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positive for writers: many would remain unpublished but for the advent of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?
