A short essay about what I know about ebooks

One of my daily work routines is to review the RSS feeds, Google alerts, industry emails and newsletters for news about ebooks.  I've done this for years and can't believe some of the articles about ebooks that are now appearing all over the world.  Somedays I laugh because many of them have been covered in this blog over the past couple of years, let alone all the established bloggers and writers around the world who are much better at this than me!

Actually if you look at all the articles I've collected or distributed over the eight years we've been working with ebooks some of the information does not change. The stories are essentially the same.  An industry update here and there.  A new ebook vendor.  Different technology.  But often it's the same old commentary. Only the date has changed.

And don't start me on the prediction the book is dead.  It's not dead.  It's just the consumer has a choice of format these days.  And publishers, booksellers, library suppliers are all adapting to the digital world.  I'm over the naysayers.  Preach somewhere else because I'm not listening. 

Anyway, I thought today I'd do a thought dump about what I've learned about ebooks.  Feel free to comment and tell me what I've missed or what you think I've got horribly wrong.

1. Ebooks are convenient and immediate.  The click of a button and you have something to read.  Great for Award Winners, highly publicised books, events and current affairs.  Let's not forget the savvy consumer of today who wants something to read and they want it now!  And as we've all realised by now, an ereader is great for holidays, no lugging heavy books.  Load up the device before you go away.  Depending on how you purchase your books, you can buy more ebooks if you run out.  We took the laptop to Venice last year when we lived there for a month and even though we know the bookshops, their English selection is extremely limited (and I've read all the books set in Venice already!). Having access to ebooks was great, convenient and easy.  A real no-brainer when you're travelling. The downside?  Well for one, this is not iTunes.  Every click is committing time to read the book.  And two, credit cards can easily get a good workout if you're on a roll.  Automatic debit can be a killer!   And lastly, just how many of your downloads are you now going to read.  Think about that when you're clicking away because we're tracking your purchasing choices whether you like it or not. 
2. Simultaneous release anyone? Timing of releases has improved over the years with more publishers doing simultaneous release.  Some still use "windows" and while I can understand this some days, on others it is simply a case of not giving the consumer, the reader, the user what they want.  "e" is another format.  There will still be hardback (perhaps in greatly reduced numbers), paperback, large print, audio, multimedia, apps etc.  "e" is another format and over the years publishers will get to know how their content is being used by consumers and make better commercial decisions based on the market, historical data and access to information
3. Publication dates are not to be trusted.  As more publishers digitise their backlist, they put their products into the marketplace with a new publication date.  New in "e" is not the same as a new release.  Publishers need to spell out this in the descriptions because consumers are being cheated.  My blog post from April 2010 discusses this dilemma. 
4. Pricing is a mess.  Publishers you let Amazon determine the $9.99 price point and in many ways it's a killer.  But it's also worked in the US market.  Look at the downloads at that price versus other formats.  What does it tell you about your readers and what they are willing to pay?  Publishers play with pricing but do the maths and make the appropriate decisions for your content, for your author and the sales channels.   As a reader, I've realised my threshold is less than $20.00 so those Australian publishers that are charging the same price for the "e" as the "p" aren't getting my ebook sale.  There are so many arguments for pricing - higher, lower, distribution costs, production costs, royalties, margins - and I can listen to these for my "day job" but as a reader, I make very clear distinction about a) what I like to read in "e" and b) what I'm prepared to pay for it.
5. What you read it on can be irrelevant.  You don't need a specific e-reading device.  Got a laptop?  Got a mobile?  Technologies are converging.  Devices perform multiple functions.  Loyal to your iPad, great.  But if you want to use a specific device and have acquired your Kindle, good for you (the brand name is still the most recognisable to your average consumer).  Sony? Kobo? Whatever floats your boat.  Cloud technology is here and now.  Use whatever works best for you.  Just do your research and remember not all ebooks can be transported from one device to another. 
6. Technology can still be problematic: for me, it's using an old e-reader!  Battery life has improved since the Sony PRS700 and there are multiple devices available today that have a much longer run.  But I will still list forgetting to charge a reader as a downfall.  Having your battery die in the middle of a good read because you have no opportunity to recharge it is simply awful.  There is nothing worse than a device shutting down on you and you have no replacement reading.  Think long-haul flight.  That's where it's done most damage to me over the years!  And don't start me on the turning off the e-reader for take-off and landing.  I'm not a good flyer so I like to distract myself.  Reading has always been a way to do it, particularly with landing.  More and more articles about ebooks reference this, but it's not new.  We are reading using technology and our aircraft crew will always ask us to shut it down.  And while there are some Kindle and Apple devotees who use plastic covers on their devices while taking a bath, I'm not with you sorry.  I don't want to take my e-reader in the bath.  I don't want to accidentally drop it - whether in water or on a hard surface.  It just does not work for me in this situation no matter what you say. 
