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11.
AOTW: How do you feel about digital publishing? Do you see print books going away?
Jane Dystel:
Digital publishing is not there yet. It will be in a few years, but the concept is
still in its infancy and not all that user-friendly. It will be. It’s the wave of the
future. I don’t, however, see print books going away. There’s nothing like
holding a book in one’s hands, and there is such a lore and mystique surrounding the
printed word, I can’t imagine that it will disappear from our culture.
Stuart Krichevsky:
It is wonderful to see books and other work accessible in as many different formats as
possible --- hardcover, paperback, audio and e-books --- as long as authors are paid
fairly for them. It’s a particular asset for reference oriented material, where
it’s great for users to get the information they need quickly online.
Lisa Swayne:
I think digital publishing is an incredible advancement that's about 10 years ahead of
its time. E-books, for example, are a great invention, but I don't think we're ready for
them yet. First we need the bandwidth necessary to make a web connection in every home as
ubiquitous as a television set. I don't see print books going away any time soon. As a
culture, we're accustomed to reading things on paper. I do think when children who are10
now reach college, they will be much more amenable to reading on screen --- so it really
will be the next generation that brings digital publishing into its own.
Linda Mead:
Digital publishing will be important someday and we have ways of planning for that,
but right now, in our world, it is not very important (though constantly hyped).
Laura Blake Peterson:
This is one of those questions that requires a five-page answer. Printed books aren't
going anywhere. The advances in technology is having a huge impact on publishing as it is
on almost every industry. It's changing the way books are made, distributed and sold.
There's a degree of hysteria among publishing professionals as so much of the economic
landscape of the new technologies is uncertain. After the dust settles, though, I think
publishing will be a more efficient industry and we'll all be better for it.
Loretta Barrett:
I don’t think print books are disappearing; I think it’s just another way of
reaching the reader, and it is still in its infancy.
Maria Carvainis:
I am very excited about the future of digital publishing and the opportunities to exploit
and profit from such sales. However, there in no established readership, established
distribution system or pricing for this new market. Publishers have been threatened by the
prospect of being marginalized or eliminated from the traditional role they have played in
selling books. Being a "content provider" is too often the mantra of
today's publishers rather than selling books well. However, publishers need to be mindful
that content is what imaginative writers create and readers respond to.
I do not see digital publishing eclipsing the printed book. I suspect the model that will
evolve will resemble the emergence of audio books, one in which the printed book will be
available in a different format and fill different needs in the lives and lifestyles of
readers. Nonetheless, publishers have been scrambling to secure every digital right
imaginable in contract negotiations. This is insane because the lack of a mature
marketplace precludes making binding decisions into the future. Consequently, contract
negotiations have become even more complicated and convoluted, requiring a writer as much
as ever to have good representation.
Amy Berkower:
I do not see print books going away. On the contrary, I think digital publishing and
new reading formats will increase the percentage of people who read and help expand the
market for all kinds of books. Right now I grimace whenever I hear the word e-books
because negotiations involving these rights and royalties have taken up so much time and
produced very little revenue. Ultimately, however, I think advances in technology will
save everyone time and money, reducing overhead and making the business of publishing more
efficient.
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