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February 7, 2010
BTB #152: With E-Books, Take Time & Be Sure
In the middle of the e-book hurricane, it may be time for some calm thinking – along with a little debunking. Founder of Unlimited Publishing and book industry analyst Danny O. Snow tells Chris Kenneally now is a good moment for publishers and authors to stop all the rushing about.
“Having observed what happened in the music business ten years ago, we are on pins and needles not to be left in the dust of technology,” Snow says. “Actually, publishers are very lucky to be behind the curve, which is kind of surprising, but we can learn from the mistakes, and the good things, that are done by others.”
Without denying that the time has definitely come for book publishers to take e-Books seriously, Snow sees to debunk some of the more prevalent myths about e-Books under current market conditions and technological realities. These are:
- Myth #1: e-Books: will soon overtake tree-Books in the marketplace
- Myth #2: EPUB format is a cure-all
- Myth #3: e-Books Will Always be Hard to Publish
- Myth #4: The Market for e-Books is Peaking
A senior research fellow of the Society for New Communications Research and a board member of the Independent Book Publishers Association, Snow admits that e-Books solve serious problems in traditional publishing, nevertheless, and that those benefits virtually insure continuing growth for e-Books.
January 14, 2010
Mythconceptions: Debunking the E-Book Hype with Danny O. Snow
The following is a preview of an upcoming interview with Danny O. Snow, founder of Unlimited Publishing, who promises to debunk several myths about e-publishing. The podcast will be released on Monday, February 8, 2010.
In 2010, the long anticipated migration of periodicals from print to Web is undeniably underway. Major daily newspapers including the Christian Science Monitor are already replacing unprofitable (and environmentally unfriendly) print editions with leaner, greener, more timely online distribution. As much as newsprint is a beloved institution, most informed observers agree that the transition from paper-n-ink to bits-n-bytes for newspapers and magazines makes good sense in today’s world - and certainly in tomorrow’s. It’s a better match between form and content.
In the book world too, the word on the street these days is e-Books, e-Books, and more e-Books. The scuttlebutt among book publishers is that they must rapidly jump on the e-Book bandwagon, or risk getting left in the dust. Having observed how record labels were blindsided by music downloading over the last decade, most book publishers are taking this risk seriously.
One motive for publishers to embrace e-Books is that sales are growing exponentially. “Convert from print to digital distribution,” they hear, “and tap a booming new market while earning as much per copy as you did with tree-Books… maybe more!” But early adopters are now learning that this widely circulated notion may be overstated for the moment, as reported below.
Likewise, book publishers are told that the emerging e-Book industry standard EPUB format is a kind of silver bullet. “Convert your production files from PDF to EPUB,” they hear, “and your books will almost magically become marketable for reading on nearly every conceivable electronic device from the Kindle to the iPhone, and everything in between!” Like the misconception that e-Books are rapidly supplanting tree-Books in the marketplace, in 2009 the full promise of EPUB is still unrealized.
This report, without denying that the time has definitely come for book publishers to take e-Books seriously, will debunk some of the more prevalent myths about e-Books under current market conditions and technological realities.
A senior research fellow of the Society for New Communications Research and a board member of the Independent Book Publishers Association, serving thousands of publishers across North America and around the world, Danny Snow admits that e-Books solve serious problems in traditional publishing: overprinting; the cost of shipping books back and forth between warehouses and stores during a time of climbing fuel prices and growing focus on air quality; and the bad bookstore practice of over-ordering, then returning unsold books are all eliminated by digital distribution. These benefits virtually insure continuing growth for e-Books.
The world of publishing is changing in 2010, with real and lasting results after years of wishful thinking. Music, radio and TV, newspapers and magazines are already firmly shifting to online distribution. Books will follow soon, though no one yet knows exactly when, or in which of several possible directions… or whether e-Books will evolve as a separate market entirely.
