E-Book Publishing in the US - Market Research Report (2014-2029)
New York, United States
Last Updated: August 2024
NAICS OD4579Revenue
$4.3bn
Past 5-Year Growth
Profit
$XXX.Xm
Employees
8,221
Businesses
254
Wages
$XXX.Xm
E-Book Publishing in the US industry analysis
The E-Book Publishing industry has undergone volatile behavior throughout the past decade but has grown alongside technological advances. While e-book sales surged with the introduction of new mobile devices, industry-relevant revenue has wavered as consumer interest in e-books has diminished. There are signs that consumers may be fatigued with digital media texts and continue to consume printed material alone or in tandem with e-books and audiobooks when seeking longer-form book content. The pandemic and ensuing depletion of brick-and-mortar retail book sales enabled e-books to take advantage of opportune circumstances to grow. Major publishers have increasingly focused on digital catalogs, recognizing the advantages of lower production costs and instant availability. Industry revenue is slated to incline at an annualized rate of 0.5% to $4.3 billion through the end of 2024, including a 3.8% climb in 2024 alone. This comes as profit, measured as earnings before interest and taxes, is on track to reach 7.0% of industry revenue.
Trends and Insights
- E-books are here to stay, but print's still king. Despite rising screen time and advanced e-book features, print books remain the most popular reading format among adults.
- E-book publishers leverage consistent demand from the education sector. College-aged students often opt for inexpensive electronic textbooks or other nondiscretionary professional or technical books.
- The E-Book Publishing industry generally follows the dispersion of the overall national population. Areas with significant populations, such as California, New York and Florida, prove advantageous to e-book publishers.
- Publishers work to attract best-selling authors and invest in long-term contracts with these authors to guarantee rights to their works. Authors are often attracted to well-known publishers with the financial flexibility to invest in brands, benefiting larger publishers.
Industry Overview
Market size and recent performance (2014-2029)
Industry revenue has grown at a CAGR of 0.5 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated $4.3bn in 2024.
Trends and Insights
Technology acceptance enables e-books to flourish
- According to the latest Pew Research Data, more Americans are diversifying their book consumption across various formats. Despite this trend, print books remain the most popular, with 30% of adults reading an e-book in the past year. College students, in particular, are more inclined to read books in any format.
- Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Source: IBISWorld
Industry outlook (2024-2029)
Market size is projected to grow over the next five years.
Trends and Insights
The rise of self-publishing poses a threat to industry growth
- Following the rapid adoption of e-books, the industry is unlikely to exceed its historical share of the publishing market. Although rising interest among current readers or introducing a new platform could heighten the industry's growth potential, these will not drastically alter the industry's performance.
Biggest companies in the E-Book Publishing in the US
| Company | Market Share (%)
2024 | Revenue ($m)
2024 | Profit ($m)
2024 | Profit Margin (%)
2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Amazon.Com, Inc. | 452.0 | 32.8 | 7.2 | |
Penguin Random House Audio | 367.6 | 70.1 | 19.1 | |
Smashwords Inc. | 13.8 | 1.0 | 7.1 |
To view the market share and analysis for all 3 top companies in this industry, view purchase options.
Products & Services Segmentation
Source: IBISWorld
Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Adult trade books, Textbooks and general reference books and Professional, technical and scholarly books. Adult trade books is the largest segment of the E-Book Publishing in the US.
Trends and Insights
Professional, technical and scholarly books support the industry due to steady demand
- This segment tends to be relatively stable because many purchases are non-discretionary. College students will be required to purchase reading material for their coursework. While these books are targeted at a niche this demographic is simultaneously a willing-to-pay audience, leading to these books commanding higher price points.
