Only 53% of publishers have ebook plans - Page 2

Ankh · 04-25-2009, 01:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by timezone

They are listening.

Oh, with all due respect, I doubt that. Very much so.

Here and now, after years of experience with the audio piracy, it is simply unforgivable to be that ignorant. I have to explain to THEM that most of the piracy that is threatening THEIR business comes as scan then OCR of their bellowed paper editions? That change is upon them, upon us all, and is inevitable?

They don't follow the Kindle/Amazon story? They FEAR ebooks?

Let them.

JSWolf · 04-25-2009, 07:49 AM

Having to give in to Amazon is a scary thought. So maybe it's Amazon keeping them from going electronic.

Ankh · 04-25-2009, 12:34 PM

Even 800 lb gorilla named Amazon is but a start of their worries. What scares them to no end is a possibility that a day will come, and soon, that Mr. Boyd Morrison can figure out that with a simple PayPal button on his web page he can try, and maybe make do without a publisher.

Digital "samizdat", from author to the end consumer, a couple of mouse clicks away? THAT's scarry.

Steven Lyle Jordan · 04-25-2009, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Having to give in to Amazon is a scary thought. So maybe it's Amazon keeping them from going electronic.

But none of them have to "give in to Amazon"... they can sell their e-books independently if they choose. So I wouldn't blame willful ignorance on fear of one vendor.

It is clear that the financial model of e-books is so radically different that it will demand a major restructuring of every part of their business model, and for some of them, may simply not be feasible. That is what publishers are afraid of, and they are ducking the question and willfully remaining ignorant as long as humanly possible.

For those who have gotten into e-books, it remains such a small part of their market (and again, they do not want to invest in the effort it will need to make it a larger part), that they allow a few geeks somewhere to run the process as a loss-leader, and therefore do not consider it worth keeping track.

JSWolf · 04-25-2009, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

But none of them have to "give in to Amazon"... they can sell their e-books independently if they choose. So I wouldn't blame willful ignorance on fear of one vendor.

They don't have to give in, but I think they see it as they do.

Steven Lyle Jordan · 04-25-2009, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

They don't have to give in, but I think they see it as they do.

Ignorance is their position: They refuse to expend the effort to find out that which is easily accessible to them... we all agree on that. They refuse to enlighten themselves out of fear of the unknown (ie, going out of business), which is their problem.

I am actually a good example of the non-deification of Amazon: I put my books in the Kindle store, and made no more money off of them, nor received any other perks from the effort; I removed my books, and it has not cost me a thing, in profit, popularity or cred. Publishers sold product before Amazon, and other retailers sell product today despite not being part of Amazon. Even Oprah has not turned the entire country into Amazon-zombies.

Any company or publisher that cannot see that is being willfully ignorant.

wallcraft · 04-25-2009, 03:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

Publishers sold product before Amazon, and other retailers sell product today despite not being part of Amazon.

They can even sell for the Kindle and have it delivered via Whispernet, all they need to do is offer DRM-free MOBI. Both FictionWise and Baen are doing this. There is still the problem of how to get Kindle owners to your web site, but I think OpenPub (Adobe Teams Up With Stanza to Create Open EBook Catalog Standard), and search engines based around it, may turn out to provide the solution.

Kris777 · 04-25-2009, 03:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wallcraft

They can even sell for the Kindle and have it delivered via Whispernet, all they need to do is offer DRM-free MOBI. Both FictionWise and Baen are doing this. There is still the problem of how to get Kindle owners to your web site, but I think OpenPub (Adobe Teams Up With Stanza to Create Open EBook Catalog Standard), and search engines based around it, may turn out to provide the solution.

How many DRM-free titles available on FictionWise now?
I didn't find the updated info on their website, just As of December 2007, over 15,000

Ankh · 04-25-2009, 04:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

Ignorance is their position: They refuse to expend the effort to find out that which is easily accessible to them... we all agree on that. They refuse to enlighten themselves out of fear of the unknown (ie, going out of business), which is their problem.

Like they have a choice? Like we have a choice?

IMHO, the clock is ticking for two content delivery methods. The "printed newspaper" and "paperback editions" are on their way to museums. I don't see how can one compete with the convenience, with the speed, with the price and the global reach of the Internet.

wallcraft · 04-25-2009, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kris777

How many DRM-free titles available on FictionWise now?

