Amazon represented 60% of the e-book market for Hachette Group in the U.S. last year and had an even larger e-market share in the U.K., according to Hachette parent Lagardère, which discussed its business in depth late last month at a presentation for investors in Paris. The e-book market figures were first reported by Publishers Lunch and are available here (in the Lagardère Publishing presentation). These are among the most open e-book market share figures in publishing and show the importance to Hachette of the dispute with Amazon, which apparently centers on e-book discounts. (The e-book market slide had the understated headline, "Publishers Are Now Dealing With Giant Technology Players Who Enjoy Considerable Bargaining Power.")
According to the presentation, in 2013, Amazon represented 60% of the market for Hachette e-book sales in the U.S., followed by 19% for Barnes & Noble, 13% for Apple and 8% for "other," which includes Kobo, Google, Sony, etc.
In the U.K. in 2013, Amazon accounted for 78% of e-book sales for Hachette, followed by 12% for Apple, 5% for Kobo and 5% for other, including Google, OverDrive, Barnes & Noble, etc.
Based on Bookstats, internal estimates and Publishers Association data, the presentation also said that digital book revenue had flattened for all book publishers in the last year, with digital representing 22% of overall publisher net revenues in 2012 and estimated at 22% again in 2013. In the U.K., digital grew to 21% of publisher net revenues in 2013 from 17% in 2012.
