E-book revolution

This is going to make optometrists very, very happy as it introduces a whole slew of people to serious eye strain.

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People to be reading on their cell phones during class, while driving, while they're supposed to be working.

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They already do - with paper books

An expensive, fragile "book" is not worth the paper it's not written on.

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*zips mouth*

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brutus, I honestly can't figure out what you're even saying.


I buy real world books ALL the time. Occasionally I will buy an ebook if I know the author and appreciate their talent and feel the desire to support them. I never read ebooks on screen. I always print them onto paper, so I will never even attempt to see what this kindle is all about. Reading on screens is not my cup of tea. I will never be one of these people who buy all their books online. I will never buy more than 3 or 4 ebooks a year. I love driving to the bookstore. I love walking into the bookstore and taking that little two second pause before pushing forward. And I love walking through a bookstore and picking out books. I probably pick up a hundred for every one I purchase. I love books. The electronic book business would die if it had to depend on me. The brick and mortar, in my opinion, will always be here. I see the look on faces as people walk into the bookstore. I am not the exception. People love books and they will always love books. This reading on cell-phones...it's for the shits. Just another novelty that may find a small audience. Books in hand. That's where it's at.

I still prefer the good ole paperback

I am nor sure what the thread is about throughtout. Kindle has a new model. Kindle is one of about 20 mainstream ebooks readers, not counting netbooks, blackberries etc. Ebooks sell and their sales are increasing but are clearly not outselling paper books or likely to outsell them with the current technology. The new Kindle model will not be a revolutionary development and will only 500,000 Kindles out worldwide they are hardly sweeping the world. They are probably not even the best selling ebook reader unless you count only sales over the last few months.

I think eBooks will hit critical mass, (probably when an affordable reader costs about fifty bucks) but they won't replace print any time soon. Still, important to note that in Japan, for example, eBooks are wildly successful representing 50% of the publishing market. People are reading them on their cell phones, primarily.

Will it happen here? Eventually. It has to. Will it replace print? Nope, but I think we can foresee a time where 50% of North Americans are reading eBooks and I believe it will happen sooner than anyone thinks.

KTC,

I agree with all you say about "real" books, bookstores, and books on the cell. I'm worse than you in that I even dislike--no, I hate--ebooks. I will not read them on the internet and I will not print them out and read unbound pages. But that's me, and I realize that there's a relatively small number of avid ebook readers. Recently, I read somewhere that within the next ten years ebook readers are anticipated to number 3-10% of all readers. If that's true, I think all the discussions about ebooks and the future doesn't hold much water.

What "e-book revolution"? They've been screaming this from the rooftops since the first reader appeared on the market however long ago, and I've actually only seen one -- ONE, people! -- in use in public. Everybody else around him was reading words on paper.

What "e-book revolution"? They've been screaming this from the rooftops since the first reader appeared on the market however long ago, and I've actually only seen one -- ONE, people! -- in use in public. Everybody else around him was reading words on paper.

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I think we need to remember the publishing industry isn't specific to North America where we are perhaps a bit slow to catch on. As mentioned, eBooks make up a huge chunk of the market in Japan (not sure on other Asian countries). Here's a fantastic breakdown of the industry in Japan as of 2008.

Again, they won't replace print, but there's no reason to believe the industry won't grow in leaps and bounds in North America. Revolution? Nope. Evolution? Probably...

The above link is a PDF, for those who don't like opening them.


Let me rephrase that...the link is a 41 page PDF.

Oopsie... sorry about that...

Revolution? Nope. Evolution? Probably...

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And there we have it, in four words. The first three, actually. The market, and the delivery systems, are evolving. Mainly because the target market is evolving. The up and coming purchasing "power group" wants information and entertainment at their fingertips. Right now that means in their cell phones/ipods/laptops etc. EReaders are part of publishing's attempt to hang on to those target consumers. I would suggest that we stay flexible, and open to change. A relatively short span down the road, those consumers are where our sales are going to be.

I would suggest that we stay flexible, and open to change. A relatively short span down the road, those consumers are where our sales are going to be.

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I heartily agree. While I know there's a whack of crummy eBooks out there, questionable publishers, sloppy editing, it's important to remember there are even more crummy printed books (self-published or otherwise), questionable print publishers, sloppy editing and scam artist agents. I think it's probably human nature to dismiss eBooks as not a *real* publishing credit, but the industry is becoming legitimate in North America as mainstream print publishers are getting on board and starting eBook imprints.

For someone like me (and I am in my forties) there's nothing like strolling past the shelves of my favorite print book store. For my son who is eighteen, he wouldn't be caught dead in one - his world is his keyboard and monitor or whatever hand held device he can wrap his fingers around.

Demographics, ultimately, will have a lot to do with the feasibility of eBooks in the North American market. The industry needs to evolve as technology evolves.

