Learn about the results of the Verso Survey of Book-Buying Behavior
At the 2010 Digital Book World Conference, Verso presented the results of our first “Survey of Book-Buying Behavior” — creating a stir there that resonated with publishers, booksellers and readers as far away as England and Australia. Powered by the expertise of Burst Media, the Survey was conducted across the full breadth of the Reader Channel network in two waves during November and December, 2009. The Survey polled 5,640 book-buying respondents, weighted to mirror the U.S. adult population. Adhering to the highest standards of online survey data collection, the results are statistically reliable within a 1.6 percentage-point margin of error, at a 95% probability level.
Early reports from Publishers Lunch followed up on the Survey’s implications for two of the hottest topics in publishing—e-book piracy and e-book pricing—and generated immediate interest in book industry circles. The American Booksellers Association immediately saw how the Survey provides actionable data for their members, and invited Verso’s director of business development, Jack McKeown, to Winter Institute (Wi5) to give a keynote address on what the results mean for independent booksellers.
Because we strongly believe in the value of independent bookstores and the power of their customers, Verso is conducting an additional survey specifically for the ABA that will focus on issues specific to independent bookstores. The new survey will probe more deeply into the indie “mindshare to marketshare” opportunity that was highlighted in our Digitial Book World and Wi5 presentations earlier this year, and will also look more deeply into the ebook/e-reader evolving market share (including an iPad-related question, since the survey will launch during the third-week of April, just after the iPad goes on-sale). Results from this pro bono survey will be unveiled at a special presentation during “Education Day” at this year’s Book Expo America.
Related links:
For the Survey’s implications for e-book piracy, click here.
For implication for e-book pricing, click here.
For links to news, blogs and Twitter reports from Digital Book World, click here.
For links to news, blogs and Twitter reports related to our appearance at the ABA’s Winter Institute, click here.