Right place, right time for EnhancedBooks? Perhaps, but the conversation surrounding how technology is effecting publishing is clearly gaining steam. It’s defiantly a fun place to be… on the cutting edge of a revolution.
I was delighted to see a publishing professional like Joe Wikert agreeing with my recent comments on the concept that networks are good for books. As soon as authors and publishers start to really get it en masse, you’ll see a whole wave of changes happen. It’s a movement that will level the playing field so much that within 5 years, publishers who remain resistant will be blindsided by plummeting sales and who really knows what consequences. As a matter of fact, networks are already creating the sale and trade of books, as well as other goods and services. Ask yourself, are you so avid a reader that you belong to a reading club? Have you ever considered how much demand for wine and beer a reading club generates? How much coffee you’ve consumed at your local cafe discussing books with friends and acquaintances?
Continue reading ‘EnhancedBooks concept gaining steam?’
Jeff Jarvis over at buzzmachine.com was published in today’s Guardian Unlimited Books section commenting on the future of books. It’s nice to see that there are more and more voices addressing the inevitability of changes that the book publishing industry. Much like the music industry, book publishing must embrace the trend to be relavent in the as the continued emergence of the "digital lifestyle" unfolds. Jeff say’s…
"We need to kill the book to save books. Now relax. I’m not suggesting
burning books, nor replacing them with electronic gizmos in some
paperless future of fable and fantasy. Instead, I’m merely arguing that
the book is an outdated means of communicating information. And thanks
to the searchable, connected internet, books could be so much more."
To many publishers and a great deal of readers, this is considered heresy. At least we can further the conversation…
In an effort to pre-empt moves in the publishing marketplace and prepare for upcoming changes, HarperCollins publishing announced yesterday that they are seeking a partner to help them warehouse all of their digital content in a format that will allow them to make it available via their own properties or through the properties of their partners. Could this be a move to protect themselves from the efforts of folks like Google or Amazon or is it meant to bolster those efforts? I guess that time will tell.
With so many different approaches to providing the value of books electronically, it seems that Zuri Media is on the right track. They have recently launched their "Enhanced Books" system to publishers, authors and the general public. Three years in the making, Enhanced Books seek to improve the manner in which readers, authors, and publishers relate to, and benefit from one another.
Continue reading ‘Books are about to change…’