Blogger: Mary Keeley
Location: Books & Such Illinois Office
Before you get too comfortable with your e-reader of choice, let’s take a speculative look to the future from the pattern of the past. As we know, we don’t have to look too far ahead or too far back to see change. For instance, what have you done with your VHS tapes? If you’re like me, I replaced my favorites with DVDs and discarded the rest for which I didn’t want to spend money twice. Now BlueRays are replacing DVDs…
How will this ever-evolving pattern apply to e-reader technology and ultimately the e-book market in general? BIG question! Not only do current e-readers have their own formats, but we’ll also be contending with the added formats for every new technology. Some related questions to ask:
- Will I have to replace all the e-books in my library as my current e-reader becomes obsolete?
- What to do with “old” technology e-readers? How long will new e-book releases be available in my obsolete e-reader format?
- How will libraries keep up with technology while also maintaining their archives? Will a universal and “forever” format be devised that automatically accepts new formats? If so, will it become available to the average consumer?
- Are these suggested realities going to affect my purchasing decisions?
This forward look makes me, a consumer, want to shout, “Stop the train, I want to get off!” and hug my shelves of print copy books close to my heart. Now there’s justifiable hope for the future of print books! Lovers of holding the printed page in your hands take heart. Add to that, some publishers are already beginning to bundle print copies with e-books. But once again, we’ll be paying more. So do e-books really cost less in the long-term?
For me the agent and you the author, it means we need to continually be alert to the twists, turns, and speed of this fast-moving train.
I have saved more on this topic for tomorrow’s discussion.
Okay, I laid the framework. It’s your turn to enter into this speculative discussion. What does this mean to you, the author, in terms of your writing? Add more questions to this list as you ponder. Do you have any educated guesses we can put in the “answers” column?
It seems that most new technology that does not involve a physical device tends to work with upgrade. So if Amazon introduces the Kindle 3x or whatever, it will probably be programmed for e-books in format Kindle 1 and Kindle 2 to work.
Also, I suspect that we will eventually see e-readers standardizing around one or two formats. I predict that will happen sometime, more than a year from now and less than twenty.
So I don’t really anticipate having to re-purchase e-books we consider keepers just because of equipment changes.
You are so right and I’m glad that you are!! It makes me a little sad to see e-books taking over.
What are the print &e-book bundles you’re talking about? I’ve never heard of them!
Ive wondered if being it’s so easy to self-publish, does that water down the quality?
Technology does move fast. In just the last 5 years the
changes are incredible, let alone the last 10. 10 years
ago, I didn’t even have a cell phone, unthinkable now.
I still love printed books. Can one really curl up on the
couch with a cozy blanket, tea, and an electronic device?
I’ll take a printed book any day. Also, when it comes to
children’s books, I think parents would tend to buy a
printed book so their children can hold it and physically
turn the pages, which is a developmental milestone for
toddlers. Although I have seen ads for interactive
children’s e-books that look fun, for me personally,
I’d rather buy my child a printed book than an electronic
one.
In with the new doesn’t necessarily mean out with the old unless the new can duplicate the benefits of the old and add a little extra. While companies will upgrade, there will probably be a time limit on that. If people can keep using old technology indefinitely, why would they continue to buy the new unless it’s either a lot better or a status symbol? I think there will always be a place for hard copy books. After all, movies didn’t replace theater, as people in my grandfather’s time thought might happen. TV didn’t replace radio either, but it did change the kind of content available through that media. We’ll have to wait and see how it all works out.
I hope David is right! Of course, there’s also the matter of wear and tear. I’ve already nearly worn the letters off some of the buttons on my Kindle (word games–fending off alzheimers right?). And there’s the teeniest crack in one corner. Eventually, I’ll need a new whatever they come out with next. Compatability will be very important!
Consider the music industry:
– Vinyl records
– 8 Track tapes
– Cassette tapes
– CDs
– iTunes
Given music’s path, I think that e-books has a long way to go.
However, just as people still enjoy a live concert today, so to will people continue to enjoy reading printed books!
I agree with David. I think of e-readers like video game systems. Yes, new ones come out, but I don’t just toss away the old one, rush out and buy the latest system, and buy the same games for the new system that I had for the old one.
Now, I realize, I’m probably a bit unusual (I still have a working turntable and vinyl records), but with this type of technology, you can invest in something new and still use the old–at least until they stop creating new content for the old formats.
As an author, however, I feel this is just one more thing that we have to be aware of as we consider how to market our books. More and more bloggers are accepting e-books to review, but what happens if your book comes out in a new format and they don’t have a device to read it? How much of an additional cost is there to format the book for each device? I honestly don’t know, but I don’t think people are doing it for free.
Thanks for another great post, Mary. I look forward to the continuation of this discussion tomorrow.