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

[queentess]

Originally Posted by mldavis2

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.

I'm stunned by the number of people (not just you) who think text messaging has "eroded" reading skills. Like your parents before you, who declared that tv "rots" your brain. (Well, I suppose when The Walton's was all that was on tv, maybe that was true... mindless junk.)

As for instant gratification... isn't that kind of the point behind ereaders? With a few clicks I can download whatever book I want and start reading immediately. Ebooks are more accessible than traditional books because they're so instant, portable, and can be read on a host of devices (and I'm usually carrying at least one of them with me at all times).

[mr ploppy]

Originally Posted by queentess

I'm stunned by the number of people (not just you) who think text messaging has "eroded" reading skills. Like your parents before you, who declared that tv "rots" your brain. (Well, I suppose when The Walton's was all that was on tv, maybe that was true... mindless junk.)

It's more about the competing entertainment products moving into childrens' bedrooms. Why read a book when you can just watch a DVD instead?

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by mr ploppy

It's more about the competing entertainment products moving into childrens' bedrooms. Why read a book when you can just watch a DVD instead?

Or play XBox

[fjtorres]

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

Reading their projections ("instability of print sales" "ebook growth") their *old* business model *is* being destroyed...
...by their new, ebook-powered business model.

Well-run businesses don't wait for competitors to render their product or process obsolete; they do it themselves to stay ahead of the crowd.
Harlequin is one of the examples of how to succesfully exploit the new status quo to grow an already successful business. They even have their own ebookstore as well as selling through retail ebookstores, so they're not at anybody's mercy.
And they're building a parallel business in the ebook-only Carina press, to boot.

They smelled the coffee so, instead of whining, they got themselves a supersized mug and a box of donuts.

[glendalekid]

I'm not buying e-books. I can't afford them. But then I never bought a HC of any book either. I waited for the MMPB. However, when the publishers started raising the prices of MMPBs - up and up - I stopped buying those, too. I started buying used PBs.

For many, many years my early source of reading was from the library. I have now returned to the library. Because the library in this town is small and rarely has what I want, I am readying a list to submit for Interlibrary Loan. I also borrow e-books from the on-line libraries and download public domain books.

I purchased my Sony 505 used for $65, including shipping, solely for the ability to have an additional source of affordable books.

If the publishing and purchasing of paper books is in a downward spiral, for me at least, the change started several years ago, long before e-books became popular. I read several books a week and simply do not have the funds to purchase books - e or otherwise.

I don't believe my situation is unique, yet it is a side of the book publishing industry that is never mentioned.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by glendalekid

I don't believe my situation is unique, yet it is a side of the book publishing industry that is never mentioned.

You do know there are lots of sources for free ebooks, not all of which are pre-1923 "classics", right?
Starting with right here at Mobileread.
If you're not acquainted with places like Baen's free library, the Fifth Imperium, Feedbooks, or the many sites that link to free promos at Amazon, Kobo, and B&N, just ask.
And no, your situation is not unique.
Nor are you alone in noting that print book prices have been going through the roof since long before ebooks went mainstream. That publishers have been using their gatekeeper power to exploit readers for decades is why they're whining so much now that power is reverting to consumers. They think ever increasing prices is a law of nature and they are shocked that consumers resent their self-serving spin.

Just be aware that there is a lot of quality ebook content that is either free or cheaper than used paperbacks. Keeping a reading habit fed doesn't have to involve significant cash as long as you're not hung up on the NYT bestsellers list.
More specifically, is there any book genre you prefer?

[BenjaminJames]

Originally Posted by Ea

"excepted" doesn't seem to be the right word, but I can honestly not understand the sentence either.

i think he means "accepted"

[ficbot]

glendalekid, both the Philadelphia library and the Singapore library loan out epub ebooks compatible with your reader AND accept out of towners for membership. You have to pay for the Philadelphia card but the Singapore library is free.

[mldavis2]

Originally Posted by queentess

I'm stunned by the number of people (not just you) who think text messaging has "eroded" reading skills.

Don't mean to incite an argument here, just explaining what I think I'm seeing. First, 'reading' and sending text messages is hardly in the same category as reading War and Peace. True, one must have some command of the language in order to then learn the abbreviated vernacular, but the whole idea of texting is short, quick communication. I don't see text messaging as having much at all to do with reading skills which require assimilation of often complex phrasing and extended sentence structure.

My reference to 'instant gratification' was similarly intended to compare the banality of phrasing, brevity of communication skills and subsequent time needed, in comparison (again) with reading War and Peace. Yes, being able to instantly (well, maybe in a minute or three) download War and Peace is quite different from taking the extended time to read and understand it.

No argument here, just clarifying my intent with the post.

[Andrew H.]

Originally Posted by mldavis2

Don't mean to incite an argument here, just explaining what I think I'm seeing. First, 'reading' and sending text messages is hardly in the same category as reading War and Peace. True, one must have some command of the language in order to then learn the abbreviated vernacular, but the whole idea of texting is short, quick communication. I don't see text messaging as having much at all to do with reading skills which require assimilation of often complex phrasing and extended sentence structure.

My reference to 'instant gratification' was similarly intended to compare the banality of phrasing, brevity of communication skills and subsequent time needed, in comparison (again) with reading War and Peace. Yes, being able to instantly (well, maybe in a minute or three) download War and Peace is quite different from taking the extended time to read and understand it.

No argument here, just clarifying my intent with the post.

If there is a decline in communications skills, it has nothing to do with texting and Xbox, and everything to do with television, radio, and movies. In other words, it is of long standing.

