The eBook Age Begins in Earnest?

E-book sales grew exponentially in the first quarter of 2010, jumping from just 1.5% of total US book sales in 2009 to 5% of the market in the first quarter of 2010:

Thirty-seven percent of e-book buyers bought their first digital book within the last six months. Because so many consumers are only beginning to develop the habit of buying e-books, publishers have an opportunity to shape expectations about such things as pricing and the timing of digital releases.

Among e-book buyers, 25 percent said they bought fewer print books than before. Fifteen percent said they buy no print books, and 9 percent said they wouldn’t buy a print book even if the title they wanted wasn’t available digitally. This shift means publishers will be forced to reduce print runs, resulting in higher per-copy costs.

More interesting stats via the link above.