The Story Behind approximately Germany E-Book Sales

In passenger subway of New York City has seen the number of people ditching the novel for a kindle or iPad to explode. E-books last year considered for 20.2 percent of all books sold in the U.S., up from 7.3 percent in 2010, according to Market Research Bowker. But that mass use of digital words are far from one of Europe's most cultured, Germany, where e-books account for only 1 percent of all book sales, according to a report- published last month by market research firm GDK Spiegel International. last week taking a closer look at slow warm German for digital reading and found out that there are two reasons. The main reason is that the physical book is so ingrained in the German way of life. "I think this is first and foremost a cultural thing," says Jürgen Harth from the German Publishers & Booksellers Association Spiegel. "In almost every corner there is a bookstore. That's the big difference between Germany and the United States "Dominique Pleimling, tagapagpananaliksik the Institute for the Study of the book of the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, echoed that sentiment Harth. "Germany has an emotional interaction with the book," he said, noting that the printing press was invented in Germany and publisher today pride in producing quality books there. "If you look at American and German hardcover hardcover, or novel, you'll see a clear difference in how they are made, American often use paper log book not much fun. German book has some beauty, and beauty "Threats to quality never. Welcome, Pleimling added, shows that Germany took nearly a decade to bask in the novel when they were introduced to 1950s.Perhaps because of their deep attachment to the printed word, many Germans believe that they can not read well digital device, despite contrary evidence. A 2011 Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz study found almost no difference in speed when reading or retention of the test subjects reading from paper vs. digital display. However, the German test subjects insisted that they are better at reading than paper.Beyond Germany bibliophilia, sales of e-books will suffer economic barriers. According Pleimling, the German market is set to protect the book, but not necessarily e-books. While the U.S. is determined by the price of German booksellers book price book publisher. Fixed price system of the state, is designed to protect a small seller of books, meaning books cost the same no matter where you buy it. German publishers are also set e-book prices, and tend not to discount too much, so it does not weaken sales printed. E-books, according to Pleimling, can cost as much as € 19 ($ 25). Another factor in the economics textbooks are generally exempt from the German value-added tax of 19 percent. Instead they are taxed at 7 percent, a special tax rate for government goods considered essential. Discount does not apply to e-books, based on the 19 percent VAT. Germany Boersenverein, a lobby group representing publishers, is currently fighting the e-book reduced.The VAT tax differences can not be given too much significance, though. In the UK, e-books are about 11 percent of all book sales in 2011 despite the fact that it is based on the 20 percent VAT is not applicable to the printing books.Germany is not alone shows a lack of interest in digital books. The same is likely to take place in all of Europe (except UK), where the level of e-book sales tend to just hover around 1 percent, if that, according to the Global eBook Market (PDF ) prepared for the 2011 Frankfurt Book Fair. Report notes that the cultural barriers in France, where sales of e-books is estimated at around 1.8 percent: "Defending cultural diversification of infrastructure in particular, the close network of bookstores echoed various media reports and continuous political activism aimed at limiting and should negatively impact both the book and the advent of online e-book marketable, seen as a threat to small library [bookstore], " , read report.It 'is likely to change with time. "In Germany, we still 1 percent, but it increased by 77 percent from last year," said Pleimling. "If the growth rate continues like this, we are the same level as the United States in recent years. You can buy a kindle here, the iPad is very successful in Germany, the iPhone has been very successful, and now Barnes & Noble is coming to Germany, too. If the device is constantly getting cheaper, more people will buy it, and everything can change very quickly. '