E-books are gaining more popularity, reports the bookstore giant Barnes and Noble.
It is understandable that publishers and authors would be worried about ‘digital decimation’ (we see this happening with the music industry; MP3s and CDs have effectively made records and cassette tapes obsolete) but printed books are still holding their own against their digital counterparts. E-books are cheaper than their offline counterparts, but in the end it doesn’t make a difference.
"It all depends on the deal. Although an ebook may be cheaper online, obviously an ebook doesn't have to sustain the cost of the print, production and distribution that the print book has to sustain,” says Neill Denny, editor-in-chief of The Bookseller.
At the rate that technology advances these days, people may be afraid to invest in technology that will most likely be obsolete within a few years.
Authors’ incomes from their books also come into play here. With the emergence of e-books, it’s become easier for people to get their works published, but more writers mean more competition, and more competition means that authors have to work harder to market their works and in order to stand out.
But why all the hate for e-books? According to the New York Times, the sales of e-books is actually pushing the publication dates for paperback books forward. Shouldn’t bibliophiles be rejoicing at this? Instead of the average wait time of a year for a cheaper paperback version to be published, having the e-book and paperback version released almost at the same time should be good news, no? E-books surely can co-exist with printed books, just like how snail mail continues to be popular today.
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