also become very picky about what I download. Even if it’s free, it has to be something I’m pretty sure I will end up reading.

How much do you think an eBook should be priced? I agree with the majority here. 39% said they should be priced from $1.99-3.99, though I have paid more and will pay more for books I really want. Interestingly enough, the lowest vote, at 11%, went to the $.99-1.99 range which proves that price isn't always the strongest factor in our buying decisions. 28% thought the $3.99-6.99 price range was good and 22% thought they should be priced at $6.99-11.99.

Most people who own an eBook reader voted that they were more likely to buy more books with their reader. This is definitely true for me. Living overseas with no bookstore around, I’ve always had to wait, sometimes months, for the chance to get a specific book I wanted. Now, I can even preorder a book I don’t want to miss, and it will be delivered to my Kindle the day of its release. I love this!

Another interesting question was what are the primary factors of deciding whether or not to buy a book. For me, even for an eBook, the cover is still very important, though not the most important. Personally, if I don't like the cover, I'm much more likely to skip the book and not spend anytime looking further. Only 8% of you, though, thought that the cover was the primary factor in buying a book. What matters for 51% of you, by far the highest, was the book blurb. Next up was the author, at 38%. And as for price? Only one person out of thirty-nine thought price was the primary factor in deciding whether or not to buy a book.

So while you might not agree with all the results of the poll, I hope you found it as interesting as I do. What are your further thoughts about eBooks in this changing world of publishing? I’d love to hear from you.

Lisa

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LISA HARRIS is a Christy Award nominated author who has over twenty novels and novella collections in print. She and her husband, Scott, along with their three children, live near the Indian Ocean in Mozambique as missionaries. As a homeschooling mom, life can get hectic, but she sees her writing as an extension of her ministry which also includes running a non-profit organization The ECHO Project. To find out more about her books you can visit her website.