Superstars and Outsiders in Online Markets: An Empirical Analysis of Electronic Books

14 Pages Posted: 2 Dec 2011 Last revised: 19 Aug 2014

See all articles by David Bounie

David Bounie

Télécom Paris

B. Eang

Telecom ParisTech - Department of Economics and Social Sciences

Marvin A. Sirbu

Carnegie Mellon University - Engineering and Public Policy (EPP); Carnegie Mellon University - David A. Tepper School of Business

Patrick Waelbroeck

Télécom Paris

Date Written: October 10, 2012

Abstract

Recent rapid growth in electronic book sales has raised a critical question for publishers and book stores: do e-books cannibalize or increase print sales? In this article we compare the best-selling titles sold on Amazon.com in print or electronic (Kindle) formats during the period from November 2007 to July 2010. Using econometric methods, we find that the cannibalization of print sales by e-books is more likely to occur for superstar titles written by successful authors. However, we find that a new segment of successful electronic titles that are not best-selling in print format emerge; these books would probably have been unpopular without the new Kindle store and therefore this new distribution channel has expanded the market. We refer to these titles as digital outsiders. The latter are characterized not only by lower prices but also by older release dates. They also include titles that are only released in electronic format. We then argue that electronic books increase the market viability of old print releases. Finally we identify a category that we call “print preferred” of books that are top sellers in print but not as e-books for reasons of color, graphics, or the need to navigate non-linearly, a style to which the current generation of e-book readers are not well adapted.

Keywords: book, e-book, cannibalization, kindle, best-selling titles

JEL Classification: L8, Z1

Suggested Citation

Bounie, David and Eang, B. and Sirbu, Marvin A. and Waelbroeck, Patrick, Superstars and Outsiders in Online Markets: An Empirical Analysis of Electronic Books (October 10, 2012). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1967426 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1967426

David Bounie (Contact Author)

Télécom Paris ( email )

19 Place Marguerite Perey
Palaiseau, 91120
France

B. Eang

Telecom ParisTech - Department of Economics and Social Sciences

Paris Cedex 13, F-75634

Marvin A. Sirbu

Carnegie Mellon University - Engineering and Public Policy (EPP) ( email )

Pittsburgh, PA 15213
United States

Carnegie Mellon University - David A. Tepper School of Business ( email )

5000 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890
United States

Patrick Waelbroeck

Télécom Paris ( email )

19 Place Marguerite Perey
Palaiseau, 91120
France

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