How Did We Get Here?
The idea of reading without paper didn't start with the Kindle. People have been imagining digital books for almost a century. What started as an experiment turned into one of the biggest changes in how we read.
An Idea Forms
1930The concept of an electronic reader is first introduced.
A Mechanical Start
1949Spanish teacher Angela Ruiz Robles creates a mechanical reading device. It isn't electronic, but it inspires future digital reading technology.
Project Gutenberg Launches
1971Michael S. Hart launches Project Gutenberg, a free online library. The first digital text is the U.S. Declaration of Independence.
Books on Disks
1992Publishers begin selling books on floppy disks, an early step toward e-books.
The First E-Readers
1998The first e-readers are released. NuvoMedia launches the Rocket E-Book, and SoftBook Press releases the SoftBook. The ISBN system is also standardized for digital books.
Big Publishers Go Digital
2002Major publishers like Random House and HarperCollins begin selling digital versions of their books.
Sony's First E-Ink Reader
2004Sony releases the Librie, one of the first e-readers to use e-ink technology.
The Kindle Arrives
2007Amazon launches the first Kindle e-reader, changing the e-book market and how readers buy books.
New Competitors
2009Barnes & Noble releases the Nook. Sony partners with OverDrive (now Libby) to let readers borrow e-books through libraries.
The App Era
2010Apple introduces the iPad with the iBooks app. Google launches its own e-book store.
E-Books Outsell Print
2012E-book sales reach $3 billion in revenue across the U.S., passing hardcover sales for the first time.
E-books have gone from an idea to an industry. So how does someone actually publish one?
1. Alexis Van Dien, “The Ebook: A Historical Timeline from 1930 to Today,” Bookstr, 2023.