Consumers paid less for books in all formats in 2012 than they did in 2009. That was one of the key findings in the 2013 U.S. Book Consumer Demographics & Book Buying Behaviors Annual Review, the newest study published by Bowker on consumer trends in the book market. Digital formats saw the biggest change: the average price paid for e-books fell to $5.65 in 2012, from $10.19 in 2009. The average price of an audiobook fell from $17.87 in 2009 to $11.50, driven by the growing adoption of lower-priced digital downloads. On the print side, price changes were less dramatic and more up and down during the four-year period. Prices paid for mass market paperbacks, for example, were down only 3¢ between 2009 and 2012, and they actually rose between 2011 and 2012—mass market was the only format with a price increase in the year.
The complete report is available through August for $799. The report is also being sold by chapter, and more information is available here.
