eBooks

[Tux Toledo]

I'll be the first to admit that I love "real" books. The look, the smell, the way they feel in your hands and the way they look stacked on bookshelves up to the ceiling. Yet, as an aspiring author I am coming to appreciate the way eBooks are opening up what has been a very closed market.

I wrote a series of short stories called "The Lovable Rogue Mysteries". I've been attempting to get them published for several years now. The literary agents who have read the book all comment on how good the writing is and how unique the characters are but they all reach the same conclusion: it's impossible to get a collection of short stories published in today's market.

Now along come eBooks such as Amazon's Kindle and Barnes & Nobel's Nook. I have published the "The Lovable Rogue Mysteries" for both of these platforms and have already gotten sales. eBooks promise to minimize the power of the middle-men and allow writers to sell their work directly to their readers. This, in my opinion, is good. However, it puts a burden on readers to sift through all of the books available to them and somehow determine which ones are worthy enough to buy and read. That's not so good.

How do you all think this eBook trend is going to play out? Personally, I hope it opens the market to talent that would otherwise be locked out but I also hope it becomes and adjunct to "real" books and doesn't completely replace them.

 

[Pompidou]

I imagine trees are becoming more and more a precious commodity, physical inventory warehouse space is expensive, and e-commerce requires minimal staff and overhead. If they don't eventually completely replace paper books before I'm dead in 70 years, I'll be surprised. It's my guess that non-physical electronic media will be the only option in the future - the near future. I think it's going to be a great equalizer. No longer will media be controlled by the rich. It's already changing the music industry, and to a lesser extent the movie industry. Indie musicians can market and thrive without big labels by social marketing and intelligent internet use. I approve.

 

[Diamondback]

If we're talking personal preference, each has a place in my toolkit. For mobile operations, e-books help a lot (can pack a small library into almost the size of a deck of cards, less fumbling with big references on planes and cheesing off the character in the next seat), but back at GHQ, hardcopies make feeding data into spreadsheets and databases for analysis a great deal easier--Alt-Tabbing gets to being a pain at times.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

If they don't eventually completely replace paper books before I'm dead in 70 years, I'll be surprised. It's my guess that non-physical electronic media will be the only option in the future - the near future.

Personally I prefer the sense of ownership that a print book, a DVD or a CD bestows along with that sense of permanence that comes from its physical existence. The book, DVD or CD that you buy today will most likely still be extant many years later as many original copies of books written decades, and even centuries ago, are still around ready to be referenced. The same cannot neccesarily be said about electronic media. It's been said that book sales, particularly nonfiction books, have declined in recent years because of the ready availability of the same information on the Internet. But I can think of numerous websites (along with the information that they contained) that no longer exist and are quite possibly lost forever. Another thing to consider is that not everything that's ever been physically published will ever be on Kindle or Nook -- only what the powers that be think will sell -- so there will be a whole body of knowledge that will not be available to future generations.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Books for me. I have very bad eyes, and reading off a screen only makes them worse. If there was a way to get the Lounge in print form, I'd be the first subscriber.

 

[Undertow]

I imagine trees are becoming more and more a precious commodity, physical inventory warehouse space is expensive, and e-commerce requires minimal staff and overhead. If they don't eventually completely replace paper books before I'm dead in 70 years, I'll be surprised. It's my guess that non-physical electronic media will be the only option in the future - the near future. I think it's going to be a great equalizer. No longer will media be controlled by the rich. It's already changing the music industry, and to a lesser extent the movie industry. Indie musicians can market and thrive without big labels by social marketing and intelligent internet use. I approve.

Although I'm a book fetishist, I agree with Pompidou.

Physical copies of media will no longer be valid, or produced, due to costs involved. Digital media will engulf all things eventually as faster and smaller computers are created.

DVDs: At some point in the near future, I imagine we'll move to memory sticks instead of DVDs with flawless HD transfer and no risk of scratching. The music industry tried something like this with mini-discs, but it was too far ahead of its time and not very cost effective.

Music: Best Buy has already planned to reduce its inventory of discs and movies for fall/winter, and thereafter, due to decline in purchasing. Investors.com Article The new wave is digital media, however inferior it is, and the future wave will likely be online subscriptions to records companies, or to bands themselves.

