Are ebooks a threat or boon to writers and publishers?

Now that the book is in the editing process, I’ve taken a little time to think about the process of writing. I’ve been looking at how I get writing done, what I can do better … and what is the whole future of the publishing industry.

Have you seen ebook readers lately? I would love to have a Sony Reader Touch edition. They look so cool! I have friends who have the previous (non touch) version and think it’ great. While ebook readers are a ways from mainstream (the initial price is the biggest barrier), there are indications that ebooks are catching on like wildfire:

As of late morning, the Kindle version is still atop the list. That said, it’s important to note that this is one store. The hardcover version is still tops at rival Barnes and Noble, which also sells a digital version. Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment and exact sales figures. The possibility that the Kindle version of “The Lost Symbol”–which follows Brown’s wildly popular “Da Vinci Code” and “Angels & Demons”–is outselling hard copies on Amazon could be a monumental moment in the e-book industry. Prior to the release of the book, its publisher, Random House, was mulling the possibility of not even releasing a Kindle version.

link: Dan Brown book selling better on Kindle than hardcover? | The Digital Home – CNET News

Wow. Think of that, an electronic version outselling the paper version. Yes, as CNET says later, this might just be a temporary thing (the Kindle leads the hardback still as I’m writing this) , however this could be one of the first ripples in a sea change throughout the publishing industry.

Think of the whole publishing process now (and I’m still a newbie at this). Before the author really gets down to work a publisher has to decide if the book will make enough money to be worth it. Surely a large part of that decision are the costs of printing and distributing the books. Not only are books costly to make (printing), but they are dern heavy too! There’s a reason for “book rate” at the post office.

Now imagine not having to worry about that. You write the book, it gets edited, and then distribution is electronic. The incremental cost of “creating” one or one million copies is pretty much nil. If there are updates to the book, maybe be able to push the updates to people automagically (maybe this isn’t great for writers I’d say).

Ebooks have been tried you say? Sure they have. I’ve even read and reviewed a few, but haven’t really enjoyed reading them. Why? Because laptops/monitors are lousy ebook readers. Now if you have a light, totable ebook reader, maybe that would be different. Personally, I’m excited. Maybe not excited about replacing a lot of existing books, but I think this is a great step forward. Don’t get me wrong, I still love the feel and smell of a new book, however if giving up a lot of paper books might allow more authors to be published. Well that can’t be a bad thing, can it?

Can it?

Tagged as: ebook readers, ebooks, electronic publishing