E-books overtake paperback sales for the first time in UK

Amazon has revealed that it now sells more e-books than print titles in the UK, marking a major....

15:45 08 August 2012

Amazon has revealed that it now sells more e-books than print titles in the UK, marking a major milestone in the way we read and embrace new technology across the nation.

 

First released in 2007, Amazon's Kindle is an electronic book reader that can store thousands of books and has a battery life of up to a month. Books can be downloaded via 3G or wifi. 

 

Analysts have suggested that because of the generic appearance of the device, owners have increased privacy and can hide what potentially embarrassing titles they are reading in public, driving up sales. 

 

Amazon, which owns the Kindle, has released figures whcih confirm that 114 e-books to every 100 printed hardbacks and paperbacks are being sold by them.

 

This milestone was passed a few years back in the US but has only just reached our shores. The Americans have had the Kindle device longer than we have however. 

Jorrit Van der Meulen, vice president of Kindle EU, said:  "Customers in the UK are now choosing Kindle books more often than print books, even as our print business continues to grow. 

 

"We hit this milestone in the United States less than four years after introducing Kindle, so to reach this landmark after just two years in the UK is remarkable and shows how quickly UK readers are embracing Kindle.

 

"As a result of the success of Kindle, we're selling more books than ever before on behalf of authors and publishers. And thanks to Kindle Direct Publishing, thousands of self-published authors have also been given an outlet to share their work with the millions of Kindle readers worldwide."

 

Amazon launched the Kindle in the UK in 2010 and it has since dominated Christmas shopping lists by adults and children alike. 

 

Another major factor of the Kindle's rise to power is because aspiring writers can self publish on the platform. One incredible success story has been erotic fiction trilogy '50 Shades' by EL James, selling millions of copies within months.