Books: Barnes & Noble has been discussing closing many brick-and-mortar locations due to digital media, the economy and other concerns. New York Times Article eBooks truly will be the next thing, followed by a similar pattern to music - likely a subscription to publisher or author, or possibly a monstrous Amazon of digital media.

Eventually, people will lease digital storage space from companies like Google, where they can store their digital movies, games, music, programs, etc. Google is basically already doing that for free, but I think there will be rent/lease style options coming where you can receive so much space to keep everything and then download it instantly when needed. The Cloud Computing technology is bringing this to the forefront already, but innovations will be made.

Physical media will be far hard to get, and far more prized. Just like quality shoes and suits, books and records will seem like diamonds. Hobbyists will learn how to create and press these things with little machines, but it will eventually turn into some kind of eccentricity.

 

[1961MJS]

Hi

In a lot of respects Undertow is right, BUT the written word does last a lot longer than any digital form. If memory serves, the copy of the US Constitution wouldn't exist if it was printed in the 1950's (70's maybe) because the paper isn't as good as the old linen stuff. I see the market for used books ala amazon.com to overtake Kindle etc. Shipping is currently even cheaper than the $10.00 to download. The digital stuff lasts an even shorter time, due primarily to the changes in operating systems etc.

Later

 

[LocktownDog]

I have a very (VERY) small house. I just can't fit enough bookshelves, so Kindle does alleviate my need for space.

 

[the snake's hips]

Hi

In a lot of respects Undertow is right, BUT the written word does last a lot longer than any digital form. If memory serves, the copy of the US Constitution wouldn't exist if it was printed in the 1950's (70's maybe) because the paper isn't as good as the old linen stuff. I see the market for used books ala amazon.com to overtake Kindle etc. Shipping is currently even cheaper than the $10.00 to download. The digital stuff lasts an even shorter time, due primarily to the changes in operating systems etc.

Later

Yes, but so few documents are the Magna Carta or the Constitution.

Most e-books sales are run of the mill paperbacks bestsellers in genre fiction, the kind of non-fiction that more or less comes with an expiration date. Basically, disposable content, meant to be read once and forgotten. Amazon also sells TONS of free classics that exist in other forms. None require Vatican-style archiving. The world can live without Twilight on high-quality hemp, ya know?

 

[Smithy]

eBooks?

Hate the things. I really don't like to read much text on a screen.

Oh I daresay they'll try and do more and more with eBooks and the like but it won't work for me. I'll have my books on good, old fashioned paper thank you very much.

Plus what about reading a paperback in the bath or at the beach? I wouldn't trust one of those iPad thingies if you dropped it in the bath water or it got sand all over it.

Some things in my opinion are not advancement. eBooks taking over from traditional print media is not a move forward.

Interestingly and on a related note, a number of intelligence agencies around the world are now thinking of going back to non-digital filing and information storing. In other words storing information on paper again. Such information is immune from hacking, cyber attacks and attacks designed to destroy electronic devices. Plus, an enemy has to physically break into an actual place to get their hands on the information, much harder and logistically involving than hacking into a computer system from thousands of miles away.

 

[Touchofevil]

In the beginning, I figured that I would dislike trying to read on an e-reader, but once I got my first Kindle I realized that I was so very wrong. I can read for hours without the eye strain I would incur when reading on a computer screen. A serious plus to the Kindle is that I am able to find many out of print titles for a fraction of what they would cost if I were to find them in paper. My library of hard copy books is so large that the Kindle is a great space saver for me. Another plus is that they don't download with that musty smell that so many used books carry.

 

[Undertow]

Personally, I'm not one who appreciates these updates in technology. I prefer written word on paper - movies on discs - music on records (or CD ). I like to be able to hold my valued possessions.

Smithy, that's an interesting point about Intelligence Agencies going back to physical copies - it only makes sense. I refuse to bank online for the same reason. And my financial transactions online (purchases) are far and few, and only as a last measure. I don't trust the intrawebz with my bank account.

In fact, call me old fashioned, but if I can't step into your office to shake your hand, I don't want to do business. Sure, I'll buy some things online occassionally, but only after I've exhausted the physical search locally.

 

[Tux Toledo]

I'm hoping that eBooks can peacefully co-exist and compliment printed books. I would never want to give up my library of hard-bound books yet at times the convenience of an eBook is quite compelling. And I'm all for its potential to open up the literary market. I do have concerns about the long-term viability of any digital format. We can still read a 200 year-old printed book but I cannot say with confidence that we'll be able to read any eBook 200 years from now.

