Only 53% of publishers have ebook plans

[Gideon]

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.

Isn't there a provision in the email to whispernet that it is for personal use only, no automated systems, etc? I don't remember the verbage, but I seem to remember thinking "Oh, cool... companies can email me things" and then seeing something that made me think that isn't the case.

[wallcraft]

Originally Posted by Gideon

Isn't there a provision in the email to whispernet that it is for personal use only, no automated systems, etc?

Yes. Which is why FictionWise does not allow bulk downloads and asks you if you mean it when transferring the same ebook twice in a row. If many publishers started to do this, perhaps Amazon would reconsider but they are in principle getting 10 cents per download.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by Ankh

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.

Very true, not to mention the environmental cost: According to Michael Pastore's 50 Benefits of Ebooks, a run of the Sunday New York Times pulps about 75,000 trees... that's for one paper, one week, and not including daily editions. One year = almost 4 million trees. We simply can't keep that up.

[Phogg]

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

Very true, not to mention the environmental cost: According to Michael Pastore's 50 Benefits of Ebooks, a run of the Sunday New York Times pulps about 75,000 trees... that's for one paper, one week, and not including daily editions. One year = almost 4 million trees. We simply can't keep that up.

Oh and don't forget corn.
We simply can't keep eating so much corn it is unsustainable.

Trees for paper are an agricultural crop too. Though actually many of them are more like big tangled bush looking things than lumber type trees.

[sirbruce]

Trees used for commercial purposes are all replanted. And new trees are better are cleaning up CO2 than old trees. And we have plenty of trees anyway. If cutting down fewer trees makes you feel better as a person, fine, but don't fool yourself into thinking that ebooks are environmentally advantageous.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by sirbruce

Trees used for commercial purposes are all replanted.

I know a place in Brazil you should see.

Originally Posted by sirbruce

And new trees are better are cleaning up CO2 than old trees.

Large trees, which tend to be old, sequester more carbon and clean more air than small new trees.

Originally Posted by sirbruce

And we have plenty of trees anyway.

Originally Posted by sirbruce

If cutting down fewer trees makes you feel better as a person, fine, but don't fool yourself into thinking that ebooks are environmentally advantageous.

When you can explain to me how the manufacturing of one reader that can hold 15,000 books is not better than 15,000 books' worth of trees to be felled, pulped, manufactured with harsh and environmentally-damaging chemicals and an incredible amount of fresh water that becomes waste afterward, stored, shipped and delivered to your door by vehicle, I'll stop fooling myself...

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

When you can explain to me how the manufacturing of one reader that can hold 15,000 books is not better than 15,000 books' worth of trees to be felled, pulped, manufactured with harsh and environmentally-damaging chemicals and an incredible amount of fresh water that becomes waste afterward, stored, shipped and delivered to your door by vehicle, I'll stop fooling myself...

But can you show that the number of books printed is reduced by even one, as a result of you buying an eBook reader? One might play "devil's advocate" and say that eBook readers are a bad thing, in that they produce additional environmental pollution, while having no material benefit whatsoever in terms of reducing the number of printed books produced.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by HarryT

But can you show that the number of books printed is reduced by even one, as a result of you buying an eBook reader? One might play "devil's advocate" and say that eBook readers are a bad thing, in that they produce additional environmental pollution, while having no material benefit whatsoever in terms of reducing the number of printed books produced.

Right. So, in order to resolve that issue, let's stop printing so many books. Environmentally-speaking, we would be better off severely cutting back on paper production and printing and undergoing widespread adoption of e-books, than giving up on e-books and continuing our present paper production habits.

[Ankh]

Originally Posted by HarryT

But can you show that the number of books printed is reduced by even one, as a result of you buying an eBook reader? One might play "devil's advocate" and say that eBook readers are a bad thing, in that they produce additional environmental pollution, while having no material benefit whatsoever in terms of reducing the number of printed books produced.

Every technological leap, from Gutenberg up until today, has lowered the price of the medium, hence widened the audience, and in the end resulted in the net INCREASE of the circulation.

The individual price per copy simply has to come down, but the volume will go up.

Although my mother tongue is obviously not English, I simply have to acknowledge how rapidly that language is becoming "Lingua Franca" of our civilization. It is not all for good, the globalization itself is wiping out precious variety, but it is happening.

Ebook, especially one written in English, has global reach, by its very nature. Every copy delivered electronically is one paperback copy less. The only sure thing is that our consumption will go up, simply because there is more and more of us every day.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by HarryT

But can you show that the number of books printed is reduced by even one, as a result of you buying an eBook reader? One might play "devil's advocate" and say that eBook readers are a bad thing, in that they produce additional environmental pollution, while having no material benefit whatsoever in terms of reducing the number of printed books produced.

Less sales of the paper edition and less chance of a 2nd print run.

[Ankh]

Duplicate post, my apologies.

[timezone]

In this survey we don't see the listing of the publishers that are strictly hardcover and those that are creating electronic versions. I would say it is a good sign if the major publishers are all electronic despite the results because they will drive the industry forward. Of course knowing there is a large segment not publishing in electronic form means a book we want may still not be available. Still, I don't think the numbers tell the whole story.

Based on a couple of questions in the survey I have to believe what I am suggesting is true. I have to believe the large publishing houses have sophisticated back office computer systems. Yet 45% say they do not. The fact that 12% said they did not know also tells me that the questions were asked to a group of people involved in the industry and not necessarily the management groups that should know whether there are computer systems for forecasting. The 45% are probably the micro publishing houses that will have to wait a bit longer before putting resources toward electronic books.

If the majors are all publishing electronic versions then I think the survey is actually a positive sign.

Forecasting -
Do you have a defined method to help forecast your print quantities for:

frontlist yes 51% / no - 49%
backlist yes 36% / no - 64%

Is this an automated system?

Yes 23% / no 45% / don't know / 12%

If yes - What is the system?

Excel
Other spreadsheet
Dedicated application
56%
23%
21%