7. Rights: one of the biggest issues with ebooks, the reluctance by publishers to give up territorial rights for their ebooks.  I can see ebooks going "world rights" and placed with all the vendors.  Why not revenue share with your print distributors in each territory to recognise the work they do promoting the author, the content and more.  Distributors and publishing partners have a key role with "e".  This should be recognised and not have them shut out.  Before you know it, there won't be a Frankfurt rights fair.  No one will want to engage if there isn't something in it for them. 
8. Formats and layouts are still problematic: Format extensions are confusing for those readers who don't know any better.  Readers want to read an ebook but don't know what they are looking for when they move away from one of the more established ebook vendors they've been using and go direct.  The download process can be confusing for them.  I had a friend trying to purchase some books from a US publisher's site and had no idea whether or not her iPad could read any of the device formats listed. And as for layouts, well I still have ebooks with "dodgy" layouts.  This was covered very well in an Open Letter to publishers on the Teleread site a few months ago. While I've adapted to reading that way over the past few years, it still annoys the hell out of me.  I don't want text to drop away or a handful of words justified across the page unreasonably.  Some of the hypens are poorly done and some text goes a little funny at times.  Don't get me wrong.  It's improved over the years. But it still needs work.
9. Get the metadata right: Publishers can't get their print metadata right so how on earth do we expect them to get the ebook metadata perfect?  (Of course they will argue this with me but booksellers and bibliographic agencies around the world will back me up on this one) In a world where we need to search and discover our content, we need to have the correct path laid by publishers so we can find it in a click or two.  And as for one e-ISBN across multiple platforms.  One word - nightmare.  If you want to sell ebooks across vendors and you've used the ISBN as your primary identifier in your database, you need to find another solution.  And it will cost you.  Booksellers and online sites - get ready.  It's not pretty.
10. Profiling & Selection of ebook releases: I'm signed up a few ebook vendors and they send regular newsletters about what's new in "e".  I don't want simply what's new in "e".  I want to see my favourite authors, my favourite subjects.  I don't want to see a new ebook about Donald Rumsfield or travel guides to places I don't have on my wish list.  Ebook vendors need to profile my interests.  They can see what I download.  Now make some recommendations based on that.  Ah, you've got my attention at last.
11. Ebooks are established in academic libraries.  Search and discover content through your academic library.  Electronic journals lead the way, ebooks followed.  Information is at your fingertips.  Patron driven demand is exciting.  Scholarly and reference works are best served in a digital world.  Updates can be better managed electronically.  Access, availability, wonderful for research.  It all makes sense.
12. Etextbooks?   I'm not yet convinced.  Enhanced ebooks for students, now that excites me.  Just check out a Wiley textbook demo on Blio if you need convincing.  Questions, answers, rich media content.  It's all there for the taking.  Publishers need to hop on board.  It will be an exciting ride for the students of tomorrow.
13. Consumer choice is important.  As I mentioned above, there are some things I like to read in "e" and there's others I enjoy in "p". I can loan the "p".  I can show off the "p".  The "p" has cover-art, often beautiful at times.  My friends know what I'm reading when I'm reading the "p".  I will use bookmarks and I will turn pages.  And I will enjoy doing that.   I will always be loyal to the "p".  In fact, after a few years reading ebooks, it's my preference now.  But I also get books cheaper through my workplace - sometimes half the price.  If I wasn't paying staff rates for my books, I wonder whether I'd have a different point of view.  I'm guessing I would but that would be on price, not on format.  I want my historical fiction, autobiographies, biographies and history books in print.  I want them on my bookshelf.  I want to turn the pages and look at the images.  I want to share.  But I will try new authors in "e" and occasionally, very occasionally, I will treat myself to both formats. 
14. Consider the booksellers - both online and bricks & mortar.  These guys have been with you for years and many of your authors would not be where they are today without booksellers promoting their products, having events in-store, and more. There is so much I could write on this point alone.  Pros and cons.  Politics and issues. Consumer buyer behaviour.  Pricing, supply, industry matters and more. For now, I will simply say consider the bookseller.
15. Consider the libraries, the librarians, the library suppliers.  I could get really rough on this one.  As you know, I work for the leading library supplier in the Australasian marketplace.  We've heard it all before from our publishers and ebook vendors.  Librarians want to play in the digital sphere.  They are playing.  Many have been doing ebooks for a long time.  But publishers don't like having something available free through a library at the best of times.  Ask Harper Collins about ebooks, libraries and boycotts due to changes in ebook policies and access.  There are ways to work through these issues and it seems single use is the way most publishers are comfortable with.  But tell the reader they can't borrow an ebook because it's already on loan.  It's digital for crying out loud.  There are models that can deal with this.  Ask EBL.  Just don't shut out this part of the market.  They are important, they have one hell of a role with reader recommendations, access and information.  
16. And consider the role of the publisher.  As a publisher, you will know what I'm saying.  There's a lot of articles about this already.  What do you bring to the table in a digital world?  Authors and agents can deal directly with ebook vendors.  They can choose to sell the books direct.  They can set the price.  They can do the work. And they can make more margin. It's a reality check for all of us.  Publishers need to be looking at their strengths and weaknesses too.  

