October 2008 e-book sales at $5,200,000 showed an increase of 73% over the same month in 2007, according to the Association of American Publishers and the International Digital Publishing Forum. Calendar Year to Date Revenue is up 57.7%.

The true numbers may be even better than the charts indicate. The IDPF reminds us that:

* This data represents United States revenues only
* This data represents only trade eBook sales via wholesale channels. Retail numbers may be as much as double the above figures due to industry wholesale discounts.
* This data represents only data submitted from approx. 12 to 15 trade publishers
* This data does not include library, educational or professional electronic sales
* The numbers reflect the wholesale revenues of publishers
* The definition used for reporting electronic book sales is “All books delivered electronically over the Internet OR to hand-held reading devices”
* The IDPF and AAP began collecting data together starting in Q1 2006

While e-books were going through the roof, print books were going through the floor. The AAP confirmed that October’s sales fell more than 20% and overall sales for the first 10 months of 2008 were down 3.4% compared to the same period last year. Anecdotal reports for November are inexpressibly depressing.

RC