Good News For Print Books And Bookstore Lovers!

The reports of the deaths of print books and bookstores may have been greatly exaggerated. The New York Times reported recently that sales of e-books have been slipping while book stores have been showing "strong signs of resurgence."

From The Times:

While analysts once predicted that e-books would overtake print by 2015, digital sales have instead slowed sharply.

...Now, there are signs that some e-book adopters are returning to print, or becoming hybrid readers, who juggle devices and paper. E-book sales fell by 10 percent in the first five months of this year, according to the Association of American Publishers, which collects data from nearly 1,200 publishers. Digital books accounted last year for around 20 percent of the market, roughly the same as they did a few years ago.

Even better news is how this has positively affected book stores:

The surprising resilience of print has provided a lift to many booksellers. Independent bookstores, which were battered by the recession and competition from Amazon, are showing strong signs of resurgence. The American Booksellers Association counted 1,712 member stores in 2,227 locations in 2015, up from 1,410 in 1,660 locations five years ago. 

“The fact that the digital side of the business has leveled off has worked to our advantage,” said Oren Teicher, chief executive of the American Booksellers Association. “It’s resulted in a far healthier independent bookstore market today than we have had in a long time.”

#BookstoreLives Matter!

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