Comments on: Just for Sara: The e-book bathroom test redux—and a reminder that E can displace P and grow the book market http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/04/just-for-sara-the-e-book-bathroom-test-redux-and-a-reminder-that-e-can-displace-p-and-grow-the-book-market/ News & views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics Mon, 01 Dec 2008 20:16:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: David Rothman http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/04/just-for-sara-the-e-book-bathroom-test-redux-and-a-reminder-that-e-can-displace-p-and-grow-the-book-market/#comment-864178 David Rothman Wed, 30 Jul 2008 19:47:06 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/04/just-for-sara-the-e-book-bathroom-test-redux-and-a-reminder-that-e-can-displace-p-and-grow-the-book-market/#comment-864178 For what it's worth, here's a <a href="http://www.paidcontent.org/entry/419-amazon-e-book-sales-to-hit-25-billion-in-2012-will-add-330-million-to-o/" rel="nofollow">paidContent.org item citing Weinstein</a>. Remember, operating income is not the same as sales. Thanks, David For what it’s worth, here’s a paidContent.org item citing Weinstein. Remember, operating income is not the same as sales.

Thanks,
David

]]> By: veinglory http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/04/just-for-sara-the-e-book-bathroom-test-redux-and-a-reminder-that-e-can-displace-p-and-grow-the-book-market/#comment-864168 veinglory Wed, 30 Jul 2008 19:31:58 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/04/just-for-sara-the-e-book-bathroom-test-redux-and-a-reminder-that-e-can-displace-p-and-grow-the-book-market/#comment-864168 Well, was that actually what Weinstein said in the first place? I see the quote prolifierating across the internet, but also another where all he is saying is that between launch and 2012 Amazon might make 2.5b from selling the kindle reader itself. Mayhap this estimate is being misquoted? because I doubt he said both things with the same year and dollar estimate. He also said Kindles have only sold 40,000 units to date despite the effort Amazon put into flogging them. Would that even turn them a net profit? Well, was that actually what Weinstein said in the first place? I see the quote prolifierating across the internet, but also another where all he is saying is that between launch and 2012 Amazon might make 2.5b from selling the kindle reader itself. Mayhap this estimate is being misquoted? because I doubt he said both things with the same year and dollar estimate. He also said Kindles have only sold 40,000 units to date despite the effort Amazon put into flogging them. Would that even turn them a net profit?

]]> By: Anne http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/04/just-for-sara-the-e-book-bathroom-test-redux-and-a-reminder-that-e-can-displace-p-and-grow-the-book-market/#comment-842527 Anne Sat, 05 Jul 2008 14:46:05 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/04/just-for-sara-the-e-book-bathroom-test-redux-and-a-reminder-that-e-can-displace-p-and-grow-the-book-market/#comment-842527 Quite frankly the publishing industry is standing almost exactly at the same point where the music industry went wrong in the face of emerging disruptive technology. I wish I could share the optimism expressed here for the long-term health of p-books as a viable product, but I simply do not see it happening, and not merely due to the rise of the e-format. The complete absence of eco-friendly and/or sustainable business practices will likely play a role, as will monster advances, the trend toward "franchise" fiction, large advances for tree-killers "written" by celebrities, and the complete absence of quality in the blanket of film/TV marketing tie-ins. Publishers are making the same mistake the music industry made in believing the production and distribution costs of the traditional hard copy should not be deducted from the price of a digital copy, which indicates a level of arrogance regarding the intelligence of their market. As long as the industry practices "stripping," tearing the cover from paperback overstock for retailers to return for credit while the actual book is destroyed, I will continue to not buy new paperback books. This is one of the biggest examples of corporate disregard for the environment that exists, and is offensive both from the perspective of sustainability as well as an insult to anyone who cares about books. I just do not see the existing business model surviving. On a personal level, I haven't moved to an e-reader because I am waiting for a standard to emerge. My dream tech would be an e-format that would run vertically on the Nintendo DS, similar to the "read speed" section of the DS' Brain Age game. While I am only now experimenting with e-books on my smartphone, I have used O'Reilly Books' (tech publisher) Safari Bookshelf on and off for years. Safari is an excellent e-format business model - for a monthly subscription cost, you receive access (not downloadable, not saveable) to O'Reilly's catalog. Structured pricing determines the number of books you have access to at a time at a significant discount over cover price. I have purchased many hard copies of books accessed through Safari, so it does drive sales in addition to providing a remote service and brand support, as I also do not buy tech reference products from any other publisher. I would absolutely support the same model for non-tech fiction and non-fiction, providing that the service provided access to multiple publishing houses' catalogs. What I like most about e-books is the portability. One tiny SD card will carry an entire bookcase wherever you may go, so you have choices, depending on your mood, time frame, etc. While I believe developing parent-child reading programs is an admirable goal, the quality of the material is an issue. My son is 9, and a reader, but TV/movie/toy merchandising books have always been banned from his library. I have always provided age-appropriate reading material for him to read by himself, and maintained a parent-child reading schedule using books a few levels up that would intimidate him on his own. He would absolutely embrace the e-format as I have never permitted much passive media (TV) in favor of active media (video games, interactive book-based software (Dr. Seuss' interactive storybook line was a favorite), etc.). He is working his way through an unexpurgated Grimm's fairy tales via Project Gutenburg on his eee-PC, and loves the format. And his generation is the one that will determine the future of books . . . both p and e. Quite frankly the publishing industry is standing almost exactly at the same point where the music industry went wrong in the face of emerging disruptive technology.

