An e-reader displaying a page of a novel is placed against a pile of books.
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The digital book: a companion to the paper book:
Since its appearance, the digital book has not reduced the appeal of the printed version. It constitutes a complementary offer, as avid readers of digital books are often avid readers of printed books.
Practices have, however, evolved, as evidenced by the latest annual barometers of the uses of printed, digital and audio books carried out by the National Publishing Union (SNE), the Society of Men of Letters (SGDL) and the French Society of Interests. of the authors of the writing (SOFIA). While the 2020 barometer indicates that reading digital books is more practiced when traveling or in a professional context, the 2021 and 2022 editions show that it is rather reserved for the private sphere. It has recently developed at bedtime, a time usually spent reading printed books. In addition, a significant number of readers converted to digital during the health crisis linked to COVID-19 (more than a million new readers in twelve months).
Furthermore, because of its functionalities, the digital book represents an opportunity for people with disabilities. Technological developments make it possible to offer an offer accessible to all audiences. On June 28, 2025, the provisions of European Directive 2019/882 of April 17, 2019 relating to accessibility requirements applicable to products and services will come into force. Under the impetus of this European legal text setting objectives to be achieved by all Member States of the European Union, a large majority of new digital books will be produced in accessible formats (text-audio synchronization, customizable formatting , alternative texts to images, etc.). With this in mind, the State, digital book stakeholders and organizations representing people with disabilities have adopted a strategic plan to achieve this ambition: Lina 25.
The audio book: a rapidly evolving market
Long reserved for the children’s section of libraries or restricted audiences, audio books can no longer be listened to only on CD. The popularization of new audio compression formats such as MP3 has allowed it to be more widely distributed to a diverse audience via digital platforms and pay-per-view or subscription systems.
In recent years, this format has attracted growing interest from the French, particularly the youngest among them. Confirmed in 2020 during the health crisis, this attraction has become a structural trend in the book market, observed by the SNE/SGDL/SOFIA barometer.
Since 2021, the National Book Center has been offering a support system for projects to create and develop audio book collections.
The price of an audio book can be freely set by the reseller, unlike that of a printed book or an e-book which is set by the publisher.
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