This is worrying...

Eddyz Aquila · Aug 12, 2010

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/12/business/media/12bookstore.html?src=me&ref=general

For readers, e-books have meant a transformation not just of the reading experience, but of the book-buying tradition of strolling aisles, perusing covers and being able to hold books in their hands. Many publishers have been astounded by the pace of the e-book popularity and the threat to print book sales that it represents. If the number of brick-and-mortar stores drops, publishers fear that sales will go along with it. Some worry that large bookstores will go the way of the record stores that shut down when the music business went digital.

The NY Times article suggest exactly what AWers have been discussing - brick and mortar bookshops are slowly going away to be replaced by those damn Kindles. Printed books are better, I want to feel a book in my hand.

I want printed books. E books too, I think they help the author and the reader a lot. But nothing can compare to the amazing feeling you get when you stroll in the bookshop for hours stacking up with whatever you want to read.

Thoughts?

KTC · Aug 12, 2010

i have purchased about 20-25 books over the summer. all but one were for my Kobo. the printed book was a friend's...at her book signing. in the past, every time a thread like this one popped up i ranted about e-books...and that i would never buy one and that paper was the only way to go.

now that i have a Kobo...i don't know how many print books i'll buy from this point forward. let's just say A LOT less.

Paul · Aug 12, 2010

meh. long's the author gets a fair slice of the cake...

KTC · Aug 12, 2010

Paul said:
meh. long's the author gets a fair slice of the cake...

i do wonder about this. what the author gets.

for example... The Passage...a big summer read. I bought it for Kobo for $10. It's selling in hard cover for 30-40...something like that. so what is the difference in what Justin Cronin gets paid, per copy. that's a big difference in price...but then there is less cost in the copy. I'd love to know how this effects the writer..of course.

NicoleMD · Aug 12, 2010

KTC said:
the printed book was a friend's...at her book signing.

I wonder what will happen to book signings in the e-book revolution.

Nicole

Eddyz Aquila · Aug 12, 2010

NicoleMD said:
I wonder what will happen to book signings in the e-book revolution.

Nicole

The buyer will get the author's fingerprint.

Wayne K · Aug 12, 2010

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsmybQKpmTw

M.R.J. Le Blanc · Aug 12, 2010

When I was at Chapters the other week, there were plenty of people in there perusing the aisles. Business seemed to be doing just fine.

I know the reason I stopped buying cds (and I hear this a lot from others) is that it just wasn't worth it. Why would I want to pay $20-$30 for a cd that I only end up liking a couple songs from? It became a waste. Buying music online became preferable at least partly (in my opinion) because of the artists. If the majority of your music isn't catching listeners, you don't bitch and complain that online music sales are at fault. The only cds I pay money for now are Japanese imports, and they've all been worth the money for me.

I think comparing books to cds is a bit like comparing apples to oranges. The only valid comparison would be albums and anthologies - if you only like a story or two from an anthology, you probably wouldn't buy it. But a book, you either like it or you don't. And paperback prices haven't gone up, so I don't know if I buy the whole 'bookstores are going to go the way of the music stores' arguement. And with the issues of things like e-reader costs, format issues, and even rights issues still makes the industry a little unsettled. It's still new, and I think still too early to say whether it's going to shut down bookstores or not.

Wayne K · Aug 12, 2010

I read here that e-books make up a small percentage of book sales. It's growing, sure, but it's not why bookstores are going out of business. Online buying is the reason. Someday e-books may do this, but not today

Bettedra · Aug 12, 2010

As a reader, I know for a fact that while I may purchase ebooks from time to time for convenience or to save a few bucks, I will always prefer the print experience. From wandering the bookstore in search of something new, to the crisp feel and smell of a new book (or the rich, musty smell of a used one), to the last, satisfying page turn that ends the story and closes the book- I love the whole experience. I hope no matter how advanced we get as a civillization, we always respect and treasure our existing books and keep them safe and available in libraries, which are magical places to many, many children.

AnonymousWriter · Aug 12, 2010

The thing I want to know is: do Kindles or other e-readers smell like a print book does? Huh?

Jessianodel · Aug 12, 2010

I love bookstores. I always will. How can you peruse the e-books? by flipping through little thumbnail pictures? I find most of my reading material from walking around in the library or bookstore. And I just love how cozy B&N is, but big enough where you can sit in the corner and read surrounded by books.

Sorry to e-books, but the bookstore will never die. Not while I'm around

KTC · Aug 12, 2010

NicoleMD said:
I wonder what will happen to book signings in the e-book revolution.

Nicole

i know, i know. i have a book coming out in 2011 as an e-book. it doesn't come out in print until 2012. i'd love to figure out a way to do a 'book signing' for the e-launch. try as i may???

BenPanced · Aug 12, 2010

I will admit I do love holding a book in my hands but it's becoming nigh on impossible to store them and rather difficult hold them. I bought a nook and have about 40 full novels stored on it, and I have to say it's one of the best tech-toy purchases I've made. I was afraid I wasn't going to use it much but I've read three books in the short month I've had it.

The Lonely One · Aug 12, 2010

The smell of a paper book, the feel of holding it, of turning pages, etc. are nice, I agree. Though ultimately, I think these will eventually be a nostalgic set of sensations and emotions, and for newer generations the electronic world will take more and more of a foothold. I also don't think this is a bad thing, the industry will adapt like every industry has always adapted.

