Amazon: Kindle books outsold real books at Amazon this Christmas

[phantom power]

My so-far limited experience suggests that Kindle books are priced about equivalently to mass-market paperbacks. Anyway, I share Amanda Marcotte's curiosity about what a lengthy bad economy is going to mean for various forms of entertainment, media, DRM, etc.

All in all, what economic hard times mean for the entertainment industry is a complicated thing, and actually pretty fascinating. Radio really came into prominence during the Great Depression, and it’s hard not to wonder if the actual economic downturn played a part in that, because it encouraged staying home for your entertainment. We’re looking at a surprisingly similar situation now, both in terms of the severity of the recession and in the fact that there’s all these infant technologies that provide cheap entertainment in the home that stand to benefit. One thing that indicates that the same thing may in fact happen is the fact that Kindle books outsold real books at Amazon this Christmas. I don’t know why that might be. It’s probably a combination of factors: the novelty of Kindle books makes them easier to push for Christmas than regular books, the sense that they are less wasteful than real books probably helps them sell when “green” has become a marketing tool, and just the fact that Kindles were given as presents, and so Kindle books were sold on that like video game sales tag along after console sales.

But I also have to wonder if the perception of thrift during a recession plays into this. I say “perception”, because I’m not sure a Kindle is actually cheaper. The books aren’t much cheaper, and the device itself is expensive. (Though Kindle books on iPhones probably help push sales.) But what Kindle books do is they don’t take up space, and so they create the perception of thrift for that alone. That, plus the association of “green” with thrift helps make something that reduces paper waste and tree usage seem thriftier. I think that people also tell themselves that buying a Kindle will help them read more books, which is both considered a virtuous thing and a great way to get bang for your entertainment buck. The same money spent on a 2 hour movie will buy you 6 or more hours of reading entertainment, after all. Kindles create an opportunity to indulge these arguments while getting rid of the downside of walking around with a bag full of physical items that will take up space in your house. (Of course, you can’t resell Kindle books, but I doubt as many people are devotees of the resale shop as I am.)

Anyway, thought I’d toss out some random ideas on how the recession will affect entertainment. What trends do you see, Pandagonians? Which do you think will stick, and which do you think are flashes in the pan?

http://pandagon.net/index.php/site/comments/movies_win_in_the_recession_but_music_is_probably_going_to_eat_it/

Direct link to original article:
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/12/amazon-kindle-books-outsold-real-books-this-christmas/

[tonysam]

1. You can buy out-of-print books for pennies on the dollar

through Amazon's sellers and at least have something tangible. I have paid for books for a penny and then for shipping, which is no more than 3 or 4 dollars.

[phantom power]

2. One of the things Amazon has done well is their integration w/ independent sellers.

I've purchased quite a few out-of-print books from used book dealers via Amazon, which is conveniently exactly the same as purchasing directly from them. They've done a similarly good job integrating Kindle content. Purchasing Kindle content looks exactly the same as purchasing anything else, whether it is via a browser or the Kindle itself.

[phantom power]

3. Tangentially, I have a couple other observations about "Kindle economics"

One is that owning a Kindle also includes using what is effectively a mobile internet service. I pay nothing for that service directly, which means that the price of the device and any content I buy for it must somehow compensate for the cost of that mobile internet service as well.

Another feature they provide which I'm pretty jazzed about is that you can email your ".pdf" ".doc", etc, files to your kindle, and they are automatically converted to kindle format and send to your device. The cost of that is currently fifteen cents per document. Which is actually a pretty good deal, considering the alternative of paying for paper and ink cartridges. And attendant environmental impacts.

And, finally, there is the somewhat more intangible notion of paying for the ability to carry over a thousand books' worth of content around with you with the volume and weight footprint of a single paperback, and/or owning a thousand books which take up no shelf space. This is actually sort of a big deal for me, since I long ago reached the point of having to more or less get rid of one book for every one I acquire. The thought of not having to get rid of them, and even search them at will, is pretty cool, but individuals' mileage will surely vary.

And another thing, I've only owned it for a few days. I'm waiting to see whether I'm still in love with it six months from now.

[dixiegrrrrl]

4. And you can swap books for the price of postage.

which is how I came to have, at last count, 250 books sitting around waiting to be read.
I use 2 swap sites, 90% of the books I get and send out are in like new condition, the rest are very good.
Average cost, about 2.50 a book. ( I read mostly non-fiction).

The only advantage of kindle for me would be adjustment of the print type/size, which can vary in books, and my older eyes appreciate sharper print nowadays.

[girl gone mad]

5. I bought only used books for x-mas this year..

and purchased through abe books - the best, imo.

[Xenotime]

6. At least trees were saved. That is a start.

[Ari_G]

7. More info in Kindle

Found a site with lot of information on the latest kindle device and content available.
It's a blog called 'The Wireless Reading Device'