It's not like the great mass of people (especially young people) were reading War and Peace until texting came along. They had plenty of other reasons to not read War and Peace before that - most notably, again, television. In this context, it's interesting to compare the older versions of the Hardy Boys books, written in the 20's and 30's, to the rewritten version from the 50's and 60's. The rewritten versions were greatly simplified, specifically to compete with television (although they also removed a number of offensive racial stereotypes).

And, for that matter, there's probably something to be said for the theory that the popularity of complex 19th century style novels has declined because the 19th century audience for whom it was written - educated, well off, and with large amounts of leisure time - has little in common with the 20th century audience, who tend to be much busier with jobs, etc., and have less time to spend the entire day reading.

[mldavis2]

Originally Posted by Andrew H.

If there is a decline in communications skills, it has nothing to do with texting and Xbox, and everything to do with television, radio, and movies. In other words, it is of long standing.

I'm 67 and I grew up with TV as a child. I also went to a top rated university and took some demanding English literature classes, classical music and other higher educational subjects. I still watch a minimal amount of TV but my preference is for reading, classics included, and I seek out unabridged versions to absorb the author's original intent. My point here is that reading skills are taught and sought, not inherent. When we don't teach them and then we fail to follow through by teaching our children the value and joy of fine literature, we are creating the situational laziness of today, I think.

When people do not read, they have little background against which to compare works of art. Motion pictures reward laziness in providing the visual and aural stimulation along with (usually) weak story lines. They are also over in an hour or two and as such reward increasingly shorter attention spans.

I, too, play a few video games, mainly aviation-related. They in no way take the place of a novel. Too many of today's children spend discretionary time with X-box and video games at the expense of reading. You can demonstrate that fact by asking children to read aloud a passage from legitimate literature. You'll soon see that very few can read it smoothly without stumbling over words, transposing words, dropping words and otherwise demonstrating errors in reading comprehension. What is the last X-box game you've encountered that requires reading skills above a simple word or short phrase?

[GreenMonkey]

Originally Posted by Andrew H.

If there is a decline in communications skills, it has nothing to do with texting and Xbox, and everything to do with television, radio, and movies. In other words, it is of long standing.

And, for that matter, there's probably something to be said for the theory that the popularity of complex 19th century style novels has declined because the 19th century audience for whom it was written - educated, well off, and with large amounts of leisure time - has little in common with the 20th century audience, who tend to be much busier with jobs, etc., and have less time to spend the entire day reading.

Agreed.

I think auto-correct spell check, punctuation and capitalization on Microsoft Word, etc is also to be blamed as far as bad grammar/spelling on the internet. Even my spelling has gotten worse over the years, and I'm a pretty good speller.

[Hellmark]

Personally, I've always thought it was the "ehhh, good enough" mentality that made spelling and grammar worse. People don't take the time to really put any effort into what they have to say, and have no problems butchering it even further just to be simpler. This is most notable with texting. People are getting so lazy that even three letter words are now too long ("are" becoming "r", etc).

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Andrew H.

And, for that matter, there's probably something to be said for the theory that the popularity of complex 19th century style novels has declined because the 19th century audience for whom it was written - educated, well off, and with large amounts of leisure time - has little in common with the 20th century audience, who tend to be much busier with jobs, etc., and have less time to spend the entire day reading.

I love 19th century novels, personally. One doesn't have to have all day free in order to read them.

[crich70]

It's not just ebooks and music that have problems either. Most Old Time Radio programs weren't copyrighted when they originally ran, but some people try to claim they own the programs and then try to charge high prices for just a few episodes of a given program. Radio Spirits is a big offender in that venue.
Some (a very few) programs were actively copyrighted (I think the Green Hornet for one) but spending $60.00 or so for a handful of episodes of a program isn't practical for most. So the problem with older books having a high price as ebooks isn't a problem just limited to ebooks.

Originally Posted by sufue

Well, er, the great classics of the ***LONG-AGO*** past are, on the whole, available free of charge. And many thanks to the MR folks who have worked hard on some really great ones available here!

But stuff from the only SOMEWHAT long-ago past is not available even close to free - as I've discovered due to my decision to use my son's English 11 class as an excuse to make myself re-read (and maybe enjoy this time) some books that were forced down my throat when I myself was in English 11, oh so many years ago.

Take, for example, the book (play) his class is currently reading - The Crucible by Arthur Miller, published in the 1950's, and thus more than 50 years old. Hardly a spring chicken, and yet the "price-set-by-publisher" Penguin Classic e-book is $11.99 - WOW! This compares to $8.94 for a new DTB from Amazon, prices in the $3 - $4 range for new from "second-tier" sellers, and a price of $0.01 for a used DTB from Amazon marketplace. Granted I have to add shipping to the DTB price - unless I can find a "free shipping" deal (fairly common) or I go to my local bookstore. But still, I'm sorry, $11.99 for an e-book of a 50+ year old work is ridiculous, even if it does have some good explanatory notes and essays.

Needless to say, I'd prefer to re-read The Crucible on my e-reader. But, not at $11.99, so I chose instead to find my old DTB from who knows how many years ago in our garage - and I found quite a few other things in the process too, including a few spiders . And, Penguin got squat from our family.

If traditional publishers think they can survive by driving prolific readers like myself (and my son) away with ridiculous e-book prices, I wish them luck. I hope instead that at least a few come up with a pricing model which still captures a fair amount of value from hot/new titles, but also more correctly reflects the likelihood that sales of old/backlist titles may truly be "optional" for many buyers, thus making those buyers quite price-sensitive.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know...beating the drum again...but now I feel a little better...