 When it comes to the digital world, there are still hurdles to face, difficulties to encounter, issues than may remain unresolvable, but we've got one hell of a publishing industry.  Whether you are an ebook reader, an author, a publisher, a library, or a reseller, we need to keep engaging, working together and finding a model that's right for us.  Those in the industry have a role to play and there may be some that don't want to be involved in the "e" world.  We keep saying they have to in order to survive in the digital age, but is that right?  It's what we want to believe...

At the end of the day, people have different experiences of reading, loaning and sharing books.  There are Luddites and there are those that are already committed to e-reading.  Does one format have to win over the other?  Consumer choice is important, pricing and availability is important.  And whatever you do, publishers need to get their product information and metadata sorted.  In an online world, anything sloppy and incorrect will cost you.

The above points are a combination of the professional and the consumer ebook world.  I can extend on some points, some are a political minefield, and I've probably missed others.  But it's the Ramble for today.  And I'm exhausted!

Opinions, experts, formats, ebooks, books and trying not to yawn

I know I haven't put up a post for ages.  That's because why read me when every man and his dog is now an expert on ebooks?!  Opinions about ebooks are everywhere - on the online news sites, industry web sites, e-newsletter services.  The twitterworld is full of ebook profiles and there are tweets-a-million about all things digital.  Whether it's on social networking or media sites, comments about ebooks are everywhere you look.  There is no other news in the publishing world anymore.  We've lost sight of so many things and I'm seriously wondering if we've forgotten what to say.  What else is happening out there?  Take away ebooks and digital strategies, there's a long pause.  Occasionally someone reverts back to metadata and bibliographic workflows.  Perhaps physical distribution.  Outsourcing maybe?  But where are news stories about service, responsiveness, account management, promotions, content, the people that make this industry (other than the usual suspects).  No, it's all ebooks, ebooks, ebooks.

You listen to a podcast or an interview with an author, and it's almost the headline after the story.  "Oh, and it's also available as an ebook."  Yippee!  Congratulations to you, dear author, and wow dear publisher, I'm so impressed!  Did you say it like that in the past - oh, and it's also available in trade paperback | audiobook | hardcover.  No, you didn't really focus on the format.  It was in the marketing blurb and in bibliographic databases.  But ebooks are so hip and happening now.  But to me, ebook is another format.  It's something to respond to consumer demand - give readers the "p" or the "e" - and encourage them to read.  Sales patterns will change over time and your business will refocus accordingly.   But let's make sure there's lots and bells and whistles now around it.  Let's put out media releases and in sales kits to our customers - also available as "e".  Yes people rejoice with me.  Just remember the story of the publisher who did that, proudly announced ebooks in their promotion and then struggled with all the library calls - having totally forgotten the library market, library ebook vendors, and library suppliers.  Ah yes, what works in the consumer space doesn't always work in the library space.  Does it Harper Collins?

Yes, you've read this far and I congratulate you.  I'm a jaded woman.  After eight years speaking digital and fluent "e" for the library market, I'm totally bored by all the stories and tidbits that I see about ebooks.  I almost yawn now.  Ebooks are finally in the consumer mindset but at the same time it's become boring for me.  All industry articles focus on either "e" or POD.  Yes, they've fascinated me for years but I'm over it.  I'm over ereading devices.  Every second person I know has a Kindle.  A freakin' Kindle of all things.  Another sale to the giant that is Amazon.  Why Kindle? I ask.  It's the only name they knew. And it's another gadget - one that they'll use a lot, download a heap of books for the device, but in two years time will they still be reading from it? 

Maybe that's the thing.  I've encouraged, supported and promoted all things "e" for the library market.  Great for reference products and scholarly books.  Having digital content in an academic library is a no-brainer.  And I've helped with content acquisition for our ebook partners in other channels.  Naturally I'm eagerly awaiting the Blio product from Baker & Taylor for the library market - and have been involved with Australian publishers on that too.  I think it's just the consumer space that's finally caught up.  But it didn't just catch up.  It's flooded the market.  It's all anyone in the industry wants to speak about.  There are publishers left, right and centre trying to be digital gurus and show leadership in the industry.  There's digital directors on board with the trade houses now but goodness sake, do these people know the ins and outs of all sales channels in the market.  Do they truly understand everything from bibliographic workflows through to selling a book.  Yes, there are a couple in the ANZ market that do - and they know who they are.  As to the rest of you, seriously....?  You've hopped on the ebook bandwagon and you are probably really good sales & marketing people but do you have detailed knowledge about what goes on in all the markets in which you operate.  Having worked with you all, I don't think you do.  YOU think you do.  But not all the pieces of the puzzle fit together.  We both know it.  So don't try and bluff me.

I think I'll just sit back and watch all those downloads, all those zillion articles, all that restructuring, repositioning for the digital world ahead, the names Amazon, Apple, Overdrive, Kobo and others mentioned to the point of adnauseum, and pop on the lounge with a trusty book to escape the same articles that are churned out every day.  Did I mention the format I'm reading these days?  After two years of my e-reader at a personal level (as opposed to professional) it's more than likely to = shock, horror = be a physical book.  The ereader gets a workout for holidays but the rest of the time it's rather dull, lifeless and boring.  Yes folks the great novelty has worn off.  (After costing me a small fortune in downloads and still dozens and dozens of unread books on the device) I'm now cuddled up with the old-fashioned thing.  Remember it?  The book.  No "e" in front. Ah, those were the days my friends, those were the days.

The uproar over ebook prices

Much has been said about ebook pricing, particularly in recent times as Amazon is forced to move to agency pricing.  And haven't their customers revolted!  Not surprisingly - we've all been getting books at ridiculous prices.  Why would we buy hardcovers or paperbacks when they are several times the price of the ebook.  Fine, if you are like me and you want the printed work as the PREMIUM product, something to share, something to keep, something to treasure - and not a digital file!  But the US 9.99 price point did create demand.  Amazing demand.  Even at 11.99, 12.99, 14.99 the price points are still good.  Where is the balance? 

I must say ebook pricing is getting ridiculous.  The US Sony Store has Tony Blair's My Journey still available for US 9.99.  What is absolutely ridiculous however is local pricing.  Local site Readwithoutpaper.com has the book for $35.58 - that's what the local distributor has set the price at.  AU $35.58.  On the Random House Australia website the Hardback is $59.95.  The ebook is also $59.95.  Sorry guys, you know I love you but where do you think I ordered the book from?  (Yes I know, I usually order from work at staff rates but when it comes to ebooks it's a different kettle of fish).

