| Cassettes. VHS. 8-track. These technologies all had a | | | | which has not yet reached the market, has a similar |
| good run but are now things of the past. Will books in | | | | design. One screen will be optimal for browsing and |
| print meet a similar fate? In the last few years, the | | | | the other for reading longer text- based documents. |
| eBook market has grown exponentially, especially | | | | There is increasingly less distinction between various |
| since the release of eReader devices such as | | | | devices, as the line becomes blurred between a PC or |
| Amazon's Kindle and Sony's eReader. Despite all the | | | | an MP3 player or an eReader or a mobile phone. In the |
| hype surrounding eBooks, the print book remains. It is a | | | | future, one device may encompass all a user's needs, |
| technology that has survived millennia. Change, | | | | but for the moment eReaders seem to be evolving in |
| however, is slowly coming to the publishing industry | | | | stages, adding new features with each new device |
| and even to the core definition of what is a book. As | | | | released. |
| more companies enter the eReader market and as | | | | Free and Less Expensive Books |
| the reading public become more accepting of eBooks, | | | | The eBook market, although it is growing at an |
| this change will likely accelerate until reading on a digital | | | | amazing rate, still makes up a small percentage of |
| device becomes the de facto standard. | | | | overall book sales. This will most likely change as the |
| Changing of the eBook from PDF to interactive text | | | | cost of eReaders drop and more people find that |
| The majority of eBooks published today still come | | | | reading digital books can be an enjoyable experience. |
| from traditional publishing houses, and are simply a print | | | | The fact that eBooks cost almost half as much as a |
| book converted into digital format and made available | | | | hardcover is also a significant motivator to push |
| online. While the Kindle and most other eReaders offer | | | | readers to switch to digital. Many eBooks are not only |
| various features that the print book does not, such as | | | | low-priced but free. Sites such as Project Gutenberg |
| a built-in dictionary and note-taking capabilities, there is | | | | and Google Books offer thousands of free public |
| not a significant difference in the overall reading | | | | domain titles for download. Recently, Macmillan, a large |
| experience. To truly harness the potential of the digital | | | | trade publishers, fought with Amazon over the right to |
| medium, eReader technology will have to advance and | | | | price books themselves instead of accepting that |
| publishers will have to produce content that capitalizes | | | | books cost $9.99 or less. Amazon eventually caved, |
| on the interactive nature of the web. Various sectors | | | | but the reading public is coming to expect eBooks to |
| of the publishing industry, textbook publishers for | | | | be priced far below the cost of a print book. Apple is |
| example, have already started to adapt to this | | | | shaking up the price structure by agreeing to let |
| changing landscape and currently offer customizable | | | | publishers have more autonomy in setting the price of |
| and hyperlinked text. At this point in time, however, | | | | their books available through the Apple store. Instead |
| some books still just work better in print. Cookbooks | | | | of setting a flat price, the cost will be determined |
| and childrens' picture books both rely heavily on color | | | | relative to the hardback edition. This price war for |
| and layout and don't yet transfer well to digital devices, | | | | eBooks will be interesting to watch play out, but the |
| although this will likely change in the future. However, | | | | future seems guaranteed to offer cheaper books and |
| for the next few years, print books will remain the | | | | more affordable eReaders. |
| main sellers, with eBooks more of a side revenue for | | | | Publishers/Authors |
| publishers. This will change when eBooks manage to | | | | The book market has changed very quickly in a very |
| embrace their potential for interactivity and eReaders | | | | short time for both publishers and authors. It is easier |
| develop beyond providing a simple imitation of reading | | | | than ever before to publish a work, as in the digital |
| print. | | | | space there are no printing or storage costs to cover. |
| Convergence of Devices | | | | With this ease of publication, however, there is already |
| Both Amazon and Sony entered the eReader market | | | | a glut of titles on the market. This makes it extremely |
| early on in the game. The devices they developed | | | | hard for an author to break through the noise. Tradition |
| both use E Ink Technology, which took away many | | | | publishing houses still provide a sense of authority to |
| readers' objections to converting to reading on a | | | | authors and a sense of security to readers because |
| screen. E Ink makes reading from a screen similar to | | | | they function as gate keepers, ensuring, in most cases, |
| reading from a page. Although these two devices | | | | that only the most worthy content reaches the printed |
| were both released less than five years ago, there | | | | page. In the digital world, publishers are trying to catch |
| have already been many changes in eReader | | | | up and stay relevant by releasing eBooks and pursuing |
| technology and many other companies have joined | | | | such innovative projects as publishing a novel in |
| the competition and created eReaders of their own. | | | | installments on mobile phones. While Google, Apple, |
| Apple releases its iPad in mid-2010, which is not only an | | | | and Amazon, third-party distributors of content, have |
| eReader but a tablet computer with a hard drive and | | | | developed eReaders, no publishing company has yet |
| large memory. Barnes & Noble came out with the | | | | to develop a device of their own. This could prove |
| Nook in late 2009. Their device combines both E Ink | | | | troublesome to publishers in the future, as these |
| and LCD screens in an attempt to capture the | | | | companies may at some point decide to go into the |
| benefits of both screen types. Spring Design's Alex, | | | | publishing business themselves. |