"The book publishing industry has entered a period of long-term decline"

[leebase]

Originally Posted by HarryT

The "great classics of the past" are, on the whole, available free of charge - eg, right here at MR.

What makes the "Penguin Classics" series well worth buying, however, are the truly excellent introductory essays, explanatory notes, etc, that they add to the text, which enormously enhance the reading experience.

+1

Lee

[queentess]

Originally Posted by mldavis2

For many of us (retired as I am) on fixed budgets, book expenditures will not change with eBook/pBook pricing. Raise eBook prices and I seek indies and classics when my funds run out. Lower eBook prices and I buy more until my funds run out. Lower (and fair to the author) pricing benefits all of us -- publishers excepted of course.

I'm not retired, but my income is still 'fixed' in that I get paid a certain amount every month. So yes, if I want to buy a more expensive book (or something for one of my many other hobbies), it all comes out of the same "discretionary spending" amount. Pay more for a book? Well, guess I have to pass up that other book I wanted to buy also, wait until next month.

[tubemonkey]

My book budget is unlimited thanks to public domain and public libraries. Sure glad I'm not addicted to the other stuff.

[TenaciousBadger]

The book publishing industry has entered a period of long-term decline

... and isn't that ironic when people are reading more than ever.

Rather than focus their paranoid efforts on combating piracy, they should re-triple their efforts to sell as many books as possible to as many people as possible rather than the other way around.

I am of the mind that piracy can never be fully eradicated but its "dire" consequences can be mitigated. Readers can be coaxed and hoaxed and guiltied into buying ebooks rather than cut short with "nah, you're not from out backyard, you can keep your money" or "this ebook is $20 because its paper counterpart is a hardback and hardbacks are more expensive."

It's a long term decline of their own making. They seem to have a hard time keeping up the.... well, times, and readers (people but also electronic). Policies and mentalities need to change. Books ain't what they used to be anymore but that can be a good thing.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by TenaciousBadger

... and isn't that ironic when people are reading more than ever.

Are they? The majority of my friends never read for pleasure. What makes you think that people are reading more than ever?

[TenaciousBadger]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Are they? The majority of my friends never read for pleasure. What makes you think that people are reading more than ever?

I'd say look at us, Harry. Look at all the newbies coming here to look for information on eReaders. Just in the Kindle section, there are at least new users asking questions since yesterday, I believe.

[Phogg]

Originally Posted by mr ploppy

What that probably means is that people will buy more indie ebooks instead of ebooks from major publishers with vastly inflated prices to pay for all the extra hangers-on.

No big deal. All the people that are actually useful will find work in providing services to writers, all the people who serve no useful purpose don't really matter.

You mean I'm not a pioneer, I'm just part of a trend?

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by TenaciousBadger

I'd say look at us, Harry. Look at all the newbies coming here to look for information on eReaders. Just in the Kindle section, there are at least new users asking questions since yesterday, I believe.

Yes, but though the "newbies" might be new to ebooks they're not necessarily new to reading.

The mainstreaming of ebooks isn't about people switching from TV or Video games to books for their entertainment (though some undoubtedly are) but about people who were already readers changing their buying habits because of the proliferation of the tech.

This change in buying habits, piled atop other changes, has Borders in bankruptcy, B&N hanging on by the grace of NookColor, the Amazon top-100 ebook list with a quarter of its titles self-published, and the high-overhead publishing consortia we refer as the BPHs ice skating at the edge of a precipice.

Which isn't to say that the total population of entertainment readers isn't going to grow steadily over the next few years because of the proliferation of reader devices and apps; just that the real financial opportunities in the near term are in drawing in existing print readers.

That is low-hanging fruit.
Converting gamers or TV viewers is going to take a bit more effort.
There's only one Richard Castle, after all.

[mldavis2]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Are they? The majority of my friends never read for pleasure. What makes you think that people are reading more than ever?

No empirical evidence, but I'd guess there are two factors. One is the explosion of eReaders. The other is that the baby-boomers (like I am) are retiring and finding far more free time to enjoy reading. I suspect the newer generation, on average, will read less when their time comes. Just a thought and a person opinion based on their apparent propensity for instant gratification, quick text messaging and video communications which have eroded their reading skills.

[mr ploppy]

Originally Posted by TenaciousBadger

Rather than focus their paranoid efforts on combating piracy, they should re-triple their efforts to sell as many books as possible to as many people as possible rather than the other way around.

I don't think it is piracy that they should be worried about, it is the next generation of writers not seeing any need for traditional publishers. In a digital world, they need to do something to justify their 80% rake off or even already established writers will start to abandon them. A small minority of people who read without paying are the least of their worries.

[vulcan_girl]

Originally Posted by HarryT

The "great classics of the past" are, on the whole, available free of charge - eg, right here at MR.

What makes the "Penguin Classics" series well worth buying, however, are the truly excellent introductory essays, explanatory notes, etc, that they add to the text, which enormously enhance the reading experience.

This is why I love Penguin Classics and Norton Critical editions.

[Kali Yuga]

I guess no one told Harlequin that ebook sales are supposed to destroy their business model...

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/b...harlequin.html

[vulcan_girl]

Originally Posted by Kali Yuga

I guess no one told Harlequin that ebook sales are supposed to destroy their business model...

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/b...harlequin.html

They know who their readers are and give them what they want!

[Phogg]

Originally Posted by mr ploppy

I don't think it is piracy that they should be worried about, it is the next generation of writers not seeing any need for traditional publishers. In a digital world, they need to do something to justify their 80% rake off or even already established writers will start to abandon them. A small minority of people who read without paying are the least of their worries.

Exactly as we have seen in music.

And, (as with music) when the market is saturated, people who are more interested in just finding an audience at all can offer ever lower or even free works just to get heard.

Some of the public will find those very cheap and free offerings satisfies their appetites admirably.

The loss of the paywall bodes ill for traditional publishers.

[mr ploppy]

Originally Posted by Phogg

Exactly as we have seen in music.

And, (as with music) when the market is saturated, people who are more interested in just finding an audience at all can offer ever lower or even free works just to get heard.

Some of the public will find those very cheap and free offerings satisfies their appetites admirably.

The loss of the paywall bodes ill for traditional publishers.

Large music publishers still exist, so I think there will always be a small minority of creators who turn to traditional publishers for vanity reasons. There will also be people who either can't or don't want to do everything themselves and deal with sub-contractors. The world is full of mugs who will hand over 80% of their income for the rest of their life in return for a few one-off jobs.