Is print continuing its winning streak? Spoiler alert: yes, with a few nuances.
The results are in: print books are not going anywhere. But steadily increasing e-book sales indicate that digital formats aren't either. This raises the question: what's on the horizon for publishers and readers alike? Let's take a deeper dive.
Which book format do American readers prefer?
Pew Research Center's recent study revealed that 64% of US adults have read a print book in the past twelve months while 31% report reading an e-book in the same time frame.
Additionally, 26% of US adults in the past year listened to an audiobook, another format that's seen consistent growth throughout the years.1
What do these reading statistics tell us?
It can be assumed that print is entering its final chapter as digital waits patiently in the wings for its chance to take over. However, that assumption is overlooking a broader trend: hybrid business models.
How hybrid publishing models are changing the industry
It's no coincidence that publishers offer their books in multiple formats: the reliable paperbacks and hardcovers, the growing e-book segment, and the cutting-edge category of audiobooks. These formats are working together to meet the constantly shifting preferences of readers; one day it's the tactility of print drawing in readers, another it's the convenience of e-readers. Supporting this idea, a 2022 study found that 33% of US adults read both print and digital in the preceding year.2
Perhaps technology functions less as an adversary and more as a driver of reading behavior. We've seen this reflected clearly in BookTok's influence on the print book market, which saw a 9% print book sales increase in 2021 as the TikTok community gained significant momentum.3 Ultimately, screentime on digital platforms directly translated into higher demand for physical books.
Print and digital: a partnership, not a competition
E-books are not here to replace print; same goes for the inverse. Ultimately, this is not a hostile takeover or a winner-takes-all race to the top. What we're seeing is a meaningful expansion of options not only for publishers but for readers as well.
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1 Pew Research Center, Americans still opt for print books over digital or audio versions; few are in book clubs, 2026
2 Pew Research Center, Three-in-ten Americans now read e-books, 2022
3 World Economic Forum, This is how TikTok helped propel book sales to a bestselling year, 2022