Print
and/or digital? What does the future hold for readers and writers?
According
to Bowker’s last publishing report, the number of digital books published has
leveled off. They consider this a market correction. However, traditional or print books from the
major publishers are holding up. What does the future hold? As a reader, I
personally prefer print. As a writer, I want to be published in both print and
digital. I want to take every opportunity to have my words read in any and all
formats.
Some of the digital features are great for
readers. For instance, e-book readers of all types are lightweight and compact.
Yet they hold many titles. Also you can adjust the font size. This is a
blessing for those of us who prefer large print which is easier on the eyes.
But
what about writers? Is this good for them? After all, e-books generally sell
for a lot less than print. Writers earn less per book. However, the upside is
that more readers will purchase a digital book because it does cost less. An
example of this is my romantic mystery thriller THE BAD WIFE which is selling now for
only $2.99 as a Kindle book from the publisher Perfect Crime, a fraction of its print price. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00J6PCKVW
Here’s another positive. Many writers have had
books and short stories published in the past. Too soon these titles have gone
out of print. This is one way to make backlist titles available to the public
for long periods of time. By self-publishing an e-book, a writer can keep work
available to readers indefinitely. There are also many small ebook publishers
who are more than willing to publish reprints since the financial investment is
small.
Another
positive for writers: many would remain unpublished but for the advent of
e-books. Publishers will only invest in print books they believe will make
money. A majority of books will earn out very little, especially if the author
is unknown. By self-publishing an e-book, a frustrated writer has the
opportunity to get his/her work out in the marketplace and hopefully read by
the public.
For
those who believe in democracy, this is indeed a democratic revolution. The
internet has provided a forum for writers of all kinds. It has opened the
floodgates of self-expression. Of course, it is also a bit overwhelming.
Certainly, not every e-book will go viral—nor should it. But at least hopeful
writers will get the exposure they so crave.
The
negative factors are quite obvious as well. First, with such a flood of e-books
on the market, quality writers may be ignored. Secondly, as to reviews, they
often come from friends and relatives and are not necessarily meaningful.
Third, many readers simply ignore unknown names and look only at the work of
famous writers and celebrities when they buy books. The attitude is that they
may download a free book when it’s offered, but won’t buy subsequent books as
the author is hoping. This leads to much disappointment among wannabe authors.
It may be coming to a point where there are many more books than readers. And
of course, if there are no gatekeepers, anything and everything can be
published with little regard to quality. Readers are still much more willing to
pay for “brand” name authors. E-publishing appears to be something of a mixed
blessing.
For
me as a writer, I’m not certain what the future will hold. My short story
collection, BEYOND THE BO TREE, was published as an ebook on Amazon. Do such
collections draw readers? Not as much as novels in my opinion.
One
of my YA novels, THE DEVIL AND DANNA WEBSTER, was published by Astraea/Clean
Reads Press which is a digital first publisher. I took a chance and signed with
them. The novel has sold steadily and well via word of mouth. It is now
scheduled for a print edition. For me, this is important. I confess to not
feeling a book is truly published until it receives a print edition. However, I
much like the idea of being published both in print and e-book editions.
store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/the-devil-and-danna-webster]
Another
of my novels DEATH LEGACY, which was published as a Five Star/Cengage hardcover, Thorndike large print hardcover, Harlequin
paperback, and e-book in all formats from Novel Fox, has been selected to have
an audio publication as well. For me, this is what I hope for as a writer, to
reach more readers, build a readership.
What
are your thoughts? Does the e-book revolution thrill you as a reader and/or as
an author or do you still prefer print books?
A thoughtful post, Jacqueline. I cannot help but feel that although we are in the Wild West of publishing now, the market will shake out and a lot of the dreck that now floods the market will sink to the bottom of the bin. As 'wannabe writers' learn that just putting X number of words in a line is not the same as writing a novel, and that their X number of words 'novel' doesn't sell other than to a few of their family and friends, they'll either give up or learn to write - either one of which is a boon to the reader. But - I also feel that this is just a stop along the way. In a decade, maybe less, we'll be talking about if some new, as-yet-unthought-of technology is really publishing, or if we should consider a writer 'published' if his book isn't brought out as an ebook. The only constant is change, and these days that seems to be happening at lightning speed.
ReplyDeleteJanis, sometimes known as Susan
Hi, Janis/Susan,
ReplyDeleteTechnology keeps moving at breakneck speed just as you observe. I suppose all we can do is write the best work we are capable of creating and hope that will be enough to keep us in the loop.
