Is the Kindle Killing the Book?
There has been constant speculation over whether or not the physical book will survive after the increase of eBooks, along with the incline of the use of technology within the Publishing industry. As we entered into the digital age, book-lovers feared the downfall of the book, thus the downfall of the beloved traditional bookshops, with the convenience of the internet within the house through the use of online sources such as Amazon alongside easily accessible eBooks for the Kindle. This leaves us with the ongoing debate of whether or not the the digital age, more specifically the Kindle is killing the book.
We have seen the increase of the eBook. In 2011 Edward Cumming reported ‘the printed books decline has already begun’ in an article written for the telegraph, but saw this in a more positive light. This being that publishers and writers would have to compete on more levels, having books more accessible. This perhaps means more jobs, or at least more competition in the market and an increase in the need for younger employees who understand the technology of today. However, this leaves us to consider what will happen to the printed book. There is something unique about possessing a physical copy of a book, something more sentimental about the books we have on our bookshelves at home. The memories we possess with a book provide a greater attachment than that which we gain from an unlimited source of books on a kindle. Historically books have held value, being a luxury item, determining one’s wealth. Through making books so accessible and wide spread, being able to have so many on one small device almost takes away from the luxurious nature of the book, forcing to to become mundane and common. This is such a sad fate of a direction to watch the printed book descend to.
However, while ten years ago it was massively feared that the book was dying and being taken over by the eBook world, in recent years we have found the book still thriving. There was a ‘17% slump in the sale of consumer eBooks while physical book revenue increased by 8%’ (Bookseller, 2017) in 2017. This indicates the downfall of the eBook in recent years, suggesting that it may not be killing off the book after all. Kozlowski argued that one of the main causes of the decrease of revenue of eBooks was the increase of sales of audiobooks, which have been seen to become more popular in recent years. People are less so reading books on their devices as they are listening to audiotapes. This gives off the implication that while it is not necessarily the kindle that is killing the book, instead it is technology as a whole. The ability to listen to books on digital devices instead of having to read them theirsleves is causing huge changes in the publishing world.
With all this in mind, it remains evident through the ongoing, and in recent years increasing sales of the printed book, while technology offers a more accessible means of gaining a book, the book is not dying, not for the foreseeable future at least.
References:
Rowberry, Simon, The Bookseller, Is The eBook a Dead Format?, 2017, https://www.thebookseller.com/futurebook/ebook-dead-format-595431
Cumming, Edward, The Telegraph, Are Kindles Killig off the Beautiful book?, 2011, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/8352505/Are-Kindles-killing-off-the-beautiful-book.html
Jean-Phillipe, Mckenzie, Oprahmag, I’ve Stopped Comparing My Kindle to Books, 2018, https://www.oprahmag.com/entertainment/books/a23390866/kindle-vs-book/
The Digital Reader, AAP Reports eBook Sales Down 5% in January 2019, 2019, https://the-digital-reader.com/2019/03/14/aap-reports-ebook-sales-down-5-in-january-2019/
Kozlowski, Michael, Goodreader, ebook sales decrease by 4.5% in the first quarter of 2019, 2019, https://goodereader.com/blog/e-book-news/ebook-sales-decrease-by-4-5-in-the-first-quarter-of-2019
