Computerworld: Ebooks about to catch on fire!

Feb 07 2009

An article from Computerworld is already making waves across the blogosphere (especially those of us ebook evangelists), and I first read about it here and here. The article talks about the upcoming ebook revolution, which is being spurred not just by the iPhone or the Amazon Kindle, but an entire host of conditions that are coming together to form the perfect storm.

Instead of rehashing the entire article and discussing all the reasons for an ebook revolution, I’m only going to discuss one of them. Out of a list of 6 reasons, here is number 3:

3. A publishing revolution. The book publishing industry is one of the most backward, musty, obsolete businesses in our economy. While every other kind of information moves at the speed of light, the process of publishing a book is like something from the Middle Ages.

The article then goes on to discuss how everything from getting an agent, to that agent finding a publisher for your book, to actually seeing your book in production and on the shelves in a painfully slow process. And that assumes you are one of the few lucky ones who can get your book published in the first place.

I have always maintained that ebooks, the internet, and improving technology have really leveled the playing field for authors who traditional publishers won’t give the time of day to. The article goes on to say:

People are already circumventing all this by self-publishing. The self-publishing industry is the only area of paper-book publishing that’s thriving right now. Soon enough, a huge number of authors are finally going to get fed up with the publishing industry and just self-publish electronically.

Another reason why people will (and already are) turn to self-publishing and ebooks is because the world of traditional publishing is becoming smaller and smaller. By this I mean that large publishing houses are sticking with well-known authors who are "safe" and guaranteed to sell books.

Those same publishers are taking fewer chances on new and unknown authors. And if an unknown author does get lucky enough to land a traditional publishing contract, the author will probably find little in the way of the publisher marketing their book and overall support.

Speeding up the ebook revolution

For those of us who have adapted ebooks into our lives and are anxious to see ebooks really catch fire, the revolution can’t come soon enough.

There are some things that can really speed the process up though. Here are just a few that come to mind:

Adopt the epub standard: That’s right. One standard format for all ebooks and no DRM. This will greatly reduce the cost of producing ebooks and will make it a whole lot easier for consumers to buy and read them.

Adopt a standard pricing model for ebooks: Right now ebook pricing is all over the map. Who’s going to pay the same price for an ebook as one would pay for a paperback or hardcover? Ebook prices must be below that of print book prices. Period. How much below? That’s something that will come with time.

Stop playing these silly DRM games: I briefly mentioned this above, it’s worth mentioning again. DRM will turn potential ebook adopters off faster than you can say "digital rights management." If I pay for an ebook, there should be no reason that I can’t transfer it between devices (including my computer). Also included in this reason is ebooks should not be formatted to lock into one specific device (i.e. Amazon Kindle).

What do you think of the Computerworld article? Wishful thinking or an ebook prophecy? Leave a comment below and give us your thoughts. Also, what else do you think will speed up the ebook revolution?

One Response

Hey, Brad. I admit one of my fascinations with e-books is that the publishing industry is just so intimidating. So many good authors go unpublished and unrecognized, which means we don’t get access to them.
My primary problem with ebooks is that I have a hard time curling up with one in bed. I suppose I will always harbor a preference for paper based on my age.
I purchase e-books and I read them on my laptop. I watching closely for the release of the new reader from Plastic Logic (http://www.plasticlogic.com/product.html). I’d buy one of those!
I think the best combination for publishing in the near future is the combination of e-book and POD, allowing those who must hold it to order a paper book (at a higher price point) and giving the rest their electronic format.
Good discussion. You know, so many aspiring authors either have their head in the sand or are fearful of the changes. I want to be traditionally published, but I’m still open to other options that give similar vetting and editing.

B J Keltz 2/8/2009 11:56 am