Recent years have seen many changes in the publishing industry, from the appearance of e-books to new printing developments such as Print on Demand. These changes have affected the publishing industry as we know it and have created uncertainty as to how books will be read in the future and how publishers will operate. Will it all go digital or will paper and electronic markets co-exist?
The Evolution of E-Books
E-books have actually been around quite a while. Project Gutenberg began the first digital library in 1971. In 1994, many small publishers began to go digital, but the time of the e-book hadn’t quite arrived. Technology was not advanced enough to produce an affordable e-book reader. Also, the idea of reading books on a computer or hand-held device was a new concept and slow to be embraced. Most people simply didn’t know much about e-books, how to get them and how to download and read them.
The first generation of e-book readers, such as the Rocket, produced by NuvoMedia, was introduced in 1998. Since then, the advancement technology such as electronic paper and better screens make the latest readers, such as the Amazon Kindle and the Barnes and Noble Nook more reader-friendly. Prices, too, are more affordable than they were back when e-books and E-book readers were a novelty. E-books can also now be read on other hand-held devices such as the iPad.
Changes in the Paper Book Industry
The development of e-books has become the biggest change in publishing since the invention of the Gutenberg Press in 1439. Ever since movable type printing was invented, paper books have had no competition.
Traditional book printing depends on a press run of a certain amount of books.The development of electronic books and also print on demand methods which allow as few as one copy of a book to be printed has challenged the big publishers way of operating.
E-Books vs Paper: The Future of Publishing
Technology keeps changing, and the effects have been felt by publishers and authors alike. Publishers are unsure whether to continue the traditional print run or to jump on the e-book bandwagon. Authors are confused because the markets are ever-changing.
The old method of submitting a book to a publisher has changed. Many of the large publishers, losing sales to the new ventures, have cut back their mid-list. Many now only publish established or best-selling authors and require an agent for submission. Many new authors are signing up with smaller publishers, many of them e-book publishers.
Another option available to authors is taking its toll on traditional publishing. In previous decades, self-publishing was expensive and a self-published book was very difficult to market. In recent times, print on demand has made it easy and affordable for writers to publish their own books and to market them online through websites and blogs.
The introduction of new technology, perhaps first felt in the world of publishing, has affected the music industry and television, as well. The individual writer has more options, but the methods of selling and marketing books keeps changing. The next few years will be a challenge for both author and publisher. However, in time, the publishing world will sort itself out and adapt to the rapid changes in technology.
A Short History of eBooks, Lebert, Marie NEF, University of Toronto, 2009.
Readers may also enjoy the article Affordable Amazon Kindle Boosts E-Book Sales.
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