Saturday, January 29, 2011

Ebook Lovers Flocking To What May Be Largest Poll Ever About Ebooks; Nearly 2000 Have Already Taken Part; Early Results Online Now, Poll Closes Monday

What's shaping up as no doubt the largest survey of people who read ebooks is closing in on 2,000  respondents, and the poll is still open to everyone--regardless of what device they use to read ebooks.


The online poll closes at midnight on Monday, January 31, when Stephen Windwalker begins tabulating results.   He is publisher of several popular bogs covering the ebook industry, including Planet iPad and Kindle Nation Daily.


Though short at 15 questions, the survey allows for significant detail in result interpretation.  An early look at results to date indicates the survey is getting a good picture of

  • what devices ebook lovers use to read on, 
  • how readers feel about the various players in the publishing industry, from authors to major publishing houses, 
  • how resistant readers are to higher ebook prices.
  • and quite a bit more.

A year ago, when most ebook reading was done on Amazon's Kindles, most survey respondents were Kindle owners.  Since then, with the Amazon Kindle Store throwing open its mountain of ebooks to nearly all popular devices, results will no doubt reflect a broader picture of America's fascination with ebooks.


In just the last year, new toys to read ebooks on have appeared:  iPads, android and apple smartphones, and more recently tablet computers like the Samsung Galaxy.  Kindle Store books can be read on them all, by way of easy-to-use apps.  


Amazon announced last week its ebook inventory is now over 810,000.  The company said  ebook sales have surpassed the previous leader--paperbacks--in sales totals.  


Amazon is now selling about 115 ebooks for every paperback sold.  Ebook sales are triple that of hardbacks


To take part in the survey, and see early results in all the detail you want,  click here.


Windwalker is publisher of Planet iPad.  Here is the text of his recent email to the world of ebook reading:


The Winter 2011 Kindle Nation Citizen Survey will close at midnight Monday night, January 31, but we need to hear from you first! (And, of course, we'd love to hear from every other Kindle customer you know before then, too, if you'd like to help us spread the word by forwarding this email to a friend or two.)


Why does it matter? Because things are changing quickly in the ebook world, and as a Kindle customer you are in a position to help shape that change.


By taking just a few moments to answer 15 questions, you can send a message to the decision makers in the publishing, bookselling and ebook worlds. You can influence ebook prices, selection, features, and more, because our survey is already demonstrating more clearly than ever that readers are making their own decisions to set prices and determine what they will read rather than following the lead of gatekeepers.


And if that weren't enough, based on what survey participants have been telling us, there's a good chance you'll have fun!





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