E-Books Remain Unpopular, Despite Burgeoning Publishing Business
The nation's two largest book shop chains, Rahva Raamat and Apollo, are both planning to expand, with book sales through the roof.
Both chains told Postimees on Saturday that 2013 sales totals are projected to top last year's figures, with Rahva Raamat saying they have increased fiction sales by 18 percent and children's book sales by 25 percent. Sales, they said, have been helped by popular releases such as new books from Andrus Kivirähk ("At the End of the World") and Indrek Hargla ("Apothecary Melchior and the Strangler of Pirita"), and “Fifty Shades of Grey,” by E.L. James.
E-books, meanwhile, have yet to make a breakthrough with Apollo saying that e-literature makes up only 1 percent of all sales, while Rahva Raamat reports an even lower figure, 0.6 percent for this year, up from 0.5 percent last year.