To make matters even more confusing, ebook vendors aren't familiar with how bibliographic data works.  For all of us in the booktrade, we've had to sigh, heave, yell, scream, moan and groan over what the metadata looks like.  We've worked through 100s editions and versions of the Harry Potters and Dan Browns of this world.  It is confusing.  It's awful.  And now you're yet another victim of it.  On today's Sony newsletter I saw a book entitled Cleopatra.  For those of you that know me, I have several grand loves.  Tudor History, War of the Roses, lives of famous poets and painters, and Ancient History - particularly Egyptian.  The first thing I do is link on the title and what happens when I get into the Sony Reader Store - two different prices for the same bloody ebook. It's an EBOOK people - it's not a hardcover or a paperback.  There should be one price UNLESS the book specifically mentions an enhanced edition.  And on old Sony readers, an enhanced edition doesn't do anything.  It's an electronic reader only. 

This is just going to get worse folks.  It's bad enough having "e" and "p" prices all over the place, locally and internationally.  More mature ebook markets like the US doing crazy things, the UK market having a play, and then us not wanting to cannibilise print in any way.  it's going to happen.  The consumer will decide how they want to read.  We've seen it in the library market for years.  Library budgets for print massively cut back so they can purchase more ebooks, online databases and journals.  We've HAD to work with ebook vendors to survive.  And it does come with a cost.  Economically you operate with different margins - or not at all.

When will publishers start looking at price points, look at the readers, look at the business models, and find something that helps SELL the work - regardless of format.  Give the reader what they want - at a price suitable for the product offered.  Or lose the sale.

In industry alerts today there was an upcry when Amazon started listing the publishers ebook prices in the UK.  "Increase in piracy" "people will go elsewhere" "ban the agency publishers".  The peasants are revolting folks.  But publishers, you've only got yourselves to blame.  You got out the content to the market, played with the big boys, let them build up the demand (and where demand had never gone before!) at a price point soo unbelievable it became mainstream, then said sorry and clawed it all back. 

Personally I think the price points are way too high locally - but that goes for the printed product too.  I've been in this industry a long time and I've seen the picture from all sides.  But price it better and sell more.  Be prepared to play, be prepared to give up margin, but don't lose the sale.  Don't become irrelevant.  Adapt or die.

Oh, and try not to piss off the customer.  In the digital world, they have more power than you know.

In the year of the ebook, what counts and what doesn't....?

I'm writing this blog from the Frankfurt Book Fair.  If you are keeping up-to-date with the press coverage from Frankfurt, it's the "year of the ebook", it's all about the digital marketplace, ebook here, ebook there, ebook everywhere.  Yet for those of us who speak fluent "e" it's quite amusing.  We've spoken ebooks for years.  But it seems ebook sales in libraries don't count.  Ebooks through publisher databases and web portals don't count.  Most of my meetings with academic publishers now report on "p" vs "e" sales and the figures are quite interesting, depending on the depth of the "e" range offered to library ebook vendors, how long they've been active players in the ebook market, pricing of the books and simultaneous release.  Some STM publishers are sitting above 60% "e" sales, however the majority probably sits around 30% and growing at double - or triple - digit figures.  To hear it's the year of the ebook is funny for those of us in library supply.  Because we don't count.

On the library front, the major ebook players are well established - EBL, ebrary, Netlibrary, myilibrary.  How do they feel when they hear about the year of the ebook? Some of them have played in this ebook domain for over a decade.  Their sales are not insignificant.  But they don't count.  They've worked on content acquisition with academic, professional and scholarly publishers for many years.  It must be nice after being in the marketplace for over a decade, in some instances, to hear you are now in the spotlight.  But it's not them that are in the spotlight.  No, No, No.

You see it's all about the trade.  It's about booksellers and how they fit into the equation.  Not the giants - like Amazon (with the Kindle) and Barnes & Noble (with the Nook).  It's about getting fiction and non-fiction titles to the general consumer through other players.  Google Editions will be huge with retailers.  Kobo is growing their marketshare here with the Red Group.  Blio has launched in the US and will come to ANZ next year. Independent booksellers - large and small - can play in the ebook arena as long as they have a website.

But again, we're forgetting there are other players providing back-end service to booksellers - OverDrive, Ebooks Corporation, Gardners in the UK.  The latter advised they have over 100 publishers and 100,000 ebooks in their offer to retailers. They've worked at their strategies for years.  Nice to know their time has come!  I'm sure they count.  Because they supply to the wider book trade.

But let's extend the ramble.  There is one really hot topic in all the noise regarding ebooks.  And it's also to do with counting.  However in this case, it may be counting the loss.  TERRITORIAL RIGHTS FOR EBOOKS.... 

It came up in many of my meetings with publishers with regards to book distribution - not library ebook vendors.  If you are distributing the print product, particularly in the academic and scholarly arena, you have seen library supplier sales change.  Library suppliers work with ebook vendors who provide services that work with a library management system.  Many sales are the "one-sies and two-sies" across an entire range.  Overall it makes an impact to your business.  But library supply, at say 10% of sales, is small.  It's TRADE distribution that's going to hurt. 

Publishers being wowed by ebook vendor arrangements for booksellers - particularly Kobo, Blio and Google Editions - are not always thinking about their agent or distributor on the ground in Australasia.  They are not thinking about cannibilisation of print.  They aren't thinking about inventory, publicity, sales and marketing.  All important roles of the agent.  They aren't always thinking about communications to their sales agents and distributors about the possible effects.  They are going directly to the retailer via the ebook wholesaler - bypassing the normal and traditional book supply chain.

I've discussed it before on this blog, but in the year of the ebook (in the trade, that is, not libraries!), how are we going to carve up the ebook pie.  There isn't enough to go around.  The role of the sales agent/distributor is going to change.  And substantially change. Wholesale terms cannot be applied to both the distributor AND the ebook wholesaler (the Blio's, Kobos etc).  The ebook wholesalers have their terms.  For a distributor, a revenue or commission stream is all that one can really hope for.  How is the publisher going to account for that, what will the percentage look like, and will it be enough to sustain the supply chain we've known and loved all these years (yes, that was sarcasm in case you missed it). 

