Fantasy and sci-fi author Stephen Hunt has conducted an online survey to find out what his readers think of e-books. Calling it the "largest e-book survey of its kind to date with 836 respondents", Hunt polled readers about how they are using new e-book technologies such as the Kindle and Apple’s iBook software, with some interesting results.

He found that 71% of his audience were now reading e-books, but in a much more diverse way than the brand wars between Amazon, Apple, Sony suggest; using multiple devices and software apps to read novels. Of those who don’t yet read e-books, 69% are planning on getting one. The survey highlight's Amazon's success is pushing its Kindle format forward on different e-book devices: only 35% have Kindle hardware, but 53% are buying e-books from them. It also found that publishers have an opportunity to sell more direct: 39% are currently buying direct from publisher web sites, and 25% from authors.

According to Hunt: “The seismic shift in book publishing is continuing, with  the majority of readers now consuming fiction in e-book format, a figure which looks like it’s going to top out at over 90% of market size in the near  future. For the two main surviving bookshop chains – Waterstones and Barnes  & Noble, this means that supplying digital demand will be key to their survival. There is excellent news here for both authors and publishers. The close relationship  between authors and their readers is limiting e-book piracy to under 20%. There is also a healthy attitude to buying ‘direct from the farm’, with  an appetite for purchasing e-books directly from both publishers and authors . . .  a quarter purchasing direct from the author, and nearly 40% heading for the publishers’ web sites to buy.”

Hunt is a writer of adventure, thriller and fantasy novels, and runs the science-fiction website sfcrowsnest.com. He clearly attracts a certain type of reader, and one most probably at the vanguard of the digital switchover. But we shouldn't be too dismissive of the numbers here. If a writer such as Hunt can persuade a quarter of his readers to buy direct from him, what might other authors achieve? Pottemore may be the loudest manifestation of a long tail that is about to become thicker.

The full survey results can be found at http://www.stephenhunt.net/ebooksurvey2011.pdf.