- More insights available in the full report
Widen you competitive advantage with related industries
Competitors
- Newspaper Publishing in the US
- Magazine & Periodical Publishing in the US
Complementors
- Database & Directory Publishing in the US
- Greeting Cards & Other Publishing in the US
- E-Commerce & Online Auctions in the US
International industries
- Book Publishing in Canada
- Book Publishing in Australia
- Magazine and Book Publishing in New Zealand
- Book Publishing in the UK
- Audiobook Publishing in the UK
Table of Contents
About this industry
Industry definition
Companies in the E-Book Publishing industry design books that are already in print for a digital format, and discover, edit and design books that are published exclusively in digital formats. The industry does not include authors who self-publish; for information on this see the Performers and Creative Artists industry report (IBISWorld report 71151).
What's included in this industry?
Publishing electronic textbooks and general reference booksPublishing electronic adult trade booksPublishing electronic professional, technical and scholarly booksPublishing electronic children's booksCompanies
Amazon.Com, Inc.Penguin Random House AudioSmashwords Inc.Purchase this report to view all 3 major companies in this industry.
Related Terms
ADOPTIONE-BOOKGHOSTWRITERTRADE BOOKHOT SPOTBROADBANDE-READERTABLETIndustry Code
NAICS 51113 - E-Book Publishing in the US
Performance
Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.
Analyst insights
E-books are here to stay, but print's still king. Despite rising screen time and advanced e-book features, print books remain the most popular reading format among adults.
In this chapter (4)
- Current Performance
- Outlook
- Volatility
- Life Cycle
Key metrics
- Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
- Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
- Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
- Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business
Charts
- Revenue, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
- Employees, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
- Businesses, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
- Profit, including historical (2014-2024)
- Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
- Industry Life Cycle
Detailed analysis
- Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
- Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
- Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
- How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.
Products and Markets
Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.
Analyst insight
E-book publishers leverage consistent demand from the education sector. College-aged students often opt for inexpensive electronic textbooks or other nondiscretionary profess...
In this chapter
- Products & Services
- Major Markets
Key metrics
- Largest market segment and value in 2024
- Product innovation level
Charts
- Products & services segmentation in 2024
- Major market segmentation in 2024
Detailed analysis
- Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
- Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
- Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
- Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services
Geographic Breakdown
Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.
Analyst insights
The E-Book Publishing industry generally follows the dispersion of the overall national population. Areas with significant populations, such as California, New York and Flori...
In this chapter (1)
- Business Locations
Charts
- Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each state
- Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2024
Tables
- Number and share of establishments in each state in 2024
- Number and share of revenue each state accounts for in 2024
- Number and share of wages each state accounts for in 2024
- Number and share of employees in each state in 2024
Detailed analysis
- Geographic spread of the industry across North America, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
- Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage
Competitive Forces
Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.
Analyst insights
Publishers work to attract best-selling authors and invest in long-term contracts with these authors to guarantee rights to their works. Authors are often attracted to well-k...
In this chapter (4)
- Concentration
- Barriers to Entry
- Substitutes
- Buyer & Supplier Analysis
Key metrics
- Industry concentration level
- Industry competition level and trend
- Barriers to entry level and trend
- Substitutes level and trend
- Buyer power level and trend
- Supplier power level and trend
Charts
- Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2019-2024
- Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart
Detailed analysis
- Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
- Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
- Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
- Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
- Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
- Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
- Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
- Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
- Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.
Companies
Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.
Analyst insights
Amazon has consistently outperformed the industry and other large online retailers. As the pandemic's effects continue to alter and reshape the economy, Amazon has been able ...
In this chapter
- Market Share Concentration
- Companies
- Company Spotlights
Charts
- Industry market share by company in 2020 through 2024
- Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2024
- Overview of Amazon.Com, Inc.'s performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
- Overview of Penguin Random House Audio's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
- Overview of Smashwords Inc.'s performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
Detailed analysis
- Description and key data for Amazon.Com, Inc., and factors influencing its performance in the industry
- Description and key data for Penguin Random House Audio, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
- Description and key data for Smashwords Inc., and factors influencing its performance in the industry
External Environment
Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.
Analyst insights
As more business is conducted online and e-commerce sales flourish, e-books have grown more popular. Increased disposable income levels and expenditure on recreational activi...
