Comments on: Publishers in trouble: Reader contribution from Sam Hendrix http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/publishers-in-trouble-reader-contribution-from-sam-hendrix/ News & views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:46:42 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Tracy Falbe http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/publishers-in-trouble-reader-contribution-from-sam-hendrix/comment-page-1/#comment-979071 Tracy Falbe Sun, 07 Dec 2008 22:00:06 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=14224#comment-979071 I think mostly the bad economy is causing the collapse in book sales, but ebook readers long term will chip away at the demand for printed books. Over the past year, I noticed a significant drop in my Amazon sales of books. I think this is from the recession, but it did cross my mind that maybe the Kindle ebook sales were taking away from me too. (At this time I'm still mulling over adding my titles as Amazon ebooks because I sell ebooks from my website and am not overly tempted to give Amazon a 65% cut.) I've already come to the conclusion that long term, my business will focus on ebooks because they are the logical product choice and business model for me as a small potatoes operation. I probably won't do any reprints of existing trade paperbacks, and will find print-on-demand options that are affordable for consumers so as to keep the printed book option but without big upfront production costs. I've always considered the longstanding business model of book returns with bookstores sending them back to wholesalers to be an appalling waste. Don't even get me started on the pollution caused by all that useless shipping around. Moriah Jovan's above comment and associated blog article proposing the bookstore of the future sounded good to me. Can't wait for it. Publishing as a business is in for a big overhaul and I think it will be great. I think mostly the bad economy is causing the collapse in book sales, but ebook readers long term will chip away at the demand for printed books. Over the past year, I noticed a significant drop in my Amazon sales of books. I think this is from the recession, but it did cross my mind that maybe the Kindle ebook sales were taking away from me too. (At this time I’m still mulling over adding my titles as Amazon ebooks because I sell ebooks from my website and am not overly tempted to give Amazon a 65% cut.)

I’ve already come to the conclusion that long term, my business will focus on ebooks because they are the logical product choice and business model for me as a small potatoes operation. I probably won’t do any reprints of existing trade paperbacks, and will find print-on-demand options that are affordable for consumers so as to keep the printed book option but without big upfront production costs.

I’ve always considered the longstanding business model of book returns with bookstores sending them back to wholesalers to be an appalling waste. Don’t even get me started on the pollution caused by all that useless shipping around. Moriah Jovan’s above comment and associated blog article proposing the bookstore of the future sounded good to me. Can’t wait for it.

Publishing as a business is in for a big overhaul and I think it will be great.

]]> By: Moriah Jovan http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/publishers-in-trouble-reader-contribution-from-sam-hendrix/comment-page-1/#comment-979005 Moriah Jovan Sun, 07 Dec 2008 19:22:52 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=14224#comment-979005 I <a href="http://moriahjovan.com/mojo/the-perfect-bookstore" rel="nofollow">blogged on this</a> this morning. I blogged on this this morning.

]]> By: Chris Meadows http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/publishers-in-trouble-reader-contribution-from-sam-hendrix/comment-page-1/#comment-979003 Chris Meadows Sun, 07 Dec 2008 19:15:38 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=14224#comment-979003 I'm not sure how much blame for the current situation I'd assign to e-books. Most of the talk in that story focused on the recession and economic downturn (though e-books won't exactly help matters any). Still, it's going to be fascinating to see how this all plays out. I’m not sure how much blame for the current situation I’d assign to e-books. Most of the talk in that story focused on the recession and economic downturn (though e-books won’t exactly help matters any).

Still, it’s going to be fascinating to see how this all plays out.

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