I wish I could share the optimism expressed here for the long-term health of p-books as a viable product, but I simply do not see it happening, and not merely due to the rise of the e-format. The complete absence of eco-friendly and/or sustainable business practices will likely play a role, as will monster advances, the trend toward “franchise” fiction, large advances for tree-killers “written” by celebrities, and the complete absence of quality in the blanket of film/TV marketing tie-ins.

Publishers are making the same mistake the music industry made in believing the production and distribution costs of the traditional hard copy should not be deducted from the price of a digital copy, which indicates a level of arrogance regarding the intelligence of their market.

As long as the industry practices “stripping,” tearing the cover from paperback overstock for retailers to return for credit while the actual book is destroyed, I will continue to not buy new paperback books. This is one of the biggest examples of corporate disregard for the environment that exists, and is offensive both from the perspective of sustainability as well as an insult to anyone who cares about books.

I just do not see the existing business model surviving.

On a personal level, I haven’t moved to an e-reader because I am waiting for a standard to emerge.

My dream tech would be an e-format that would run vertically on the Nintendo DS, similar to the “read speed” section of the DS’ Brain Age game.

While I am only now experimenting with e-books on my smartphone, I have used O’Reilly Books’ (tech publisher) Safari Bookshelf on and off for years.

Safari is an excellent e-format business model - for a monthly subscription cost, you receive access (not downloadable, not saveable) to O’Reilly’s catalog. Structured pricing determines the number of books you have access to at a time at a significant discount over cover price. I have purchased many hard copies of books accessed through Safari, so it does drive sales in addition to providing a remote service and brand support, as I also do not buy tech reference products from any other publisher.

I would absolutely support the same model for non-tech fiction and non-fiction, providing that the service provided access to multiple publishing houses’ catalogs.

What I like most about e-books is the portability. One tiny SD card will carry an entire bookcase wherever you may go, so you have choices, depending on your mood, time frame, etc.

While I believe developing parent-child reading programs is an admirable goal, the quality of the material is an issue.

My son is 9, and a reader, but TV/movie/toy merchandising books have always been banned from his library. I have always provided age-appropriate reading material for him to read by himself, and maintained a parent-child reading schedule using books a few levels up that would intimidate him on his own.

He would absolutely embrace the e-format as I have never permitted much passive media (TV) in favor of active media (video games, interactive book-based software (Dr. Seuss’ interactive storybook line was a favorite), etc.). He is working his way through an unexpurgated Grimm’s fairy tales via Project Gutenburg on his eee-PC, and loves the format.

And his generation is the one that will determine the future of books . . . both p and e.

]]> By: Todd Jonz http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/04/just-for-sara-the-e-book-bathroom-test-redux-and-a-reminder-that-e-can-displace-p-and-grow-the-book-market/#comment-842187 Todd Jonz Sat, 05 Jul 2008 04:16:56 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/04/just-for-sara-the-e-book-bathroom-test-redux-and-a-reminder-that-e-can-displace-p-and-grow-the-book-market/#comment-842187 Besides e-book readers and a variety of computers large and small, my toy box also contains several hand-held radio transceivers (I'm an amateur, a.k.a. "ham", radio operator.) There are several such radios on the market today that are fully submersible in water up to three feet deep for as long as thirty minutes. This improvement in the technology arrived in the last few years without any apparent impact on their cost. The marketplace demanded a ruggedized product, and the manufacturers delivered. In light of the popularity of reading in the bathtub, it wouldn't surprise me one bit if a similarly rugged e-book reader were to hit the market in the future. Besides e-book readers and a variety of computers large and small, my toy box also contains several hand-held radio transceivers (I’m an amateur, a.k.a. “ham”, radio operator.) There are several such radios on the market today that are fully submersible in water up to three feet deep for as long as thirty minutes. This improvement in the technology arrived in the last few years without any apparent impact on their cost. The marketplace demanded a ruggedized product, and the manufacturers delivered.

In light of the popularity of reading in the bathtub, it wouldn’t surprise me one bit if a similarly rugged e-book reader were to hit the market in the future.

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