Despite a world dominated by digital products, print books still maintain appeal
Kathy Miscioscio and Julie Meier share a passion for books but go their own ways in how they read.
Miscioscio, 60, a marketing consultant in Pearl River, N.Y., says she's addicted to her Sony e-reader. The only time she buys or borrows a print book is when it's not available digitally.
Meier, 43, a marketing director in Pa., says she's "Kindle-less and Nook-less and happily so." She prefers her books on paper, not screens.
Both have lots of company. Statistics released in May show e-book sales grew 43% last year, but that's a slowdown compared with the increases in recent years. E-books remain the fastest-growing part of the book market but account for only about 20% of all sales.
Miscioscio says most of her friends have also switched to e-books for the convenience and lower prices. Last winter, she vacationed in Costa Rica and says "at least 75% of those reading were reading electronically.
On the other hand, Meier, who's sticking with physical books, doesn't consider herself any kind of digital "resister."
"I'm comfortable with all forms of technology," she says. "However, when it comes to books, I suppose I'm a traditionalist. My personal preference will always be the real thing."
To her, part of the joy of reading is the book itself: "pulling it from the shelf, inspecting the cover, letting it fall open to a random page."
Miscioscio and Meier are at opposite ends of a book business in transition. Even as e-books sales have grown more than 4,000% since 2008, it's unlikely that physical books will disappear the way records did in the music industry.
Michael Pietsch, CEO of the Hachette Book Group, which includes Little, Brown and Grand Central, says he loves "the immediacy and portability of e-books." But he also cites a survey from last year that found that half of all readers had no interest in buying e-books and that the vast majority of people who buy e-books continue to buy print books as well.
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