The Pen Is Mightier: E-Book Growth Stagnating

30 percent of the market

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Good news, bookstores: Though e-books were once projected to comprise as much as 80 percent of all book buying and reading in the U.S., they have stalled out, according to a new study.

The report by the Book Industry Study Group found that, for about a year, e-books’ market share has been flat at 30 percent of books sold and 15 percent of total book revenue.

Bad news, bookstores: The survey also said that readers would be more willing to buy e-books if they could be given away or sold later. So there is still a way for e-book sellers to recruit more readers.

About a third of people in the U.S. own a tablet or e-reader. And iPads aren’t doing as well for those who buy e-books as you might think: The study also showed that 40 percent of U.S. adults who have read e-books say they own a Kindle, compared to only 27 percent who own an iPad.