Jaime Rush's Blog - Posts Tagged "e-books"
Will e-books kill the fiction star? The future of books and bookstores.
Yesterday I had five agents and one NY editor in one place and I got to ask them anything I wanted. As it happened, I was moderating a panel for my chapter's conference. So I asked the question that's been on my mind lately: how will e-books change the future of bookstores, publishers, and authors? Frankly, with bookstores teetering and falling, even the biggies, I'm worried.
One agent said, "I think your question is THE question in the industry right now."
I wasn't able to take notes, being the moderator, so I'll give my general impression of the answers given. Another agent said that fifteen years ago there were no book superstores, and in ten years there won't be any again. That was very depressing, because how many of us love hanging out in the bookstore, perusing the shelves, or plunking down on the floor in the aisle with a stack of books to check out? I know I do. Just the feel and the smell of the store, coffee and paper and all those pretty covers … What about booksignings? Popping into a store and finding a signed copy? Authors can't sign e-books (though I know one who was asked to sign a Kindle itself!).
I think publishers are a little worried, too. Not only are they losing critical outlets for sales with all of the bookstore closings, but what will happen to them if e-books dominate the sales? Or when, I should say. With authors beginning to sell their backlist directly to readers through Kindle, Nook, etc., how long until they skip the publisher altogether?
The editor on the panel reminded us that their editing, expertise, marketing, and cover art designs are a critical component to the success of a book. Anyone can throw their work out there nowadays, get their friends and family to post some great reviews, and call themselves an author. But what guarantees that the book will even be readable? I know, I hear you. There are professionally published books that some deem unreadable, but without editors and copyeditors, the odds go way up.
Here's what authors are worried about: How will you find out about our new books? Or books that aren't getting publicity and promotion bucks to get ads and such? You can sign up for your favorite authors' newsletters, but how will you discover the new or new-to-you author? The Internet will be the main place, I suppose, with review blogs and publishers' websites, and reader communities like GoodReads. Word of mouth will play a big role, and it always been the Holy Grail of success for authors. Talking up your favorite books and authors helps them to stay alive in this competitive and changing industry.
One panelist said it was imperative to have an online presence. And that doesn't mean leaving a "My book is out!" dropping in reader's forums and never returning. You have to be part of a community, interacting regularly and developing relationships. Yeah, it's work and time, but it's also fun. Pick and choose the forums you can devote your time to.
This e-book revolution will impact booksellers, readers, publishers and authors. Yet, reading e-books has a lot of advantages. I like the greenness of e-books. I love the fact that they're never stripped and returned to the publisher by the bookstore. Having just seen a box of stripped books ready for the recycle bin, I can't tell you how heartbreaking it was. For those who don't know, those books you see in on the shelves are on consignment. If they don't sell in the time allotted, sometimes as short as a few weeks, paperback covers get stripped and sent back to the publisher for credit.
We had about sixty people in the audience, and one of our panelists asked how many people had bought a physical book in the last week. About a third raised their hand. Then she asked how many had bought an e-book in the last week. Again, about a third raised their hand. Some were the same people. Right now about 10% of a book's sales is electronic, according to one panelist, but that number is steadily growing.
There are people who love the feel of a book in their hand, the smell of the paper, the beauty of the cover. One panelist said, "The paperback's had a good run." Meaning, that run is about over. No one argued with that, but some maintained that the physical book will never go completely away. I hope they're right.
The overall take was that e-books are a good thing for the industry … and inevitable. Stories will never go away as long as there are people who want them. That brings me to you readers out there. If you want your favorite authors to keep writing, they have to be able to make some kind of living from them. Spread the word, talk them up, and buy their books. Don't ever download a book from a "free" piracy site. If you want your favorite bookstore to stay alive, support them, too.
Funny thing is, word of mouth is free to you, and like gold to us authors. So are you, dear readers, booksellers, and librarians.
What's your take?
One agent said, "I think your question is THE question in the industry right now."
I wasn't able to take notes, being the moderator, so I'll give my general impression of the answers given. Another agent said that fifteen years ago there were no book superstores, and in ten years there won't be any again. That was very depressing, because how many of us love hanging out in the bookstore, perusing the shelves, or plunking down on the floor in the aisle with a stack of books to check out? I know I do. Just the feel and the smell of the store, coffee and paper and all those pretty covers … What about booksignings? Popping into a store and finding a signed copy? Authors can't sign e-books (though I know one who was asked to sign a Kindle itself!).
I think publishers are a little worried, too. Not only are they losing critical outlets for sales with all of the bookstore closings, but what will happen to them if e-books dominate the sales? Or when, I should say. With authors beginning to sell their backlist directly to readers through Kindle, Nook, etc., how long until they skip the publisher altogether?
The editor on the panel reminded us that their editing, expertise, marketing, and cover art designs are a critical component to the success of a book. Anyone can throw their work out there nowadays, get their friends and family to post some great reviews, and call themselves an author. But what guarantees that the book will even be readable? I know, I hear you. There are professionally published books that some deem unreadable, but without editors and copyeditors, the odds go way up.
Here's what authors are worried about: How will you find out about our new books? Or books that aren't getting publicity and promotion bucks to get ads and such? You can sign up for your favorite authors' newsletters, but how will you discover the new or new-to-you author? The Internet will be the main place, I suppose, with review blogs and publishers' websites, and reader communities like GoodReads. Word of mouth will play a big role, and it always been the Holy Grail of success for authors. Talking up your favorite books and authors helps them to stay alive in this competitive and changing industry.
One panelist said it was imperative to have an online presence. And that doesn't mean leaving a "My book is out!" dropping in reader's forums and never returning. You have to be part of a community, interacting regularly and developing relationships. Yeah, it's work and time, but it's also fun. Pick and choose the forums you can devote your time to.
This e-book revolution will impact booksellers, readers, publishers and authors. Yet, reading e-books has a lot of advantages. I like the greenness of e-books. I love the fact that they're never stripped and returned to the publisher by the bookstore. Having just seen a box of stripped books ready for the recycle bin, I can't tell you how heartbreaking it was. For those who don't know, those books you see in on the shelves are on consignment. If they don't sell in the time allotted, sometimes as short as a few weeks, paperback covers get stripped and sent back to the publisher for credit.
We had about sixty people in the audience, and one of our panelists asked how many people had bought a physical book in the last week. About a third raised their hand. Then she asked how many had bought an e-book in the last week. Again, about a third raised their hand. Some were the same people. Right now about 10% of a book's sales is electronic, according to one panelist, but that number is steadily growing.
There are people who love the feel of a book in their hand, the smell of the paper, the beauty of the cover. One panelist said, "The paperback's had a good run." Meaning, that run is about over. No one argued with that, but some maintained that the physical book will never go completely away. I hope they're right.
The overall take was that e-books are a good thing for the industry … and inevitable. Stories will never go away as long as there are people who want them. That brings me to you readers out there. If you want your favorite authors to keep writing, they have to be able to make some kind of living from them. Spread the word, talk them up, and buy their books. Don't ever download a book from a "free" piracy site. If you want your favorite bookstore to stay alive, support them, too.
Funny thing is, word of mouth is free to you, and like gold to us authors. So are you, dear readers, booksellers, and librarians.
What's your take?
