HarperCollins: 'Some heaviest book buyers no longer visit bookstores'

Brian Murray says that bookworms are increasingly switching to e-reading.

Some of the keenest readers are switching to digital, marking a tipping point for the book publishing industry, according to HarperCollins president and CEO Brian Murray.

Speaking at the London Book Fair this week - as reported by the Bookseller - Murray said that "some of the heaviest book buyers no longer visit bookstores" after buying e-reader devices like Amazon's Kindle.

Murray also said that some books' sales are as much as 50% digital in their first few months, which he described as a "watershed" moment for publishers.

These companies are excited about e-books and apps, but also concerned at real-world book retailers going out of business if their best customers switch to digital quickly.

"No way do we see the end of the bookshop, absolutely not, nor the end for the printed book. More people are going to read as a result of digital, and that will include books," said an optimistic Tim Godfray of the Booksellers Association. "Our challenge to make sure booksellers are involved in how those books get to market."