Interesting post, Jacqueline. My primary reason for putting my books in digital formats is just as you said: they're out of print. Besides, I love my Kindle because arthritis limits my reading choices to hardbacks or e-books. Paperbacks HURT. Doesn't seem fair somehow.
ReplyDeleteDigital does make some great books available like your older ones. It's a real benefit for both readers and writers.
DeleteI love a good read and am finding I enjoy my kindle almost as much as print books, especially since I can keep lots of books at my fingertips. That said, had my children not bought me one for Christmas a couple of years ago, I might not have one today....
ReplyDeleteGreat post! Good luck & God's Blessings.
PamT
Hi, Pam,
DeleteFunny you should say that--my children bought me a Kindle for my birthday. I wouldn't have bought it for myself.
As a reader, I'm with you! Give me a "real" book that I can hold in my hands any day! I do read a lot of books on my Kindle but only because the pricing is much more affordable.
ReplyDeleteAs an author, I'm in total agreement with you too. I want to get my books into the hands of as many readers as possible and I sell way more eBooks than paper books.
I borrow my print books--large print--from the library. But it's great that e-books are so affordable.
DeleteGreat post, Jacqueline
ReplyDeleteHard to tell what the future will hold for publishing. I remember some years back, self-publishing was considered the black sheep of the industry. Nowadays, many prominent and respected authors are indie-publishing books (both backlist and new titles). I tend to read more books on my Kindle. I get a lot of books for free or cheap (less than $2.99). Most paperbacks are not that cheap. I also like having a lot of books on my Kindle from which to choose.
Hi, Cecilia,
DeleteI agree that it's great to have choices!
New York has never wanted me. I don't fit. But self-publishing has opened so many doors for me and I thank God for it.
ReplyDeleteD'Ann,
DeleteI agree with you about fitting. The major traditional publishers have certain expectations. That doesn't mean they have the right fit for readers or writers.
That's where self-publishing comes in.
Great post - I prefer the choice of having both print and e-book, as a writer and reader! Although I love reading print books downstairs, I only take the kindle to bed now for reading as it's much easier to hold.
ReplyDeleteHi, Rosemary,
ReplyDeleteLike you, I prefer to have choices as both a reader and a writer.
I didn't like my Kindle when I first got it, but now that I'm used to it, I prefer it to print books for one particular use: when I'm waiting. At the doctor's office, at the mall while my wife shops, during boring bus rides. The Kindle slips easily into my jacket pocket where even a paperback wouldn't go.
ReplyDeleteNow, for reading at home, give me a nice, thick, real book. Like many others, I wouldn't feel published if there wasn't a hard cover edition.
Allan,
DeleteI think you voice the opinion of most of us. The good thing is that I believe more people are reading rather than less.
Great, thoughtful post, as usual. Like you, I prefer print but find my Kindle so handy for reading/reviewing colleagues' books. My shelves are overflowing, so e-books make sense for my present and future collection. Who knows where publishing is going these days?
ReplyDeleteHi, Susan,
DeleteTrue about overflowing book shelves! When we downsized from our house to an apartment, my husband insisted I couldn't take all my bookcases filled with volumes with us. We rarely fight but did argue over this. I eventually gave away about a thousand books in excellent condition. I donated to our library booksale. That made me feel better. Digital books help you avoid clutter.
Like you, Jacqueline, I want to have my books available in as many formats as possible. What I'm hoping for is that readers will begin to realize they should probably read the first chapter of any book by an unfamiliar author before purchasing. This is easy to do in a bookstore, of course, and just as easy on-line with excerpts and Amazon's "look inside" feature. I've learned to do that myself after downloading a few books that didn't suit me for various reasons--usually too many typos or bad grammer, or a pet peeve, present tense. And reading reviews does help. I check out the bad ones to see if what those reviewers object to would put me off, as well. But I might still buy a book if other reviewers disagree about things like an unlikeable protag, which I've seen quite a lot lately--rather surprising. Thanks for a thought-provoking post--yours always are.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jan. Your suggestion about reading the first chapter of a book before buying is an excellent one. And it is easy to do with a digital book where they offer the beginning for free. Makes us doubly aware how important beginnings are!
DeleteYou've summarized the dilemma of many of us writers, Jacquie, and, as you point out, there's no one answer. I love holding a real book, especially if it's one I've written. But I'm also grateful to the new publishing world to help me get my out of print books back in print. That has been a game-changer for many of us. As for the future, who knows? The change in attitudes towards people who self-published came very fast, so nothing would surprise me. I'm glad I have options--a traditional publisher for new work and self-publishing for out-of-print and some titles a publisher doesn't want.