An advanced search, selecting the format, for "Kindle compatible MOBI" turned up 20,568 entries, vs 32,385 for "Secure MOBI". There are many more mainstream publishers in the Secure category than the DRM-free category. My point is that if publishers ditched this DRM nonsense they would be in a much stronger position, and in particular they would be much less vulnerable to pressure from companies such as Amazon and Adobe.

Gideon · 04-25-2009, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by netseeker

What about Sony PRS-505, Cybook, BeBook, iLiad, ... There are a lot of devices available in europe. Bookeen is a european company.

Sonys market launch of the PRS-505 was a big event here in germany but most of our publishing houses do actually *fear* the term "ebook".

It's only partially about the technology. Cybook, Sony, etc... irrelevant unless you produce content and have a force driving that content. We had the Sony here, ebook stores here, etc... but until Amazon came onto the scene and had the power and the cajones to actually press the issue we didn't have much in the way of ebooks.

It doesn't have to be Amazon... but it's not about the hardware, it's about the content. At least that is what I imagine the case to be.

netseeker · 04-25-2009, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gideon

It's only partially about the technology. Cybook, Sony, etc... irrelevant unless you produce content and have a force driving that content. We had the Sony here, ebook stores here, etc... but until Amazon came onto the screen and had the power and the cajones to actually press the issue we didn't have much in the way of ebooks.

If i haven't got you completely wrong you assumed in your previous post that the market launch of ebook reading devices (like the kindle) could push the market and wake up the content publishers from their hibernation. I just doubted that your assumption is accurate... Did i got you wrong?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gideon

It doesn't have to be Amazon... but it's not about the hardware, it's about the content. At least that is what I imagine the case to be.

You are right. This is exactly what i meant: The hardware is there but seems to be irrelevant as long as not enough content publishers (or at least some big players) are getting active in the ebook-market.

Gideon · 04-25-2009, 05:31 PM

I misspoke... I said Kindle and what I meant was the Kindle's ecosystem, my apologies.

JSWolf · 04-25-2009, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

Even Oprah has not turned the entire country into Amazon-zombies.

That's because some of us know better. We know not to take what Oprah says as gospel. We look into it and see if it's right for us and then we decide. But there are the zombie lemming types that go for anything Oprah says is good no matter what it is.

phenomshel · 04-25-2009, 05:53 PM

Well,this might be slightly off topic, but...MobileRead has 35,000 + members. Say half of those are active (which might be grossly overstating, I don't know, but bear with me here). If all of the active members started contacting publishing houses politely requesting (or demanding, lol) ebook editions of their author's works, do y'all think they'd be able to ignore 17,000 emails/letters/calls?
I think eventually at least some of them would get a clue.

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04-25-2009, 07:49 AM	#17
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 78,956 Karma: 144284074 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	Having to give in to Amazon is a scary thought. So maybe it's Amazon keeping them from going electronic.

04-25-2009, 12:34 PM	#18
Ankh Guru Posts: 714 Karma: 2003751 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Ottawa, ON Device: Kobo Glo HD	Even 800 lb gorilla named Amazon is but a start of their worries. What scares them to no end is a possibility that a day will come, and soon, that Mr. Boyd Morrison can figure out that with a simple PayPal button on his web page he can try, and maybe make do without a publisher. Digital "samizdat", from author to the end consumer, a couple of mouse clicks away? THAT's scarry.

04-25-2009, 05:31 PM	#28
Gideon Wearer of Pants Posts: 1,050 Karma: 7634 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Norman, OK Device: Amazon Kindle DX / iPhone	I misspoke... I said Kindle and what I meant was the Kindle's ecosystem, my apologies.

04-25-2009, 05:53 PM	#30
phenomshel ZCD BombShel Posts: 4,793 Karma: 8293322 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: The Frozen North (aka Illinois, USA) Device: iPad, STB Kindle Oasis	Well,this might be slightly off topic, but...MobileRead has 35,000 + members. Say half of those are active (which might be grossly overstating, I don't know, but bear with me here). If all of the active members started contacting publishing houses politely requesting (or demanding, lol) ebook editions of their author's works, do y'all think they'd be able to ignore 17,000 emails/letters/calls? I think eventually at least some of them would get a clue.

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