If your head is still spinning after 2009’s triple digit growth rate, you’ll need a clamp to steady your skull when you read that January 2010 e-book sales posted a nearly 370% jump over the same month in 2009, according to the International Digital Publishing Forum and the Association of American Publishers. The numbers are $31,900,000 for January ‘10 compared to $8,800,000 for January ‘09. January was also the biggest e-sales month ever, and it wasn’t even close. The biggest month to date was December ‘09 at $19,100,000.

IDPF reminds us that:

* This data represents United States revenues only
* This data represents only trade e-book 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 graph at at the top of the page shows sales through ‘09 but do not reflect January 2010.

Richard Curtis