E-Books
vs Paper books.
Will
we see the day when there are no REAL books being published?
I see it on the news and read about it in
the paper: E-Books will mean the end of printed books and change our lives
forever. Libraries will be made useless and be closed
down forever. They are as passionate as the the old geezers
on the street corners with their signs that say the world is about to end. Forever is a long time.
I am not convinced. I have an
active social media life on Facebook and Twitter, so I talk to other writers
and even a few publishers and editors every day. Some of the traditional publishers are afraid
that their days are numbered. They would never say it in actual words but they complain
about the e-book publishers making it too easy to publish junk and the lack of quality
of the e-books being put out by self-publishers through such venues as Kindle Direct
and Smashwords. They do have valid
points.
When movies became available on DVD, there were people who
were certain that movie theaters were on their way out. The truth is that the theaters did lose
business. Even so, there is nothing to
compare to seeing an action packed film for the first time on the big screen
with surround sound and a bucket of popcorn in your lap. For that reason, I honestly feel that Movie
theaters will always have a place in the movie industry. Going to the movies is a special thing. To keep up, the theaters now offer more 3-D
films and a larger selection of foods and treats and even movie memorabilia such
as programs and T-shirts to make the movie patrons spend their hard earned
dollars. What they do not make on ticket
sales can then be made in food and merchandise sales.
When personal tape players came out and kids were copying
tapes from each other, the doomsayers were convinced that the music industry
was on its way to oblivion. There are issues to solve even now, but the music
industry is booming. Satelite radio is
replacing the Walkman in some circles but the kids and their mp3 players are
still alive and well.
The book publishing industry will have to find their own ways
to adapt to the advent of e-books. My
personal suggestions would include being more
willing to consider the submissions of first time authors as well as
looking through the thousands of independently published books for hidden treasures . One trip to Facebook and reading a few of the
postings of the “wannabe’s” found in the book sites should show them that there
are plenty of writers there who are putting their hearts and dreams on paper or
at least on the internet daily. If they
did nothing but read a few blogs, they could possibly discover the next “Harry
Potter” or the next “Twilight” and save their own industry as well as make
writers extremely happy. It can’t all be
junk.
There is a perception that e-books, especially independently
published e-books are not REAL books.
Traditional publishers seem to believe that they have the only REAL
books and anything else is inferior. They
talk about the feel of a hard backed book in the hands and the pleasure of
turning the page. They have pointed out
the lack of proper editing and the mistakes they spot in the work of
self-published authors. They are
right. But then I have read some truly
atrocious books by authors that are traditionally published too. Editors can fix a lot of mistakes and
traditional publishers have access to those.
Any Author worth considering should have the good sense to get it edited
before sending it to any kind of publishers.
While it is true that Smashwords and Create space do not REQUIRE an editing,
the writer should have enough pride in their work to want it done if only to
make their work as good as possible before submitting to any publisher, whether
traditional or on the internet. It is
important.
My personal opinion is that the two parts of the industry
will eventually come together and it will be a good thing for both publishers
and the authors involved. . My own
publisher has realized the potential for sales of e-books and has made that format an option for all their
authors. I have taken them up on the
deal. I would believe that most of the
serious writers in their stable will do so.
I want my books to be available in every format to include audio books
and am working toward that goal. I am getting trailers made for my books just
like the ones made for movies. Today’s
e-readers can read the children’s books
aloud and even make the sounds of the animals or the noise of the
machines as they read. They offer music
in the background and provide a total entertainment package for the child and
the parent. Traditional publishers who are
willing to adapt and change with the times will do fine. Those who refuse to move forward will possibly
find themselves being left behind. Perhaps
that is the way it should be. Technology
does not have to kill their companies. They
have choices. We all know that our
choices determine our future whether it be for an individual or a
business. No one stands still; we either
move forward or get overtaken. Life is
like a book… A real book...whether it is printed in hardback , paperback or
available on kindle.