Publishers are trying to hold onto world ebook rights because carving up the digital world is not what many want to do.  Distributor roles are changing and substantially.  Publishers need to keep in mind they have a sales and marketing partner in the ANZ region who performs a core role with placement of product, raising profiles of authors, publicity, service etc.  There are costs associated with these services.  Offer the books on the ebook platforms that bypass that arrangement and don't communicate that to your agent.  Priceless.  Yes, that will make it the year of the ebook for sure.  With consumer demand growing for ebooks and print sales constantly under threat, how many distributors will walk away from the print altogether?  Publishers need to think about their established business relationships and partnerships in this territory - and find some way to blend it all together in a way that grows the business and recognises the important role a distributor plays.  Because look at the fine print of your contracts - to sign up with all these players selling directly to the retailer is no doubt a contractual breach.  Publishers overseas need to take a good hard look at the ebook supply chain, work out how they are going to play with the ebook vendor to retailers, what the role of the sales agent/book distributor is in all of that, and how to carve up that pie.  There's a new business model out there.  What it looks like I don't know.  But I do know: we all need to make it work and it has to count for something.

A fascinating ebook recipe: lessons for the industry as a whole

Every day I trawl the websites and feeds for ebook information and updates.  I've been doing this for a couple of years now so it's pretty much part of my daily process.  Even though Kindle, iPad, Blio, Kobo weren't the subject (goodness the iPad wasn't even released!),  the concept of digitising content, the role of digital aggregators, the possible cannibilisation of print, the future of the book etc etc etc were all there.  Much of the message has remained the same however information flow has intensified.  It's everywhere!  The book is dead.  The book is not dead.  Ebook this.  Ebook that.  This ebook vendor is doing this.  This publisher is doing that.  War.  Peace.  Mediation.  Control.  Loss of control.  Concern.  Interest.  Development.  Future.  You turn your head one way, then you are tossed upside down the next day, and left shaking your head the next.  Everything can change so quickly.  It can be hard to keep up (yes even me!)

Sales stats are coming through, new players are in the market, sales patterns are changing.  Everyone is now at least talking "e".  It's no longer just a game they play in libraries.  It's something the general reader is part of and that means everyone in the book chain has their role to play.  We're all learning, we are educating each other.  But what about those with blinkers on?

I laughed myself stupid when I read this post on the FutureBook site today - because as much as I absorb everything "e", there's so much in this post that is true.  Gareth Cuddy has nailed it in many ways.  For all the progress, the training, the sharing of information, the digitisation that has been going around us, there's still a black hole.

I loved the way he approached the article: "Recipe taken from the Publishing Almanac 2010; Take a handful of wistful nostalgia and mix with a pinch of regret. Work in a fistful of stubbornness - being careful not to look at the actual mixture. Sprinkle uncertainty and doubt on top. Place in financial constraints and pop it in the oven pre-heated to miltonian temperatures. Close your eyes, wait an indefinite amount of time and hope for the best. When ready, the strategy cake should have a firm but uncertain texture accompanied by that new book smell."

Straight away, I could picture the publisher.  I work with many of them day in, day out.  As I read the article, I had multiple flashbacks to meetings with the "die-hards".  Those with blinkers on..

We can't stop this industry from changing.  We live in a digital age.  Students of today are nothing like the students of yesterday.  Reading patterns have changed.  The web changed our life and our expectations.  Consumer demand drives organisations yet many publishers still ignore their customers.  At their peril.

I'm with Gareth: Open up to change and your authors and readers will embrace it. It is the changes you make now both in practice and philosophy that will determine the future of the industry we all love.

Time to act now people.  Give the consumer, the reader, the customer what they want.   It doesn't have to be all about the ebook but over time we'll see those sales patterns changing and the traditional business model for a publisher - bookseller, library supplier, wholesaler - moving with it.  We all have a role to play in the supply chain.  We need to be smart about it.  And we need to change the recipe.  Now.

The ebook experience: one woman’s perspective

How should one interpret ebook sales figures? We're always hearing about growth, growth and growth. Devices are here, there and everywhere. No device? No problem! Here's the software for you, freely available. Go forth and prosper. Yes, we’ve known for years that anyone who has Adobe Reader can read an "ebook". There's also Adobe Digital Editions and in a galaxy not too far away there's Blio. Within ebook library portals you've got the reader that works best for that ebook vendor. Yada Yada. Basically there’s an ebook vendor, reader, system in every corner.

But let us take all of the technology out of the equation. And the library model too. You want to read an ebook. Good for you! You've worked out where you are going to source your titles from, how you're going to read them (yes, I’m speaking about devices not eyes for those of you being smarty pants), but did you ever think about how your buying behaviour was being analysed? Hmmm, ebook sales are growing but are we really surprised?

This blog documents my ebook experience from day one. Not the library portal, industry work I do everyday in my job, but personal reading experiences. Ah yes, I fondly remember loading Adobe Digital Editions and working out ways to download the Sony platform (tricky when it is programmed not to recognise Australia). But we worked it out. The Sony e-reader was sent from the US, other e-readers came my way to assess them for both professional and personal use. It seems like a lifetime ago but it’s only 15 months ago.