I own a Kindle. I'm one of those people that always has 5 or 6 books going at a time and I like being able to have so many at my disposal that I can choose from based on my mood. I don't read them while I'm driving or working, although I will admit to using it during particularly boring classes. I also like to use it when I'm eating something that uses 2 hands. When I went on my honeymoon, I had to pay the overweight fee for my checked luggage because all of the books were weighing the suitcase down. On our next trip, I took almost 200 books with me for just a couple of ounces. Books that I bought, btw. There are none on there that I got for free.

However, I'm with KTC. There is nothing like the feeling of walking into a bookstore. Everything about it. Used bookstores, chain bookstores, independent bookstores - I love them all. I have 3 entire bookshelves of books I haven't read yet, and I keep going into the bookstores and buying more. I use the Kindle as a supplement to my reading addiction, not a substitution. And I'm the only person I know who has a Kindle or does any kind of electronic reading. And while the people who see me with it really like it, none of them like it enough to go out and get one for themselves.

I think they will grow in popularity in North America, but they will never replace paper books for the majority of readers. For people that really love everything about reading, paper books will always be their go-to format.

E-books are the future. This is a fantastic step forward. I'm very excited. Eventually, all books will probably be in electronic format. Yeah, everyone wants a paperback with their name on it, but they're bad for the environment. E-books aren't. There's a Nintendo DS game coming out soon that has e-books on it. It has all of the old classics like Emma and Alice in Wonderland on it. The print is nice and large and you click to the next page using the stick. All I can say, is whoop! bring it on!

I like ebooks but the revolution has been declared for over 10 years now, I doubt it will arrive ths year either. Also ebooks are read on devices arguably far worse for the environment. To be a net environmental benefit they would have to be powered using a renewable energy source and replace only every decade or so. I am not convinced either model of Kindle will have an average life of a decade or more.

And I say this as someone who has written about 20 ebooks and bought about 200. But the assumption ebook with replace print books seems to me more like saying nylon will replace cotton than that cars will replace horses. both will continue to have their place for at least a few centuries IMHO.

>> But the assumption ebook with replace print books seems to me more like saying nylon will replace cotton than that cars will replace horses. both will continue to have their place for at least a few centuries IMHO. __________________<<

I think both compliment each other nicely. I like eBooks when I'm reading in bed. I like paperbacks when I'm soaking in the tub.

See? Happy happy.

I also read a lot of print books *and* a lot of ebooks. I think dichotomising the market is only going to alienate the most prolific readers who don't want to be told that either format if out of date, non-green, aesthetically nasty etc. Both have a role.

"Both have a role." amen.

And I love walking through a bookstore and picking out books.

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Me too. I love the smell of a bookstore, of a library, well except that back corner where the old guy tends to hang out... ick.

And, on that note: When are those candle people going to come out with a "library" or "new book" fragrance? Maybe the fact that they haven't already says more about the future of bookstores than I care to ponder....

Okay one little complaint about my Sony eReader - my cat Hercules is fascinated by the light from the screen so he keeps walking across my chest when I am in bed and blocking my book.

He's a jerk, actually...

Saskatoonistan said:

Okay one little complaint about my Sony eReader - my cat Hercules is fascinated by the light from the screen so he keeps walking across my chest when I am in bed and blocking my book.

He's a jerk, actually...

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I've just discovered about a month ago that eReaders even exist... Hello, Earth to Dragonmedley!

Too bad the Kindle - and therefore the affordable ebooks on Amazon - aren't available in Canada.

I'm interested in such a device for a few reasons. One is that I beta read, and I hate doing it on the computer (my posture sucks) and sometimes, it would even be nice to reread myself away from the laptop. Also, I'm running out of room. As much as I like hardcovers (I'm a sucker for those - I don't like paperbacks, but have no fear, I own quite a few), they do take a lot of space and are heavy to cart around when travelling.

Now, all these things aside, I love the bookstores. Chances are, I'll buy ebooks by authors I know, who are printed. But... whilst researching all this once I discovered the ereaders, I also looked at ebook prices. The lastest Patricia Briggs ebook is 24.95$US (or it was when I looked all of this up). The printed version on Amazon was around 18$... Canadian! Yup, the hardcover was cheaper than the ebook.

I'm not too sure what it actually means, but it's not encouraging!

Once upon a time when the earth was young and full of magic a teen boy listened with interest and some misgiving as Sister Mary Heart O'Stone
gleefully announced what she, as well as wise educators, hailed as the dawn of the inexpensive and thus widely available paperback book. Expensive hardcover books would soon be passé. The day of the porn dominated paperback was over. Actually she didn't say porn but we all knew what she meant.

Ten years from now this discussion will seem quaint. As the Chinese say, "Even the fiercest storm passes."
C