The landscape for e-Book publishing is growing and changing by the day. It isn’t easy to navigate yet, due to a myriad of lingering uncertainties about hardware, software and market factors. But the future potential of e-Books is clear, and points toward leaner, greener and more efficient ways for publishers to reach readers in the near future.
Please return to Beyond the Book starting Monday, February 8, 2010, to hear this important discussion!
June 21, 2009
Best of BTB: For Small Publishers, Good Marketing Is Hard to Find
But look no further than the IBPA, which is set to launch an ambitious new membership drive.
“These times demand publishers work smarter and work more efficiently when producing and marketing their titles,” notes Frank Gromling of Ocean Publishing, who is heading up the effort.
May 19, 2009
For Indy Pubs, ‘Strength In Numbers’
A week before classes open at the 25th annual Publishing University, IBPA’s Terry Nathan tells Chris Kenneally, “When an economy gets this way, publishers need to be using their collective strength.”
He outlines several new member programs, including a just-launched distribution program with Independent Publishers Group called Small Press United.
March 8, 2009
BTB #85: For Small Publishers, Good Marketing Is Hard to Find
But look no further than the IBPA, which is set to launch an ambitious new membership drive.
“These times demand publishers work smarter and work more efficiently when producing and marketing their titles,” notes Frank Gromling of Ocean Publishing, who is heading up the effort.
February 22, 2009
BTB #83: Pub. U. Preview: Your Own Publishing Stimulus Package
In the last of four installments highlighting the upcoming “Publishing University,” IBPA leadership team members tell Chris Kenneally that staying on top of industry trends could be the stimulus package independent publishers are looking for.
This special series is a co-production with the Independent Book Publishers Association, which brings the annual Publishing University to NYC on May 26 – 28, 2009.
February 8, 2009
BTB #80: Pub. U. Preview: Tired Of Being A Road Warrior?
Kathleen Gage certainly was! But even though she pulled off the road years ago, her career as an author and business coach has stayed on track by leveraging the Internet and selling her services via teleseminars. In this latest preview from IBPA’s Publishing University, she tells Chris Kenneally how it’s done.
This special series is a co-production with the Independent Book Publishers Association, which brings the annual Publishing University to NYC on May 26 – 28, 2009.
January 25, 2009
BTB #78: Pub. U. Preview: Make Friends With Freelancers
That’s what PR maven Marika Flatt recommends for publishers and authors who want to get their stories out, especially on limited budgets. In this installment of “Publishing University Previews,” Flatt and her colleague Kate Bandos talk about the care and feeding of the media with host Christopher Kenneally.
For more of Flatt’s tips on working with freelancers, download this article. (PDF)
This special series is a co-production with the Independent Book Publishers Association, which brings the annual Publishing University to NYC on May 26 – 28, 2009.
January 11, 2009
BTB #76: Pub. U. Preview: Publicist Lissa Warren
In the first of a quartet of “Publishing University Preview Podcasts,” publicist Lissa Warren tells Chris Kenneally what it takes to get you and your book on television. A good first step, she suggests, is a YouTube “sampler” that lets newsrooms see what you have to offer.
This special series is a co-production with the Independent Book Publishers Association, which brings the annual Publishing University to NYC on May 26 – 28, 2009.
June 22, 2008
BTB #50: Declaring Independence: PMA Becomes IBPA
In conjunction with PMA’s announcement of their new name at this year’s Publishing University, Chris Kenneally, Director of Author Relations at Copyright Clearance Center, takes 10 minutes to discuss IBPA’s mission and what the group is doing nationally for independent book publishers with Florrie Binford Kitchler, President of the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA).
Along with being the current president of the Independent Book Publishers Association, Florrie Binford Kichler founded her own company, Patria Press, specifically to restore to print a classic children’s book series first published 70 years ago The company’s Young Patriots Series has since won 9 national awards.
Florrie is a member of the Children’s Book Council, serves on the boards of Indiana University Women’s MBA Advisory Board, and the ACLU of Indiana. She earned BA and MBA degrees from Indiana University, and is an alumna of the Stanford Professional Publishing Course.