This whole blog was about me trying to understand the consumer experience of ebooks. Of course it developed over the time to ebooks in general and my professional experience, but let’s take ourselves back to the beginning of the blog when bestseller lists for ebooks spoke only of Stephenie Meyer. All I knew about her was bestseller, teenage fiction. Should be an easy read, I thought. So Twilight it was. Ah, my first ebook purchase. I remember it fondly. I read on a computer within a few days. It was cheap. It was easy. Click. Download. Read. Next book. Same thing. E-reader arrived. Two more books, click, click, tick, tick. Now, all opinions on my reading tastes aside, I was amazed at how easy it was to read the ebooks. I read both on the laptop and on a device.

I read several ebooks in quick succession. I was eager. I wanted more. I was like a newborn vampire. I needed to feed! So I found myself downloading from every possible site. I used publisher sites, library sites, Gutenberg, Sony. If I saw the words free e-book, I signed up. If I saw e-book bundles or $1.00 books, click click, purchase. I couldn’t help myself.

GOODNESS when I think of what I've done, I just shake my head. Did I ever think about how those purchases would track in figures? No, I just wanted lots of books on my device to read whenever I wanted! So I got to the point of having dozens of physical books in the "to read" pile and dozens more of e-books on the list. Over time I’ve deleted books from the platforms and the Sony e-reader itself but thought I’d take a close look at what’s currently in my Sony portal. Ah yes, my purchases. What have I acquired, predominantly at the US$9.99 or slightly higher price? More importantly what have I actually read?

It didn’t take long to tally up the figures. I read 50% of what I purchased.  Was I surprised? No, not really. I now realise the books I’m buying in ebook format are those I don’t wish to keep. They are to read and discard. The books I love I still purchase in print. I can read them in anywhere I go. There aren’t restrictions like the weather, water, aircraft nuances. I can share them with friends. Granted they are much heavier, but the authors or genres I know I’ll love, I read in print. The ones I'm a little more uncertain about, I purchase in “e”.  The other interesting point, books I love in print, I also acquired in “e”, usually free.  The classics like Wuthering Heights or Pride and Prejudice.  That way I can take them with me everywhere.

But what have I actually read? Unfortunately only half of it.  It was too easy to acquire but unfortunately not to read.  Will I continue to purchase ebooks?  Darn right I will!  I'm just going to be more careful with the "buy now" button and watch those free ebook offers more closely... 

A learning curve for many publishers

How times have changed. I've been having ebook discussions with publishers now for well over seven years. Granted, they are discussions based around the library platform and working with our library customers. Not always a publisher’s favourite type of customer particularly with their requirements. There’s always access issues, pricing models, and various sticking points in any ebook agreement with libraries. What a library wants and what a publisher is willing to offer nearly always varies - and varies dramatically in some instances. As a leading trade publisher said to me, I'm currently selling 30 copies of this book to this library consortium. You think I'm prepared to sell one for the same price but have 30 people access it all at the same time? I don't think so.

But taking libraries out of the equation, ebook discussions with publishers are now very very different to seven years ago. They are listening more. They are engaging more. However if you listen really closely, the verbs they use often sound the same. You get used to listening for the "doing words". When discussing ebooks – whether for direct to consumer, retail or library models – I am still hearing the words like "daunting", "challenging" and phrases like "experimenting with ebooks" or "experimenting with a variety of business models". There’s nothing definite about ebooks. Everyone is looking at this in a slightly different way. The one thing they have in common – is that they are now looking at them. And taking them seriously.

In many ways, Amazon paved the way. Took over the US ebook market and then released The Kindle to the rest of world. There was a surge of interest when the Kindle came to Australia. But I’m putting it down to Apple and the consumer response to the iPad that pushed publishers further. After years and years, ebooks were at the top of their “to do” list. Finally! Everyone’s thinking of them, everyone’s talking about them. The world has gone “e” mad. We’ve got Kindles, Apples, Sonys, Kobo, Blio, Google Books. And no doubt more on the horizon.

We finally have Digital Directors on board with many trade and academic publishers locally. If not, there’s an ebook project manager. When you talk about ebook production, you have people on board who know what you are talking about. If you start talking about DADs, publishers here are aware of their options. There’s only a few names that crop up but I can’t begin to tell you how relieved I am that when you mention DADs to a publisher, they now know what the hell you are talking about (Digital Asset Distributor).

The publishing environment is learning. We're moving on – still slowly when you’ve been talking “e” as long as I have. But it’s moving, and I’m grateful. And while content has been predominantly backlist, many publishers are working on simultaneous release. Ebooks are becoming part of the production process. Publishers have concentrated on digitising their core content. It's been a learning curve for many publishers. File format has been a subject of interest and everyone is learning as they go along. Publishers are thinking about hardcover, trade paperback, paper and e. They are getting content management systems in place, contract negotiations are moving along, ebook vendors are part of the supply chain, and publishers are looking at the digital world in a different light.

But there are still concerns. Imported titles are top of the list. Where do they stand in the “e” world and how are local publishers being compensated for sales generated in the ANZ market. There are more discussions to be had and much to learn along the way.

The impact of the agency model

Much has been said about Apple's agency model and the impact on ebook pricing. Look at what happened with the Macmillan/Amazon clash a few weeks ago. Macmillan wanted to change it's trading terms with it's largest customer and move towards the so called "agency model" for ebooks. The feud between supplier and customer received an amazing amount of publicity in general, trade and business media. I read much for and against each party in the altercation. Both sides had their supporters. There were Amazon loyalists (and by God they are a loyal bunch!) And there was the publishing and bookselling community who was glad to see someone taking back some of the power they shouldn't have given away to their largest customer in the first place. Granted, ebooks wouldn't be where they are today without Amazon firing up the Kindle. And I shouldn't really think of them as a customer. They play so many roles that my head spins with what Amazon controls - afterall, they are the supply chain leader, printer, publisher, ebook influencer, visionary. I could ramble on but today's blog is actually sharing the letter that Sony e-reader customers received today:


Dear Reader Store Customer,

The publishing industry is turning a page and so are we.

