Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Will Print Books be Replaced by Digital Media?


Today’s post covers the topic, Will print books be replaced by digital media. I look forward to your remarks on this subject.


For the past several years I have read articles hinting that the eBook reader will replace the printed book. My answer then as it is now is maybe. By this I mean that the traditional publisher’s model of printing a hardback novel followed by the paperback must change .Change to what? I foresee a model where most of the hardbacks and paperbacks will be replaced by the trade paperback only. It is clear that the digital book is here to stay and has impacted the overall sales of hardback/paperback books.

When I first began researching how much eBook sales increased the profit of the major publishing companies I noted a surprising trend. All of the major companies reported almost identical digital sales—2 to 3%. Today, these sale figures can’t be ignored because they are now in the 25 to 30% range. Do you see a trend here?

Follow this link to a publishing giant’s article titled Dumping print, NY publisher bets the ranch on apps. It will open your eyes.

2 comments:

  1. I don't doubt ebooks will continue to rise, especially as technology continues to envelop more of our lives. But I don't think the good old paper book is going to go down quickly or without a fight. A lot of people still prefer them and there are even more people out there who are technologically behind the people you hear from all the time in the media and on the internet. There's room for both right now. =)

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  2. Hello Joyce,

    I liked your answer and want to believe that there are still many readers; I included that want to hold a book in their hands. I admit that if I had the choice of purchasing a hardback at say $20 and an eBook for $2.49 I would opt for the digital format. However if it is a reference book in my specialty the hard book will win every time.

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