Plus, if people are reading e-books that's a GOOD thing for literature--it means people aren't dropping reading altogether.

I don't think e-books are going to take over as quickly as people predict. But I do think they'll become much more predominant, when all is said and done.

Final note: I've read at least five or six books and a copy of Fantasy & SF on my Sony Daily Edition touchscreen reader, and aside from the slight glare as a result of the touchscreen it's been a dream. I just purchased 90% of the books for my English honors seminar directly onto the reader, and between that and Project Gutenberg and all the paper books I still buy at mom&pops, I have more reading than I can handle.

The Lonely One · Aug 12, 2010

KTC said:
i know, i know. i have a book coming out in 2011 as an e-book. it doesn't come out in print until 2012. i'd love to figure out a way to do a 'book signing' for the e-launch. try as i may???

If they have the Sony touch screen you can sign them with a stylus

Maxinquaye · Aug 12, 2010

The Lonely One said:
Plus, if people are reading e-books that's a GOOD thing for literature--it means people aren't dropping reading altogether.

Plus, I think it will lead to a renaissance for short fiction. Short stories and novellas are going to be viable again. You buy one while waiting for the tube (or subway) if you're short of reading.

Wayne K · Aug 12, 2010

I don't think 2.9% is a big threat yet

But the threat that has the industry and some readers the most rattled is the growth of e-books. In the first five months of 2009, e-books made up 2.9 percent of trade book sales.

Someday, but not yet

Wayne K · Aug 12, 2010

And by the time sales of e-books grow to 20 or 30 percent, major publishers will own the market. They'll have their books out in print and electronically. Unless they're really stupid.

mayaone · Aug 12, 2010

Me too

KTC said:
i know, i know. i have a book coming out in 2011 as an e-book. it doesn't come out in print until 2012. i'd love to figure out a way to do a 'book signing' for the e-launch. try as i may???

I also have a book coming out in ebook form in 2011 and I being of the boomers have no idea what to say when my friends ask, so how do I get your book. and why does it have to come out in ebook first, I'm a newbie and this is my first pub book with a UK publisher. thanks Maya

Maxinquaye · Aug 12, 2010

To be honest, what worries me is that publishers will screw it up by trying for force DRM on people, and by locking themselves into proprietary ebookfiles that you need specific pieces of technology to use.

That's going to drive piracy like nothing else. That's what worries me about this. If publishing gets it right, I think we're going to be fine, and see a vastly expanded market with more room for the competent newbies.

SPMiller · Aug 13, 2010

I never developed a sentimental attachment to the printed method of book distribution. It's just one way to sell stories. We can also sell stories electronically. And as a reader, I have no particular preference for one over the other.

My problem with what's going on has been touched on by Maxinquaye. I hate DRM, and it has already been infecting the ebook/ereader market.

Another thing that worries me as a writer is the (generally) smaller advances from electronic publishers.

Mr Flibble · Aug 13, 2010

Wayne K said:
I don't think 2.9% is a big threat yet

Someday, but not yet

Depends on what genre you're in.

See point 3 of this post by Kristin Nelson.

Huge uptick in eSales for romance. Stats are running close to 20% of 100% of the sales pie.

i do wonder about this. what the author gets.

for example... The Passage...a big summer read. I bought it for Kobo for $10. It's selling in hard cover for 30-40...something like that. so what is the difference in what Justin Cronin gets paid, per copy. that's a big difference in price...but then there is less cost in the copy. I'd love to know how this effects the writer..of course.

I get about the same (I think...) whether it's print or ebook. Royalty is higher on ebook, price is higher on print. *gets out calculator* I get slightly more for the ebook. Gonna depend on your contract though.

And yeah, I think any downturn is more Amazon/online purchases - buy it now! In your pants! No need to brush your hair! Ohh look it's used for £0.01p! than it is ebooks currently.

Momento Mori · Aug 13, 2010

Eddyz Aquila:
The NY Times article suggest exactly what AWers have been discussing - brick and mortar bookshops are slowly going away to be replaced by those damn Kindles. Printed books are better, I want to feel a book in my hand.

I was discussing this with my agent yesterday. At the moment, no one quite knows what's going to happen with eBooks. They are clearly growing in popularity, hence the increase in market share but then manufacturers are finally getting the technology right on readers and the internet technology is there to make downloading easy.

However no one knows at the moment whether there's going to be a plateau, i.e. a point where the sales level out and two simultaneous markets exist - much in the way that there are separate markets for contacts lenses and glasses.

Such a plateau could be exacerbated by the fact that at the moment, there are DRM issues with different ereaders, which could serve to slow take up as people wait to see which becomes dominant (and then, when one does become dominant, expect the usual anti-trust actions that usually follow).

I think that eBooks are going to be important, but rumours of the death of the physical book and bookstores are currently premature - even Simon & Schuster in that article are only predicting eBooks to represent 40% of their sales market.

MM

MM

mattias · Aug 13, 2010

I prefer printed books. It feels more valuable. The literature I used as a student looks quite impressive in my book shelf.

The same thing can be said about movies. My DVD collection looks nice in the book shelf, it is more appealing to find a movie there than it would have been to browse some files on a hard drive, even though it would have been possible to do all sorts of queries by using a database (i.e. movies could be sorted by genre, actor, year etc).

On the other hand I am a somewhat conservative person and I am also strongly influenced by my feelings.

This is worrying...

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