In this chapter
- External Drivers
- Regulation & Policy
- Assistance
Key metrics
- Regulation & policy level and trend
- Assistance level and trend
Charts
- Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2014-2029)
- Assistance historical data and forecast (2014-2029)
Detailed analysis
- Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
- Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
- Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.
Financial Benchmarks
View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time.
Analyst insights
The lack of printing and paper costs enables e-book publishers to keep purchase costs manageable. Low purchase costs lead to steady industry profitability but can be offset b...
In this chapter
- Cost Structure
- Financial Ratios
- Key Ratios
Key metrics
- Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
- Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
- Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
- Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio
Charts
- Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
- Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
- Investment vs. share of economy
Data tables
- Industry Multiples (2017-2022)
- Industry Tax Structure (2017-2022)
- Income Statement (2017-2022)
- Balance Sheet (2017-2022)
- Liquidity Ratios (2017-2022)
- Coverage Ratios (2017-2022)
- Leverage Ratios (2017-2022)
- Operating Ratios (2017-2022)
- Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2014-2029)
- Revenue per Employee (2014-2029)
- Revenue per Enterprise (2014-2029)
- Employees per Establishment (2014-2029)
- Employees per Enterprise (2014-2029)
- Average Wage (2014-2029)
- Wages/Revenue (2014-2029)
- Establishments per Enterprise (2014-2029)
- IVA/Revenue (2014-2029)
- Imports/Demand (2014-2029)
- Exports/Revenue (2014-2029)
Detailed analysis
- Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability
Key Statistics
Industry Data
Data Tables
Including values and annual change:
- Revenue (2014-2029)
- IVA (2014-2029)
- Establishments (2014-2029)
- Enterprises (2014-2029)
- Employment (2014-2029)
- Exports (2014-2029)
- Imports (2014-2029)
- Wages (2014-2029)
Methodology
How are IBISWorld reports created?
IBISWorld has been a leading provider of trusted industry research for over 50 years to the most successful companies worldwide. With offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, we are proud to have local teams of analysts that conduct research, data analysis and forecasting to produce data-driven industry reports.
Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.
IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.
What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?
Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.
Key data sources in the US include:
- US Census Bureau
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics
- US International Trade Commission
Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.
These sources include:
- Industry and trade associations
- Industry federations or regulators
- Major industry players annual or quarterly filings
Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.
How does IBISWorld forecast its data?
IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.
IBISWorld prides itself on being a trusted, independent source of data, with over 50 years of experience building and maintaining rich datasets and forecasting tools. We are proud to be the keystone source of industry information for thousands of companies across the world.
Learn more about our methodology and data sourcing on the Help Center.
Frequently Asked Questions
Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.
What is the market size of the E-Book Publishing in the US industry in United States in 2024?
The market size of the E-Book Publishing in the US industry in United States is $4.3bn in 2024.
How many businesses are there in the E-Book Publishing in the US industry in 2024?
There are 254 businesses in the E-Book Publishing in the US industry in United States, which has declined at a CAGR of 0.5 % between 2019 and 2024.
Has the E-Book Publishing in the US industry in United States grown or declined over the past 5 years?
The market size of the E-Book Publishing in the US industry in United States has been growing at a CAGR of 0.5 % between 2019 and 2024.
What is the forecast growth of the E-Book Publishing in the US industry in United States over the next 5 years?
Over the next five years, the E-Book Publishing in the US industry in United States is expected to grow.
What are the biggest companies in the E-Book Publishing in the US market in United States?
The biggest companies operating in the E-Book Publishing market in United States are Amazon.Com, Inc., Penguin Random House Audio and Smashwords Inc.
What does the E-Book Publishing in the US in United States include?
Publishing electronic textbooks and general reference books and Publishing electronic adult trade books are part of the E-Book Publishing in the US industry.
Which companies have the highest market share in the E-Book Publishing in the US in United States?
The company holding the most market share in United States is Amazon.Com, Inc..
How competitive is the E-Book Publishing in the US industry in United States?
The level of competition is high and increasing in the E-Book Publishing in the US industry in United States.