ReplyDeleteHi, Susan,
DeleteYou are right about our attitude toward self-publishing. It has changed dramatically. I would, however, still discourage people from dealing with vanity presses which charge large fees to publish would-be writers.
As a reader, I prefer both. I'm currently reading a self-pubbed book on my e-reader and an older best-seller in paperback that was given to me. As a writer, I'm published with an e-publisher with my full-length novels also being available in print as POD books. When I first started writing, I dreamed of being published by a mass paperback publisher, but after submitting and getting nothing but rejections, I was thrilled when the e-publisher picked up my first book. I've published many more with the same publisher. But lately, I've been slacking on getting any more books out there, because promotion baffles me and the royalties I earn just don't seem worth all the effort. I've switched to writing short stories for magazines, where I don't have to promote and get paid a lot better.
ReplyDeleteHi, Susan,
DeleteShort story writing can be a lucrative market. I think it's wise to write in varied genres. I myself write novels, short stories, plays, poems and nonfiction and have sold work in each area. I try to follow market calls.
Good post. I admit, I love ebooks but there's still nothing like reading a book and holding one in your hand. So I like both.
ReplyDeleteHi, Christine,
DeleteWe do agree on that!
Like you, I prefer print, but I do read a lot of books on my Kobo as well. I tend to try new authors (new to me, not necessarily new) on Kobo because it's a lesser investment. I also won't pay print prices for digital (as is often charged if the author is a bestseller like John Sandford or Louise Penny). Those I'll get from the library.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to say where publishing will go. I just hope there are readers still willing to buy books!
Very insightful post. Will share on Twitter, FB etc.
Hi, Judy,
ReplyDeleteYour thoughts are quite sensible and I believe shared by many other readers.
Like you, Jacqueline, as a writer, I am motivated by writing/creating. Having my books published in any form is great, but my sense of accomplishment comes from forming manuscripts from whole cloth. It's a personal sense of achievement with myself. If my books produce a little income, that is good. If readers enjoy them, that is fine. If I could quit reading or writing, I would, but I can't, so I don't. As for the future of publishing: anybody's guess. As both an avid reader and addicted writer, I lack options. I like to think books will continue being produced in one form or another. Cannot imagine what we will do if they cease.
ReplyDeleteSharon,
DeleteWhat you say is true: most of us who write do it because we are creative people and need to express ourselves in writing. Since most writers don't earn much from their writing, money is clearly not the primary motivation.
Good summary of the current situation, Jacqueline. Personally I think it's great that we now have both options. It bothers me that some writers are going straight to self-publishing without adequate editorial input. I'm afraid some readers will get wary of self-published works if they run into too many poorly written ones. On the other hand, it's a great opportunity for those truly wonderful books that traditional publishers haven't felt would sell enough copies to make it worth their time.
ReplyDeleteMaris,
DeleteVery insightful. Poorly written self-published books will not do well over-all. Word of mouth will be negative. However, several writers with strong publicity and professional promotion have actually gotten around this.
I'm trying to do the hybrid route, too, Jacqueline. So far, my debut novel has not earned enough to get to a print publication. It's harder to find reviewers to take a chance without print...I am finding some readers, and I remain hopeful for the future. But for the moment, I'm self-publishing (things that have been edited only; I don't work without editors, especially as I am one) and am at a small press, Twilight Times Books. I do hope, down the line, that I will be able to get a print version of my book AN ELFY ON THE LOOSE (plus my forthcoming novel, A LITTLE ELFY IN BIG TROUBLE).
ReplyDeleteVery insightful post.
Hi, Barb,
ReplyDeleteYour comments are significant. My feeling is that print first is preferable. As you point out, and I know to be true, reviewers prefer to have ARCs (advance review copies) in print.For books, if at all possible, I'd start by going the traditional route. This means finding a legitimate agent who sells your book to a print publisher. I know, however, from my own experience this isn't always possible. But there are publishers who do both print and e-book simultaneously. You just need to do some research.
Great post, Jacquie. I tweeted it.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Joan!
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me that readers are the new gatekeepers. Why else do we cultivate customer reviews on Amazon? As a writer, I'm glad to make my books available in as many formats as possible. As a reader, I read both print books and on my Kindle.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to see a survey on how influential reader reviews are on book purchases. We know that certain publications control the ordering of books by librarians. It would be interesting to find out if Amazon reader reviews are significant as well.
ReplyDeleteJacqui, as an author, I also like having my books out in all formats. I sometimes read print books, but since my vision is not as good as it once was, I really like my Kindle Paperwhite. Larger print and I can read in the dark. Nice.
ReplyDelete