E-Books outsell hardcovers on Amazon, but paperbacks still rule...implications?

[RandomAnthony]

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/st...

What do you think?

[Jonathan]

I was surprised, but not at all upset.

Just from a writer's perspective, the existing distribution system for physical books is a nightmare. At every step of a book's journey problems can and do arise. Books that are scheduled for printing don't get printed; books that ought to be in the warehouse mysteriously get lost; books that should be available at the bookstore wind up mis-shelved and therefore impossible to find.

E-books eliminate this cumbersome process and the possibilities for error that arise from it. Also e-books create a publishing model that doesn't rely so heavily on paper and deforestation.

Anyway, I'm all in favor of doing more reading in electronic form--although physical books will probably always have a place. They make a nice birthday present, etc.

[Jonathan]

Piracy is an issue. If someone steals a book from Barnes and Noble, the author still gets a royalty because B&N is responsible for that physical copy of the book. When someone steals an e-book, nobody gets any kind of compensation.

Like the music industry, book publishers will have to evolve sales models (like I-tunes) for honest people who want pay fairly for what they get. Amazon has already done this pretty effectively with the Kindle store, I think. And then one has to go after the cheaters when possible.

Anyway, piracy is mostly an issue for the mega-bestsellers--hence not such a big problem for me.

[Phil]

Jonathan wrote: "Piracy is an issue."

And I believe the industry is currently responding to this inappropriately.

I have a Sony e-Reader and am happy to pay for my purchases. However, booksellers have been using DRM to shut out users other than those who purchase THEIR devices. So if you buy on Amazon, you're limited to the Kindle (or your computer or iPod). If you buy on Barnes & Noble, you're stuck with the Nook (or computer or iPod).

So far, the best source I've found for the REST of us (not wanting to be tied to Kindle or Nook) is Borders. Their e-books are sold in a format compatible with any of the current readers. They will continue to have my business.

[janine]

i think e-books are great for making obscurer books available. i'm not converted yet, and i'm not afraid of 'real' books disappearing.

[Jackie "the Librarian"]

You can get downloadable ebooks from my library system. For FREE!

[Phil]

Not from ours. It appears to be set up, but everything is listed as not in stock. Huh?

[Phil]

Jackie "the Librarian" wrote: "You can get downloadable ebooks from my library system. For FREE!"

Can you get me a library card so I can access it? Or is that even necessary?

[Jackie "the Librarian"]

Phil wrote: "Jackie "the Librarian" wrote: "You can get downloadable ebooks from my library system. For FREE!"

Can you get me a library card so I can access it? Or is that even necessary?"


You have to check the ebooks out, Phil, so yeah, you need a library card. But the cool thing is, you'll never have overdue books. They just disappear from your reader after two weeks, I think.

[Lobstergirl, el principe]

Interesting. At the book publishing expo session I watched on Cspan a few weeks ago several of the executives speculated that paperbacks would soon be dead, and publishers would only publish hardbacks and ebooks. The Penguin guy immediately piped up that he didn't think paperbacks would die....

I really don't see myself ever buying an ebook reader. I have enough unread hardbacks and paperbacks to last me at least a couple decades, if real books begin to die off, and there's always the library. And Gutenberg.