Beginning April 1st some major publishers will be instituting a change in the pricing of eBooks, which puts decisions on eBook pricing firmly in their hands. As a result, prices of bestsellers and new releases from these publishers will be changing on the Reader Store, and during the transition time, some titles may be unavailable. Although most of these eBooks will be priced from about $12.99 to 14.99, there will not be a broad pricing change across the Reader Store. In fact, new releases and bestsellers from other publishers will still be priced at $9.99.

Starting a new chapter can be a good thing. With this change, you may see more of your favorite books available in eBook format at the same time they’re released in print. Book lovers like you are driving a revolution in digital reading and the Reader Store is committed to providing you access to the widest selection of digital reading content. Since its inception in September 2006, Sony’s Reader Store has introduced a wide offering of new releases, bestselling eBook titles and newspapers. Today it features access to more than one million titles and links to borrow eBooks from local libraries nationwide.


Must say, loved the reference to "turning a page"!!!

Will be interesting to see if there is a backlash. I don't think there will be one although the $9.99 price point has been a brilliant introduction to ebooks. Now we're reading them, I doubt a few more dollars will make any difference whatsoever. Your thoughts?

Bring on the Blio

So Baker & Taylor has the next big thing in ebooks according to some industry experts. Blio was unveiled at the Consumer Electronics show in Las Vegas and what's special about this e-reading platform is its "true-to-print display". The software is free and will be out in February to most internet-enabled devices. At this stage we don't know about rights restrictions or territorial issues. When Sony updated their portal recently you had to state your country and there were only a couple of choices... as we know, Australia did not rate a mention as technically it's not on offer here. But I digress...

Blio is a software platform designed for computers, laptops, tablets, and mobiles. It displays books as PDFs in exactly the same layout and design as they appear in print. Because color is preserved, the software may be an especially good choice for illustrated books. This will be nice! Other features include:

* Open your book in 3D “book view” for realistic page turning
* “Text-only” mode for optimal display on small screens
* Display dual pages, or tile multiple pages
* Enlarge text without distortion
* Enjoy a full color, high-resolution display

Blio is a partnership with Baker & Taylor (yes, for those of you who know where I work, that's our new owners folks!). I'll start working my way through the B&T ebook world and see what I can find out. I'm particularly interested to see about library licensing but from the looks of the blio website it's not a library model...at this stage. I still have the words of the CEO of one of the world's largest trade houses ringing in my ear that he is anti-libraries having ebook access to any of his titles but last time I checked, he had them listed with Overdrive which has been already integrated into major libraries here including Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sutherland, Yarra Plenty etc. But yes, I digress yet again.

The Blio platform will have some 50,000 titles available when the product is launched. B&T has suggested they will contribute some 180,000 titles in due course.

Will be interesting to see where the Blio takes us....!!!

The rise and rise of Amazon: prepare for the battle

In the past few days several US publishers have announced they will be delaying the release of e-book versions of major releases. So what does Amazon do? Well, instead of selling for the already loss-leading price of US$9.99, let's take it even lower to $7.99!!! Let's show the publishers exactly who is in charge of this ebook market. Let's offer Under the Dome by Stephen King and Going Rogue by Sarah Palin for $7.99. The hardcover for the latter is listed on Amazon as US$28.99 slashed 50% to US$14.50. Slash it by half again if you want the ebook. Bestsellers are being slashed - Stephenie Meyer's first two Twilight books for US$4.25, Stieg Larsson's The Girl Who Played with Fire at US$7.99. Slash Slash and Slash again.

What happens next? Well surprise surprise, Barnes and Noble cut their ebook prices to match. I'm now waiting to see what Sony does. They've already admitted the US$9.99 price is NOT PROFITABLE. You can read the full article here. Yet I'm taking bets as to when they'll slash their prices! Any takers?

But back to the giant that is Amazon. I know some publishers are trying to wrestle control away from them so they can control their own ebook destinies. Can't everyone see these price points are DEVALUING the product and the whole reading experience? And what about profitability folks? It's already fragile in the bookselling and publishing industry.

It's no use discussing what percentage Amazon, Sony, Scribd etc take on ebook sales. We already know Amazon is using their pricing strategies to make the Kindle the ereader of choice, to build market share and customer loyalty. Sony has pretty much admited the same. They invest in the technology, they need people to buy it.

While publishers benefit from the lower ebook prices in the short term (through higher sales), according to Mike Shatzkin they "don't trust Amazon to keep things that way. From their perspective, Amazon is building a consumer expectation of an under-$10 price point while they are building up their audience of captive Kindle consumers. How long can it be, publishers figure, before Amazon says 'sorry, now you have to sell me these for under ten dollars?'" Mike also shared his thoughts on the possible war over the issue, including publishers not supplying or selling e-books through Amazon, Amazon suppressing the sale of their printed books, and more.

So when and where will the battle lines be drawn? It's a'comin, folks. Wait and see...

Read Without Paper

Yes folks, DA has finally launched their ebook website - www.readwithoutpaper.com - partnering with OverDrive in the US. I was already aware OverDrive had approached Australian publishers for content but there's only a handful who are in a position to provide at present - but it's a-changing world as we know.

I've gone into the Read Without Paper site to assess their offer and structure. Lots of foreign language, PDFs and audio downloads. I just want to see the EPUB titles available. (PDFs are crap to read on the Sony e-reader.) And I really don't want to see all the foreign language materials. There should be a view you select up front so you can see the titles that are relevant to you.

