From: Alex Holzman <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Wed, 14 Dec 2011 22:31:13 -0500

Joe,

I think for university presses it's getting to be more like 5-10%
electronic now.  I agree overall numbers will trail trade publishing
for a bit, but if UPCC and other efforts succeed to the degree I think
they may, then the scholarly monograph that sells only 300 copies (or
fewer, heaven help us) will be more like 75-80% electronic in pretty
short order.  The monographs are overwhelmingly sold to libraries and
what we're hearing is a preference for electronic, Chuck's good points
about difficult archiving issues notwithstanding.  PDA seems likely
only to accelerate the e-trend.

Of course I could be entirely wrong.....

Alex

Alex Holzman
Director
Temple University Press
Email: [log in to unmask]
http://www.temple.edu/tempress




On Wed, Dec 14, 2011 at 8:52 PM, LIBLICENSE <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:

> From: Joseph Esposito <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: Tue, 13 Dec 2011 23:45:31 -0800
>
> I also have been counting ereading devices on public transportation.
> Interesting as well are statistics from the AAP (publishers' group).
> Trade publishers are now reporting that 20% of total volume is ebooks.
>  The number is lower for scholarly books, probably in the range of
> 2-3%, though some academic publishers are approaching double digits.
>
> Predictions for the trade go as high s 50% in just a few years.  One
> prediction (by Mike Shatzkin, a prominent industry consultant) puts
> the figure at 80%.  I think that academic titles will trail trade for
> some time.  Oddly, whereas the trade was far behind scholarly
> publishers for many years, that situation is now reversing.
>
> Joe Esposito