Of all the stats being thrown about in the discussion of e-publishing, e vs. print sales, e-readers, e-this and e-that, this is the very first stat to grab my attention. Literally twist my head to look right at it.

Publishers Weekly sites a recent 9-month survey “of hundreds of e-book consumers” by the Book Industry Study Group (BISG), and says that it is the first of three such reports due in 2010. The Consumer Attitudes Toward E-Book Reading study claims to be “[t]he first comprehensive survey of U.S. e-book consumers’ behavior and preferences…with the goal of understanding their real-time purchase and reading habits.”

The intentions of all statisticians and statistical displays of course being all good and well and all that, if you’re lucky enough to be a BISG member, you can read the entire survey and view the exact stats for a measly $150. Outside that slim chance, however, you’ll have to rely upon the relayed opinions of ‘hundreds’ of surveyed e-book consumers when evaluating this revelation. Disregarding also such phenomenally blatant misrepresentations by Amazon as its claims that e-books outsold print.

It can be agreed that consumers of books, or reading material, are altering their reading and purchasing habits. The economy is certainly a factor in this, as is society, status, cultural mores, et cetera et cetera. Figure just plain interest as well. Have any studies distinguished between the e-material consumption of fiction, non, and reference? Between age and income levels? Reasons for e-consumption? Location of said consumption? All of these factors play into the results of a survey that is conducted upon the slimmest of market shares.

After all, the percentage of the public who are actually reading (anything at all) shrinks yearly. Restrict it further to those of technological bent and you’ve effectively severely reduced the numbers by eliminating the techno-deficient, be it self-imposed (via reasons of anti- or aging or desire) or economic (via reasons of cost or time or locale). So, while a stat that declares “nearly 20% of respondents say they’ve stopped buying print books in favor of buying e-books” is enough to give one whiplash, ensuing reflection upon its source helps one realize that change has not occurred near as much as we are led to believe.

Nor so much as Amazon’s Jeff Bezos may believe, despite his apparently saying “that he believes that the print book will eventually disappear” (quite possibly way back in this 2007 interview with Charlie Rose – at 54 minutes long, I don’t have the time nor inclination to listen, but I haven’t been able to find any other direct attribution).

I am certain that both the number of folks reading electronically and purchasing e-texts will increase, especially in the environments of academia and industry. I am equally certain that hard copy texts will not vanish from Earth.