The other week, the New York Times published an article about the match-up between Google Books and Amazon -
In discussions with publishers at the annual BookExpo convention in New York over the weekend, Google signaled its intent to introduce a program by that would enable publishers to sell digital versions of their newest books direct to consumers through Google. The move would pit Google against Amazon.com, which is seeking to control the e-book market with the versions it sells for its Kindle reading device.
Google’s move is likely to be welcomed by publishers who have expressed concerns about the possibility that Amazon will dominate the market for e-books with its aggressive pricing strategy. Amazon offers Kindle editions of most new best-sellers for $9.99, a price far lower than the typical $26 at which publishers sell new hardcovers. In early discussions, Google has said it would allow publishers to set a suggested list price, but that Google would ultimately set consumer prices.
See, e-books could bring the price of most books back down from the exosphere into the troposphere... I remember when the average paperback sold for somewhere between $1.95 and $3.95 (OK, yeah, I'm dating myself...). Now, even a thin brain-candy romance starts at about $5!!! That's absurd!
Amazon's Kindle has made a significant crack into e-reader resistance with a simple, sturdy and portable device that looks a bit like a book with an electronic cover. It's not the same as a book - pages, worn covers and dog ears just can't be copied - but it can give sort of a similar experience AND hold a whole library without the weight.
I have a Sony e-reader (and since I'm on Linux Ubuntu, it can be a pain, since the software to purchase books is exclusive to the Windows OS) that my Mom gave me. I currently have almost 80 books on it, mostly copyright-free things like Little Women, A Princess of Mars, Ivanhoe, Sherlock Holmes, and many other out of copyright books - Jane Austin, G.K. Chesterton, John Bunyan, H. Beam Piper, Rudyard Kipling, Herman Melville and many more - at no cost. But, with a little computer know-how, I can put a library that OUGHT to weigh 50 pounds (minimum) onto a one pound computer tablet!
I travel - that's worth a LOT...
I think that publishers who aggressively support e-books and the development of e-reader devices will see the costs of publishing, production, promotion, and editing go down - which means they can offer their product for a lower price while maximizing their profits. New authors may get more chances to be bestsellers, since there won't be as many costs to get them onto the shelves of book stores...
I like the e-book possibilities! The choices aren't perfect yet (thought they're pretty awesome), but it looks like this is an up-and-coming thing that will be beneficial to many MANY people!
Recent Comments