Internet used-book sales up, report says

Used books now account for 8.4 percent of all book sales, thanks largely to growth in Internet selling, according to a study sponsored by U.S. publishers. Over 111 million used books were sold for $2.2 billion during 2004, a 33-percent increase over the previous year.

"The rapid growth of the general-trade used book market is a direct result of the Internet eliminating much of the friction in the buying and selling process," said Jeff Hayes, study co-author. More details of the BISG report are available here.

It's the first comprehensive report on online used bookselling, based on data provided by Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Alibris and eBay, and more than 500 U.S. booksellers.