 

[Edward]

eBooks?

Hate the things. I really don't like to read much text on a screen.

Oh I daresay they'll try and do more and more with eBooks and the like but it won't work for me. I'll have my books on good, old fashioned paper thank you very much.

Plus what about reading a paperback in the bath or at the beach? I wouldn't trust one of those iPad thingies if you dropped it in the bath water or it got sand all over it.

Some things in my opinion are not advancement. eBooks taking over from traditional print media is not a move forward.

I prefer print myself, though both have their place. I still buy CDs, though I also load them onto my iPod. The thing holding me back from eBooks, of course, is that unlike my CDs and iPod, I can't exactly buy 'real' books and convert them to digital in a few seconds. Nevertheless, an ebook reader (such as the Kindle - the iPad, with its backlit screen, is not an ebook reader but a tablet computer, and a very different beast) is something I would like to have for travelling with. When the price comes down to about GBP20.00 (and eventually it will), I will get myself one.

 

[Dewhurst]

How do you all think this eBook trend is going to play out?

eBook's as an electronic format will cause both expansions and contractions in the book markets. Of that, I'm sure. They will open up certain avenues, and close down others. For instance, as an digital good the ability to copy and distribute them is child's play. The ability to copy things is a fundamental part of every modern computer operating system, meaning publishers need simply hit Ctrl+C a time or two, throw the resultant file on a dedicated secure server and poof! the world is filled with the latest thriller (an oversimplification, but you'll have to forgive me). So, distribution becomes amazingly simple.

Unless you wish to retain rights over copying them! Think about it this way, what if every household in the world had their own printing press and the resources to copy books? That is the barebones problem publishers face with digital books, music, etc., the capabilities are built in to the foundation of the structure: with computers we have exactly that ability (but not that right, as many people seem to forget. Ease or ability does not cause a right to exist!). And this is why eBooks exist largely as separate "platforms" right now rather than a "thing" like "a book". There are different readers that are incompatible with one another, file formats that cannot be read everywhere, software solutions on desktop platforms that are incompatible with one another, and on and on. The only real barrier for a physical book is understanding the language it is written in. If you got that, you can read the book. eBooks are bound to certain hardware and software platforms that add extra barriers for readers.

And so, as if they were wild animals backed in to corners, the publishers decide to contract the consumer convenience in order to protect themselves. With a regular old book, you buy it, read it, maybe lend it to a few friends (for any amount of time you want, thank you very much Barnes & Noble), trade your physical copy, gift it to a friend, pass it on to posterity (yes, I have books this rare or valuable), sell it to a used bookstore, donate it to a book fund/drive, and on and on and on. Basically, none of these are possible with digital books at this point. And heaven forbid the publisher or company from whom you purchased the eBook and who acts as your home base for storing the book goes out of business.

So, eBooks have a lot of sorting out left to do and their fundamentally different nature is partly what requires the extra sorting. Frankly, we may never see feature parity with the physical printed book. Half of the things we do with our physical books aren't things publishers enjoy too much.

eBooks will help books go places and help authors go places that have been difficult. Small authors will get to put their stuff out there (although the dross now multiplies without the "filter" of publishers). At the same time, consumers might feel a squeeze or a few moments of discomfort when they find themselves unable to do things with their eBooks that they have taken for granted with their physical books. And, we can admit it, unauthorized copying will persist, perhaps even increase, as a problem for the entire industry.

I expect to see them coexist for quite some time. Where things go may at times be both exciting and disappointing.

(One interesting thing to think about: currently publishers will tend to put new books in a higher quality or more prestigious format in more limited numbers such as hardcover initially. After a year or two of sales, they transition to more cheaply produced copies of the book in larger quantities. So, there is a new book + nice materials = much higher initial price. Followed by, cheaper materials + old book = lower subsequent price. Things can fluctuate, but this is the general trend. An ebook is an ebook is an ebook, so it will be interesting to see how you sell a new ebook for 24.99 USD today, and sell the exact same ebook for 7.99 USD in 12 months. Brass tacks, all your bartering is new vs. old with an ebook. Special features? Who knows. It will be interesting to watch.)