Manufacturers of tablets and e-readers have recently promised to give print publication a nudge out of the spotlight and end the paper era with new technologies that will allow consumers to check the news, read novels, and browse published magazines all from one liquid crystal display. In a conversation with AFP, Creative Strategies president Tim Bajarin said, “It is only a matter of time before we stop killing trees and all publications become digital.”

Of course, killing trees might be the last thing in the minds of tablet manufacturers, to say the least. Amazon turned the publishing industry around on its side and made the first electronic reader to have a debut of high magnitude, known as the Kindle. Apple (News - Alert) also started profiting from the tablet venue with its iPad, letting its users download all sorts of multimedia content onto the small device.

All in all, the digital book industry saw a total revenue of $3.2 billion and will probably be seeing three times as much profit by the year 2016, making a revenue of nearly $9.7 billion. Of course, that little part about killing trees is particularly appealing to environmentally conscious people with deep pockets.

The increase in digital book revenue could be attributed to the high loyalty that readers have. Almost half of everyone who buys books in print and also buys digital books mentioned that they would forego purchasing a print piece by a favorite author if the publisher also comes up with an electronic version sometime within three months.

This information came from a survey by the US Book Industry Study Group. Angela Bole, DED at BISG, commented, “The e-book market is developing very fast, with consumer attitudes and behaviors changing over the course of months, rather than years.”

The survey further notes that prospective customers only wish that e-readers would be more affordable than the currently expensive heavyweights. Interestingly enough, e-reader ownership also has a direct co-relation to the amount spent on books annually by the consumer. This sounds like good news for publishers, but bad news for book stores.

While print sales might fall because of the rise of e-readers, book stores like Barnes & Noble chose to adapt, not only by offering digital copies of books, but also by creating its own e-reader, known as the Nook. Other book store chains are starting to develop their own ways to adapt, seeing that the future might be grim if they stick to print sales. “I'm among those who believe that the new e-book craze expands a person's interest in reading overall,” said Allen Weiner, an analyst at Gartner (News - Alert).