An interesting post by Charles Jones at AWOL. Apparently the Chicago Oriental Institute have found that, now that they give away online electronic copies of their obscure, specialist-only, publications, they are selling more of their print backlist. Sales are up by 7%.
Not everyone would have predicted this, including me. Some market research is needed to determine why. But in the mean time, I can offer a wild guess at no charge. Probably the increase is from people who simply never knew the publication existed, or that they needed it.
Interesting as another part of the march towards the new era.
I think your analysis it almost certainly correct. Unstated in their report is the unexpectedly large print sales of their new series Oriental Institute Seminars, which was inaugurated at about the same time as the new Electronic Publications Initiative. Collections of essays generally sell badly – ad at least one of these has required a second printing.
Newspapers who are available online free have actually seen their daily sales increase. This is because they get bigger daily readership which in case they miss some issue online prefer to buy it on the stand