What Do E-Books Mean for Us? (Notes from the Frankfurt Book Fair)
The Book Fair appropriately gave the stage to two opposing voices. Writer Paolo Coelho, whose book The Alchemist was on the NYT bestseller list for a full year after he posted the book for free on the Internet, said, “Contrary to what common sense tells us -- and common sense is not always a good guide, otherwise publishers, booksellers, and writers would probably be doing something more profitable -- the more you give, the more you gain."
Then Dr. Gottfried Honnefelder, the director of the German Publishers & Booksellers Association, urged a crackdown on Internet piracy: "The e-book is a big chance for the book market. . . . Yet we have to decide on some requirements and basic conditions, because regulations, processes and business models often lag behind technical developments.”
So the fear here is that the book publishing industry will eventually face the same problems that the music industry faces now. I’ve worked with academic electronic books at various points, and in that world -- admittedly, the one where I’m an editor and not a writer -- I fully believe in them. Information should be made freely available to as many people as possible, and nothing has ever done that as effectively as electronic books do. But as a fiction writer . . . well, what will this mean for us? I want to share Coelho’s generous spirit, but I can't help worrying about what this might mean for book publishers, the folks who write the advances. Will people continue to prefer the experience of reading a book to reading a screen? If not, will they pay to download e-books?
On the other hand, what can we do to adapt, especially since the mainstream publishing industry is being slow to do so? This technology gives us print-on-demand, allowing writers to affordably self-publish and for indie presses to eliminate warehouse costs. And it offers low-cost marketing possibilities. Some writers seem to be taking advantage of these opportunities to get their work out there. But does this necessarily mean a better quality selection for the reader or a better situation for the writer?
Obviously it's a hugely complicated matter, so I'd love to hear what other writers think.
I think you’re right that this is an issue that will soon affect publishers in a big way, and hopefully they respond to it better than the music industry has.
I have no problem paying for an eBook, except when it’s only a few dollars cheaper than a printed version. Half the experience of reading is, for me, tangible, and so if publishers haven’t had to pay for paper and printing and designing and binding then I think eBooks should be considerably cheaper. The experience itself isn’t as rich.
I never thought I’d be an eBook reader, but I’ve really enjoyed having ten or twenty books on my iPod, rather than carrying heavy books on a journey.
I would buy ebooks if they were considerably cheaper, but I, like Nat, enjoy the experience of having the book in hand. Also, sometimes the screen bothers my eyes after a while. So I go back and forth but you’re right, the book industry is going to have to do something about this soon.
Your point about fiction/non-fiction is well taken. An author may create a business e-book, for example, and use it as a marketing tool, hoping it will lead to some consulting or speaking gigs, for example. But where a fiction writer’s book IS their product, they don’t have the same options.
Such an author may “give away” a collection of short stories, or even a longer work, to draw attention to themselves, and thus build a following or attract the attention of publishers, perhaps, but eventually they do need to find a way to make some actual money from their work.
Otherwise it’s: “Yes, I am an author…now, would you like fries with that?”
At this point in time, my bookshelves have so many books that I avoid buying new ones. Instead, I buy e-books whenever available and read them on my handheld device. Of course I would like to see cheaper e-books, as the developing cost cannot possibly be as high as with paper books, but that has not deterred me.
I think that authors should be paid for their work and am willing to do this, as the majority of e-book readers are – we want you to continue to write, not to go bankrupt!
As for the screen, the new e-ink devices are said to be very restful on the eyes, with no glare and readable in sunlight.
For me, the deciding factor is that I can browse the internet and instantly download and start reading (I know instant gratification isn’t good for you, but I can’t resist), not to mention the advantage of being able to carry around as many books as I want without the added weight. Stores like Fictionwise and Baen have given me the opportunity to try out many writers that I would never have come across in a bookstore in Greece.
My day job, in an academic library, has allowed me to buy and test ebook readers for the past 4 years. Before I tested the Kindle I thought ebooks didn’t have a chance of success. But after I read a few books on the Kindle I started to believe that ebooks will replace a significant number of paper books over the next 10 years. The epaper and eink on the Kindle made reading very easy on my eyes and I like have over 1,000 books with me on the Kindle.
Two problems bother me with the current ebook situation. First the ebook readers cost to much, I can buy (or drive to the library and borrow) a lot of paper books for the cost of a Kindle. Second, I give away at least half of the books a buy, but I cannot give someone my electronic book once it is stuck on the ebook reader. Once these issues are resolved I will switch to the Kindle, after all its great to be able to buy and start reading a book all while riding the bus home from work.
e-books are just another way of getting a writer’s work out there. Adjustments will have to be made by traditional publishers but all will continue to be necessary
I was wondering if you felt that reading a classic in pdf is still getting it down for the road? Like Aristophane or The Pig Man.
Good site, admin.
Thanks, Alexis!