From allAfrica:
Up to 43 per cent of Nigerians would prefer to read electronic books (e-books), a Daily Trust online poll shows, though the larger percentage still prefer to read a “normal” book.
The poll asked which kind of books readers preferred, between print books and e-books. A little more than 57 per cent of the 1,579 visitors who participated in the poll chose normal books, leaving 43 per cent who preferred e-books.
The figure shows some awareness about the latest book technology sweeping through the world of publishing.
Data from 250 publishers around the world show sales of consumer e-books increase by 366 per cent last year, according to the Publishers Association.
Last year alone, e-book sales became equivalent to 6 per cent of consumer physical book sales by value, it highlighted in its report.
“The beauty of e-books is that they are so versatile, you can read on your phone, computer or several brands of e-readers. You can also send them digitally to any part of the world,” says Myne Whitman, author of Heart to Mend and Rekindled. Both works of the Nigerian writer based in Seattle, USA, have been stocked on major online ebook retail stores.
“Currently, almost 50,000 copies of all my ebooks combined has been downloaded. That is five times more than the paperback copies,” she told Daily Trust.
“Most of the fan mail I have received have been from those who read the e-versions of my books, maybe because these people spend more time on the internet.”
The admission is telling for several reasons. Zubairu Atta, a consultant on book strategy and member of Abuja Literary Society estimates awareness may reach 60% of Nigeria – and “is still catching on particularly because the concept of payment is still an issue.”
Much more in the article. Hat tip to Pobre Gutenberg.
