There is no shortage of different ways to enjoy literature. Audiobooks provide a visceral experience, and a really good narrator can make an average book really great. E-books are another way readers can enjoy books while on the go, on a handheld device that is extremely portable and can read anything. Print books, such as hardcovers and paperbacks make the most money and tend to be the way the average person reads.
E-book sales in the United States were slightly down 0.3% in 2025 and generated one billion dollars in total sales. Digital audiobook sales increased 2.1%, totalling one billion in revenue. Physical audio revenues declined 31.2%, totalling $6.1 million.
Hardback revenues were up 2.4% on a year-over-year basis, coming in at $3.7 billion; Paperbacks were down 3.4%, with $3.3 billion in revenue; Mass Market was down 29.2% to $84.9 million; and Special Bindings were up 0.3%, with $232.5 million in revenue.
The argument for audiobooks
Audiobooks offer significant benefits, primarily increasing reading accessibility, enabling multitasking during daily chores or commutes, and boosting comprehension for auditory learners. They enhance engagement through professional narration and sound effects, often improving emotional connection to stories and facilitating the understanding of complex texts or new languages.
It has never been easier to buy audiobooks these days; almost everyone is selling them. Audible is the most popular service in the world and has a commanding market share in Australia, Canada, the USA, the UK, and Europe. Apple sells audiobooks in its Apple Books app, Google sells them to the Android crowd, and Spotify got into the space a couple of years ago but has a steep mountain to climb to compete with the more established players.
You can listen to audiobooks on your smartphone, tablet, or e-book reader, giving you a ton of flexibility with whatever device you have on hand.
There has been some conjecture about whether listening to an audiobook is not like reading a book. Listening to audiobooks is not inherently worse than reading, as studies show comprehension, emotional engagement, and memory retention are largely similar. While reading allows for easier re-examination of complex texts, audiobooks offer greater accessibility and often enhance engagement through narration. Both formats activate the same cognitive, mental processing systems.
Reading e-books
E-books offer significant advantages, including unparalleled portability, the ability to carry thousands of titles on a single device, and instant access via online downloads. Key benefits include customizable font sizes/lighting, built-in dictionaries, search functionality, reduced eye strain with E INK technology, and cost savings over print, making reading more accessible and convenient.
Amazon dominates the e-reader market with an estimated 70%-75% global market share, establishing it as the clear industry leader. In the United States, Kindle holds roughly 75% of the e-reader market, rising to 95% in the UK. While e-books comprise about 20% of total book sales, Amazon commands up to 83% of US e-book purchases when including Kindle Unlimited.
Kobo holds approximately 10% of the global e-reader market, serving as the primary competitor to Amazon’s Kindle. Despite being a smaller player, Kobo ranks as the second-largest e-book retailer worldwide, with a stronger presence outside the US, particularly in markets Amazon did not dominate early. Kobo maintains a strong market presence in Canada, Europe, and other areas where it partners with local bookstores.
Barnes & Noble’s Nook holds approximately 10% of the e-reader hardware market in the United States. Barnes & Noble holds a 25%-29% share as the main competitor to the Kindle in a single market. There are also other online retailers with significantly less market share, such as Apple Books, Google Books, and Bookshop.org.
Most people read e-books because they don’t need to leave the house to read instantly. Read without an internet connection once the books have been downloaded. Ease of use, portability, and low entry cost make e-readers one of the best choices.
Reading hardcovers and paperbacks.
Hardcover and paperback books are experiencing a resurgence, with print holding a 68–78% market share in 2025–2026, driven by reader demand for tangible, screen-free experiences. While paperbacks (specifically trade) dominate unit sales due to affordability, hardcover sales are surging, growing 5–9% as readers favor premium, collector-friendly, and durable editions.
Physical books reduce screen fatigue, offer tangible progress tracking, and foster emotional connections through holding, smelling, and owning them.
You can buy print books at millions of bookstores, airport shops, drugstores, and grocery stores. Whether you want to buy something new or at a secondhand shop, there are tons of ways to read a real book. One of the benefits of print is that you can loan it to a friend, trade books, or sell them when money is tight; you can’t do this with an audiobook or e-book.
What do you prefer
I grew up reading print at a very young age. I was maybe three years old when we had these Star Wars read-along records that came with a book, so you could follow along. These weren’t the main stories, but almost side stories to the original films. I built up word coloration by just listening to them over and over again while reading. The next reading adventure was when i was 7-8 and at the grocery store, my mom would always let me pick up a new book and later when I was a teen I would just bike or bus to the used bookstore and pick up like 10 books to last me a couple of weeks, and then over time I would read denser ones, just to get my money out of them. Later in life, I would buy hardcovers on Amazon or visit my local bookstore to browse. Now, I listen to audiobooks, read on my Kindle, and still buy hardcovers.
What format do you prefer? Drop a comment below.
Michael Kozlowski has written about audiobooks, e-books and e-readers for the past eighteen years. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
