Is Digital the Death of Books?
Friday, November 6, 2009 Question of the day: Can you talk a bit about your thoughts on ebooks/Kindle/digital books and what you think their impact will be on the publishing industry?
Sure, but I'm going to offer my honest answer upfront: I don't have any freaking idea. There are wiser, much wiser souls than I who are very well-versed on this subject, and maybe some of them can chime in on the comments sections. I don't have a Kindle - stubbornly don't want one, though I'm sure I'll be eating crow about that in future years - and I've never bought an ebook. I'm old school, I guess, in that regard, and since I know plenty of other people who are too, for the near future, I don't really worry about the dissolution of print books.
That said, I'm sure there were once people who scoffed at cell phones and computers, so yeah...obviously, I probably am too archaic in my thinking. In fact, I'd say that most of our industry is. Publishing, as I've often said here and plenty of other people say elsewhere, is one of the slowest-to-adapt, most set-in-its-ways industries in history. The powers that be need to rethink SO many aspects of how to do business - from the standard advance model vs. royalties, to an actual formula to determine a successful book, to how to adapt to the changing marketplace, that, well, going digital is just one factor that will ultimately change everything.
Do I think digital spells doom for books, if, assuming as you do, that eventually, most of us are reading via Kindle, iPhone or whatnot? I don't think so. To be sure, the internet and computers themselves have contributed to fewer book purchases and shorter attention spans, but there will always be people out there who want to read/hear good stories, and to that end, there will always be a need for authors to tell those stories. How those stories are transmitted? Well, again, I'm not the best person to speak to that, but in some form or another, the "book" will always exist. So I don't worry about it too much. There are plenty of other things to worry about in our industry as it is.
One area that obviously has also been hit hard - if not harder than books - is print publications: many, many fewer of us read actual magazines or newspapers anymore, not when it's almost easier to click online and find what you're looking for. But that said, as magazines close, opportunity, in some way, opens online: bylines are still there to be had, albeit in digital form and perhaps for less pay. So in the immediate future, I'd say that journalists and freelancers are probably going to be hit harder than authors (this recession aside, because, yes, that's hit all of us). But again, I'm not the expert - just writing this thoughts off the cuff.
Anyone else want to chime in here? I'm sure there are those of you out there who are better versed in this area than I am.
Industry
Reader Comments (5)
What worries me about the transition to ebooks is the future of bookstores. Browsing through titles on amazon just does not have the same magic as being in an actual bookstore. I rarely buy a book on impulse on amazon but I will do that in a book store. Losing the sense of community you find in a bookstore would also be hard to swallow. Bookstores aren't doing that great as it is - what will happen if a huge portion of books are sold electronically instead? I also believe there will always be books and great new stories to read, but I worry about what we may lose in switching to digitial publication.
When inexpensive large screen televisions became popular, film studios were worried that no one would go to the movies anymore. They were afraid people would skip a night out because they could have same experience at home.
But instead, the market expanded. People continued to visit theaters – and -- the movie rental industry exploded. The reason: a basic difference in the user experience between the two forms of content delivery.
It seems logical that the e-book revolution would follow the same trajectory. Most of the avid readers I know still read paper books, even though they own Kindles. They tell me the feel of the paper and the sense of accomplishment from seeing the pages they’ve read are critical to the experience.
For me, reading just wouldn’t be the same if I couldn’t physically turn the pages of the book …and don’t even get me started about trying to read anything on a tiny iPhone screen ;). I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of others feel the same way.
A co-worker wrote a great article on this very subject, which was picked up by The Huffington Post at http:/A co-worker wrote a great article on this very subject, which was picked up by The Huffington Post
I worry about the readers. It is becoming the norm to be attention challenged. How many people under 25 can concentrate long enough to finish a book? Or even to start one? Will the long form of the book become obsolete because readers are unable to focus for longer than five minutes?
I agree with Cindy A's reply that the big thing to worry about are readers. I've heard people talk about skipping 1000-word articles because they are too long. Books...many people have convinced themselves that they don't have enough time to sit still for five minutes, so they definitely feel they don't have time to read.
That said, kids read. Teens read. There are definitely future readers out there, and hopefully publishers and writers will think about how to keep them reading when they face other easier distractions like TV, videogames, and stressing about all the things they have to do.
I like Sarah's reply. My wife and I were in an independent bookstore in our town, recently, and talking about what will happen to the place if ebooks ever become the norm. The store, physically, is great--it's a pleasure just being in the place. But every time we've gone into the place, the staff (including the owners), don't seem excited by books. It's clear that they love books because they opened an independent bookstore, but being the only customers in there on several occasions and trying to talk with staff, it's been like talking to walls.
In a potential future I've heard some people speculate about (a future where larger stores like Barnes and Noble close down because ebooks are the norm), a smaller shop like the one in town could survive if they specialized. The store tries competing with the Barnes and Noble several miles away, offering a little bit of everything, but not having the shelf space to ever have a book I want when I want it. I can order the book on my own through B&N online or download an ebook and read it on the Kindle app for my iPod Touch faster than it takes for the store to get the book for me.
If the store specialized in something like mysteries, even in a future where ebooks are the norm, a tiny store may thrive. Since this is all speculation, my guess is if books as we know them ever go away, there will still be books. Many smaller publishers specializing in genres produce small print runs of beautifully produced books, and they charge a lot of money for them (and sell out).
A small book store like the one in the town where I live can stock those kinds of books, where a huge store like Barnes and Noble would still have many empty shelves because they are so small. The small, specialized store could still support signings and be a place for rabid fans of reading and books to gather.
Again, all speculation. I hope more people reply, because the future of books in a world of ebooks is one of my favorite topics to see discussed. In August, 3 million books were read using the iPhone (http://bit.ly/1xIGu5).
I suspect that number will only grow...
My issue with e-books and the future of hard copy books, tends to go into my 'conspiracy theory land' box! i really do fear someone controlling what we read, even beyond book burning. some entity controlling what books shall actually exist. they could just be deleted. or controlled through quantity, genre i.e., how many historicals are you allowed to read this quarter? if e books are the only delivery system, who controls the delivery process?