According to media futurist Gerd Leonhard, who gave a speech at the Books 2.0 conference in London, this is the case. According to him, says the Bookseller, we will see a multi-channel digital distribution network with free or low priced content and publishers will make money by up-selling content and services. Consumer data and peer to peer recommendations will predominate.
He says venture capital based start-ups “will eat your lunch. This is not going to be linear and gradual. Once people have the devices, it will flick the switch. I’m not saying that publishers will become redundant — the opposite is true! It creates more pressure, you’ll need more people, but you may need fewer buildings or trucks.”
