E-book growth has slowed and currently comprises about 30% of books sold, according to a new report by the Book Industry Study Group (BISG).

New findings in the most recent edition of the Consumer Attitudes Toward E-book Reading report show that consumers are very interested in “bundling” print and digital versions of a book, with 48% of survey respondents willing to pay more for bundles.

The study also revealed that just over half of survey respondents would pay more for an e-book if it could be given away or re-sold.

When making buying decisions, consumers also do not distinguish between e-books published by traditional houses and independently published options.

While numbers are still relatively small, there is an increase in the number of people who buy print and digital versions of a book interchangeably and a slow decline in the number of people who exclusively buy e-books.

“Four years of consumer data shows clearly that e-book consumption has reached mainstream readers and has expanded well beyond early adopter ‘power readers,’ but that physical books remain a popular format for many consumers, especially in certain categories,” said Len Vlahos, BISG’s executive director.

“It is clear from four annual research surveys that e-books are in the later stages of the innovation curve and have settled into reasonably predictable consumption patterns,” added Jo Henry, director of Nielsen Book Research. “The likelihood of future growth will, in part, depend on improving the value perception of e-books among less committed users.”

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