This month, for the first time, I was able to differentiate between eBook sales for devices like Kindle and those that were just in PDF format. The results look like this:
The effort involved to make books available in PDF format seems to have paid off, and I shall definitely choose to do this in future, especially for the larger format books that do not easily convert to eBook format.
It is interesting to note how some books sell well in paperback format (for example, HEXBLITZ and WHEN EMPIRES CLASH!), whilst others (e.g. THE PORTABLE WARGAME) have sold well in eBook format. It is also interesting to compare the sales of the two larger, US Letter-size books (A WINTER-ISH WAR and TROUBLE IN ZUBIA) across the three formats in which they are available, especially as I am thinking of publishing my next wargame book in this larger size because it will enable me to present my rules in a somewhat less cramped way.
The effort involved to make books available in PDF format seems to have paid off, and I shall definitely choose to do this in future, especially for the larger format books that do not easily convert to eBook format.
It is interesting to note how some books sell well in paperback format (for example, HEXBLITZ and WHEN EMPIRES CLASH!), whilst others (e.g. THE PORTABLE WARGAME) have sold well in eBook format. It is also interesting to compare the sales of the two larger, US Letter-size books (A WINTER-ISH WAR and TROUBLE IN ZUBIA) across the three formats in which they are available, especially as I am thinking of publishing my next wargame book in this larger size because it will enable me to present my rules in a somewhat less cramped way.
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The thing that consistently surprises me is the low sales numbers for "Ultima Cruzada" as it is an absolutely essential source book for the SCW. I can only assume everyone who wanted a copy bought the original and can't see the need to upgrade. That's a pity as there's lots more in the new version.
ReplyDeleteTrebian,
DeleteI had hoped that it would sell a few more copies than it has ... but it isn’t of mainstream wargaming interest, so it isn’t that surprising that it hasn’t.
All the best,
Bob
It would be interesting to know how many people print the pdf versions at home.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to see how well the books have sold.
Ross Mac,
DeleteI understand that quite a few people like the PDF format because they can print the parts of the book that just contain the rules.
The book sales certainly continue to flourish, and it looks as if I’ll break to six thousand barrier in the not too distant future.
All the best,
Bob
Although I can see the advantage of pdf's and e-readers, I'm a book man through and through!
ReplyDeleteSteve J.,
DeleteI also prefer to have a book rather than an electronic version ... and the current trend in overall book sales seems to indicate that a lot of people are returning to the printed medium at the expense of electronic versions of publications.
All the best,
Bob
I like PDFs and just print off the bits I need.
DeleteRe the last crusade - perhaps you could publish an SCW variant of your 20th century rules (it is already more or less there) to tickle people's interest in the period!
Regards
Simon
Simon,
DeleteI suspect that you are not alone in buying the PDF editions of my books so that you can just print the bits that you want to use.
I have been thinking about writing a mid twentieth century version of my PW rules, and you are right, they might just spark a bit of interest in my book about the Spanish Civil War.
All the best,
Bob
Bob,
ReplyDeleteI’m not sure that it is really true that “...a lot of people are returning to the printed medium at the expense of electronic versions of publications”. Well, actually I’m sure that it is trivially true suspect that these numbers could be more than balanced by those moving in the opposite direction.
I’ve seen a number of news stories about this supposed trend over the last few years but those that I have examined all looked fairly dubious. They typically seemed to be cases where statistics from traditional publishing organisations had been interpreted incorrectly by reporters who didn’t realise that they only covered part of the market (and that this was the part where publishers pricing policies were deliberately trying the suppress e-book sales). They also seemed to ignore the upheavals in the – very large – education market.
I’m not making any claim to expertise here – in fact the more I look into this the less I feel I know – but my conclusion is that basically no one really knows what is going on, with the exception of Amazon who, as usual, are not talking. I did read a recent comment quoting an Amazon blog as saying that e-book sales had once again grown in 2019 but I never actually traced the blog posting in question. I also have no idea what “sales” actually means: a lot of the industry figures seem to be the net cash received by publishers (so the wholesale price, possibly with a reduction for predicted returns) but Amazon could just as easily be talking about unit sales, and sometimes the industry does the same, though usually only when boasting about particular bestsellers.
As for preferences, I much prefer e-books for fiction but for most nonfiction purchases (history and wargames books) I choose paper. History hardbacks also make nice entries in my birthday and Christmas wishlists. However, I am accumulating a collection of military history e-book reprints as I cannot resist when I see something on sale at 99p, even though chances are that the maps will be inadequate,
All the best,
Mike
Mike Hall,
DeleteI based my statement about the move back to print from data I received from people I know who work in publishing. It was their impression that electronic books sales were slowing down whilst printed book sales were rising. The changes were slight, but perceptible.
What the published figures do not make clear is how the sales are split. Mine show the difference between printed and electronic formats, which makes a comparison relatively easy. This is not true elsewhere.
What my figures seem to show is that when it comes to wargame books, a reasonably-priced paperback will sell as well - if not slightly better - than an electronic edition. Hardbacks sales tend to go to people who are willing to pay a bit more for a better quality/longer-lasting type of binding.
I suspect that there is a difference between fiction and non-fiction sales. Like you, I tend to favour electronic fiction and printed non-fiction, although I do have some books in both formats.
All the best,
Bob
Good going - there is no such thing as a retired author!
ReplyDeleteGeordie an Exile,
DeleteIn my case, it was retirement that gave me the time and opportunity to become a writer.
All the best,
Bob