"I predict we will surpass paperback sales sometime in the next nine to 12 months. Sometime after that, we'll surpass the combination of paperback and hardcover," Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos told USA Today.
Kindle books have already eclipsed hardcover sales; Amazon recently said it sells 180 e-books for every 100 hardcovers, with the ratio constantly shifting in e-books' favor.
Many readers still favor the good old printed book. In a recent poll, most Mashable readers cited a preference for physical books over e-books. However, with the e-reader/tablet battle heating up (the iPad is selling amazingly well, and Amazon recently launched a new version of the Kindle) -- not to mention the increased convenience and accessibility of e-books via a range of mobile and desktop apps -- paperbacks and hardcovers may soon become a minority in the world of books.