2009 was the year that e-book readers became hot news. Amazon released both the Kindle 2.0 and the Kindle DX, which created quite a bit of publicity for e-book readers in general and the Kindle reader in particular. Companies like Sony and Barnes and Noble responded with their own readers - the Daily Edition and The Nook - whilst others, such as Apple and Microsoft worked hard to develop their own offerings for release in the near future.
E-book readers are essentially consumer electronics devices, so it is very easy, and perfectly understandable, to concentrate on the various technical merits and demerits of the devices themselves. Amazon's Kindle has wireless connectivity, Sony's Daily Edition lets you lend e-books to your family and friends, the Nook has a color screen, etc.
However, it may be worth considering that e-book readers may very possibly be the biggest thing to happen to reading - and publishing - since the invention of the printing press by Gutenberg in 1440. The invention of the printing press allowed books to be mass produced on paper instead of parchment or vellum. It reduced the cost of books and, quite literally, put them in the hands of the common man.
Since then, there have really been very few changes in the way that books are read. Certainly we have seen changes in printing technology - computers and word processing software have made the existing process more efficient and cost effective. However, the end result has been much the same. We sit and read books which consist of text printed on paper.
As a consequence of the end product, publishers had certain restrictions. They have been producing a physical product for years, which carries some level of cost and also needs to be delivered, either to a bookshop or possibly by direct mail to the customer's home.
The key thing to note about e-book readers is that they do not simply represent a more efficient way of carrying out the same process - they change all the rules, for publishers and readers alike. No physical product means that fewer materials are consumed - delivery charges are also very much reduced.
This means that e-books are not only cheaper to publish and deliver, but that they are - even considering the materials used in the e-book readers themselves - more environmentally friendly.
Publishers now have more possibilities for marketing both books and authors. If a publisher wished to highlight a particular author for example, then they could offer samples of their work either at very low prices or completely free. Another technique, which is rapidly growing in popularity, is to offer the first volume in a series free, in the expectation that the reader may go on to buy subsequent books in the series or other books by the same author.
On the Amazon website there are a large number of free Kindle books on offer. Other Kindle books on the site generally have the first chapter available as a free download. Prospective readers can try before they buy. This may well encourage readers to experiment a little and try new authors that they might otherwise have overlooked.
The strong focus on the new, sexy, hardware is perfectly understandable. However, in the longer term it will be the increased marketing opportunities and the ease of access afforded to readers that will make the difference in the way books are both published and read in the not too distant future.
E-book readers are essentially consumer electronics devices, so it is very easy, and perfectly understandable, to concentrate on the various technical merits and demerits of the devices themselves. Amazon's Kindle has wireless connectivity, Sony's Daily Edition lets you lend e-books to your family and friends, the Nook has a color screen, etc.
However, it may be worth considering that e-book readers may very possibly be the biggest thing to happen to reading - and publishing - since the invention of the printing press by Gutenberg in 1440. The invention of the printing press allowed books to be mass produced on paper instead of parchment or vellum. It reduced the cost of books and, quite literally, put them in the hands of the common man.
Since then, there have really been very few changes in the way that books are read. Certainly we have seen changes in printing technology - computers and word processing software have made the existing process more efficient and cost effective. However, the end result has been much the same. We sit and read books which consist of text printed on paper.
As a consequence of the end product, publishers had certain restrictions. They have been producing a physical product for years, which carries some level of cost and also needs to be delivered, either to a bookshop or possibly by direct mail to the customer's home.
The key thing to note about e-book readers is that they do not simply represent a more efficient way of carrying out the same process - they change all the rules, for publishers and readers alike. No physical product means that fewer materials are consumed - delivery charges are also very much reduced.
This means that e-books are not only cheaper to publish and deliver, but that they are - even considering the materials used in the e-book readers themselves - more environmentally friendly.
Publishers now have more possibilities for marketing both books and authors. If a publisher wished to highlight a particular author for example, then they could offer samples of their work either at very low prices or completely free. Another technique, which is rapidly growing in popularity, is to offer the first volume in a series free, in the expectation that the reader may go on to buy subsequent books in the series or other books by the same author.
On the Amazon website there are a large number of free Kindle books on offer. Other Kindle books on the site generally have the first chapter available as a free download. Prospective readers can try before they buy. This may well encourage readers to experiment a little and try new authors that they might otherwise have overlooked.
The strong focus on the new, sexy, hardware is perfectly understandable. However, in the longer term it will be the increased marketing opportunities and the ease of access afforded to readers that will make the difference in the way books are both published and read in the not too distant future.
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Learn more about the Amazon Kindle reader and find out how you can save money by downloading free Kindle ebooks straight from the Amazon website.
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