Book Publishers Please Take Notice
Although the ebook format is becoming a must on the book market many book publishers are reluctant to embrace it. They are too worried about this new kind of business to see all its advantages. The ebooks are very popular with the new generation and will become even more in the future.
The same resistance happened with the music industry. At first they were unwilling to provide digital versions of their music thinking it would hamper sales of CD’s and cause an increase in piracy. The exact opposite happened. Sales increased and piracy wasn’t as big of an issue thanks to digital rights technology introduced by iTunes. Book publishers should learn a lesson from the music industry and give the consumers what they want-access to more their favorite books in digital format.
Another reason certain publishers are concerned about ebooks is because they haven’t done the research to know that it makes a lot of business sense. It’s very easy to get stuck doing things the same way you’ve always done them. With publishers, that means producing paperbacks and hardbacks and steering clear of everything foreign.
Hardcover books have become so expensive that many people cannot afford them. Spending $25 or more on a new book isn’t cost effective. Publishers are conflicted because they need to cover the expense of creating the books but they also want to profit by selling as many books as they can.
It is now obvious that the demand for ebook readers is increasing as they become more popular. Publishers can reduce production and distribution costs by making their best selling books available as ebooks. The cost of electronic formats should be minimal compared to the potential savings. A company which could handle everything like Amazon could make the process easy.
The market for print materials has changed rapidly over the past few years, and publishers should consider publishing their books as ebooks. People are often traveling or commuting and the portability of an ebook reader makes this option quite attractive. If a publisher wants to increase book sales, they will determine that selling ebooks is the best course of action.
Hopefully, a greater number of publishers will begin to recognize this issue, because they must adapt their business model to respond to increasing consumer demand. Until they do, consumers will stick to buying ebooks and ebook readers from publishers that have responded to their demands, as this format is best suited to their lifestyle.
Filed under: Ebooks