Porn driving e-book sales?

In not-so-surprising news, a survey carried out by erotica publisher Xcite Books has revealed that 63 per cent of its customers take their racy reads via their PCs and laptops.

In addition, some 10 per cent print them out to read (where, we’d rather not consider) and 16 per cent use a specialist e-book readers, such as the Kindle. Only seven per cent use their iPads or iPods and just four per cent use their mobile phones.

“The figures show the demand for e-books extends well beyond those willing and able to buy the specialist gadgets,” said Xcite Books MD Hazel Cushion. “These days most people have access to a computer.”

With e-book sales in the US rising 252 per cent to $91 million in the first quarter of this year, according to recent figures from the Association of American Publishers.

Paul Andrews, CEO of digital publisher Andrews UK added: “The market for physical books has peaked. But eBooks are attracting a wider audience of the young and tech-savvy and those people who have come back to reading through technology.

“We have found that erotica is popular due to the discreet and instant nature of e-books. In America even libraries are buying digital forms of erotic books.”