In many ways I'm disappointed this isn't a uniquely Australian venture and wonder how local publishers feel about overseas original publications being sold now as ebooks. Yes that might sound hypocritical as I've been getting my ebook content elsewhere but I genuinely want to see a truly local offer - even if it is through someone like DA! :)

Some major publishers here have told me they don't believe there is an ebook market. Some of these discussions have taken place in the last six months so I'm not talking about two or three years ago. We are talking major trade houses here and while the e-readers aren't yet taking off in this market, the day will come where people want more choice and read on whatever device takes their fancy. Many people are waiting for that rumoured iTablet from Apple. That's if they aren't already reading on their iPhone or some other device.

Don't get me wrong - I'm all for the book. The old fashioned one that is. But I read on an e-reader as well. All fiction titles. I pick them up cheaply or free from Gutenberg. I'm more than happy to pay US 9.99 through Sony for a latest release in certain genres but I'm still buying most books in the traditional format. I like to collect and I like to share. There's something personal about the book and flicking through the pages, dog-eared and all.

But back to the Australian ebook market where rumours and confusion reign supreme. Start-up companies are approaching publishers left right and centre. All after the ebook dollar. I feel a little sorry for the local publishers that are only now looking at their digital strategies, having left them to US and UK head offices.

Read Without Paper is a start but I wish it was a truly Australian venture. Will I order ebooks through them? So far, they haven't got anything that I want but I will keep you posted on anything I order through them and how the process goes.

A day in the life of an ebook reader

I've just finished an ebook (purchased locally surprise surprise) of The Book Thief. What a remarkable book. Will go down as one of the best I've ever read.

I've been laughing at myself lately because I either forget to charge the Sony ereader, or I don't turn it off properly, and then of course there are the problems with the device when I use the backlight (which chews up the battery). Trust me, I made sure I kept the battery strong for this book as I didn't want to get to a critical point and have a battery warning! There's nothing worse than wanting to read and not having the battery charge to do so...

It made me think about school students. I've heard many stories about (mainly private) schools wanting to have content on ereaders for their students but being rejected by publishers who either don't have the content digitised, don't want to participate, or just don't want to provide it for other reasons (piracy? who knows...). Anyway, I don't know about you, but my experience with teenagers in particular suggests they will lose their ereader, misplace it, forget to charge it etc. I can just imagine the teacher saying everyone turn to page 10 and some people have it on large font, some on small, so the page number is irrelevant. Then hearing cries from several students "miss, my battery is dead, I can't read it". Hysterical!

Of course they could always lose the print copy but you don't have battery issues with the traditional format. You don't risk damaging the whole device if you spill liquid on it. You can take it in the bath. You can read it throughout the flight (there's no "switching off all electronic devices" for the takeoff and landing period). The beauty of an ereader is storage and taking choice with you wherever you go.

Oh and further to my previous post, I had the ereader out and about with me yesterday - in a cafe and in a hairdresser. Only men asked me whether it was a Kindle. All older men - as previously identified - and all had lots of questions about it. Most women glance at it and it really does challenge their opinions. I think there's been half for and half against todate. Most add "I really hope the printed book doesn't die though". Me too folks, me too.

And here comes The Kindle

Amazon has finally announced its Kindle ereader is available to customers outside the US including Australia. For US$279 you can order your Kindle and they'll ship it to you from 19 October. I imagine there won't be a lot of Australian content available for us, as local publishers have been relatively slow to get behind ebooks. Allen & Unwin and Pan Macmillan are two notable exceptions thanks to Elizabeth Weiss and Victoria Nash respectively. These two publishing leaders continue to promote the digital agenda and I don't know what the local industry would do without them!

Mind you, I had to laugh when I read that Don Grover, CEO of Dymocks, spoke about the take-up of devices being driven by content. They were the first retailer to get on the ebook bandwagon (we library suppliers having gotten on it some years back...). But now the ebook kiosk at Dymocks tells a sad, sorry tale. Dismantled and hidden away at the back of the store, it failed to attract a wider audience. Of course it would! If you want to buy an ebook you don't need to go into a bricks and mortar bookshop. That's the beauty of it! Hop online and a few clicks of the button later you have your content. Also, apparently Dymocks sold thousands of Iliads. Ahem. Thousands? A contact at the distributor advised the real figure was much less but don't let us stop you upselling the demand and promoting the uptake of ereaders! We all know it's the future so get your e-reader today folks. Of course you can't get much content but hey, here's a device that you'll enjoy carrying around with you!

And then, of course, there was this beauty from Don: ‘We're finding consumers like the wide screen of a laptop computer instead', he said. No kidding! Didn't we see that all along? Ereaders are great but at the end of the day readers will read on whatever device they use the most - their phone, their laptop, their ereader. Dymocks started the ball rolling but I really do hate to see them drop it.

And for those who have been following this blog: for the record, I'm still reading printed books! However I've got plenty of content (mainly US sourced) on the Sony e-reader. This is the first year I will be taking the device with me to the Frankfurt Book Fair and I must say I'm excited and nervous at the same time. Excited because there's around 46 books currently on the reader, including Audrey Niffenegger's new one Her Fearful Symmetry and nervous in case I have trouble charging the bugger and find I have nothing to read but German magazines I'll pick up while I'm there. My German's good, but not that good!

Oh, and before I sign off this post - perhaps in the months ahead people will stop asking me "oh is that a Kindle" every time I take out the e-reader. No it's bloody not a Kindle. It's a SONY!