Publishers' Responses to the E-Book Phenomenon: Survey Results from Three 'Small Language' Markets

Introduction: This paper reports on a study of publishers' attitudes towards e-books in the context of the global situation of e-book publishing. Comparative data are drawn from a replication of a survey carried out in Sweden, in Lithuania and in Croatia. Method: A self-completed questionnaire survey was undertaken, offering respondents the choice of a printed questionnaire or a response through an online SurveyMonkey alternative. Analysis: Quantitative analysis was performed using the descriptive statistics capability of SurveyMonkey. Results: The three country survey reveals a number of similar responses from publishers on several key issues, i.e., self-publishing, the future role of bookshops, and relationships with public libraries. The results also reveal that publishers have a certain ambivalence on these issues. Conclusion: In "small language" markets, the take-up of e-books represents a much smaller proportion of total sales than in the English language market. Responses to questions on publishers' relationships with authors, booksellers and libraries show a high degree of unanimity of opinion. [Paper presented at the Information Seeking in Context (ISIC): The Information Behaviour Conference, Part 1 (11th, Zadar, Croatia, September 20-23, 2016).]