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!

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.

Pricing ebooks in the Australian market: what's going on?

As you know, I spend a lot of time talking "e" - trends, devices, digital content, retail, library and wholesale models - but what I'm really having problems with in the local market is PRICING.  Professional seminars often encourage publishers to set the ebook price as the same as the cheapest print edition.  So if the first edition is the trade paperback at $32.95, the ebook is the same.  When the mass market paperback comes out at say $18.95, lo and behold the ebook price comes down too.  Some publishers have said they are bucking this trend and all ebooks will be cheaper - at least 10%.  I even hear reports that the ebook will dearer.  And others that say the $9.99 price point cracked it so that's what they are looking at. 

I remember when we first launched Etitle in 2002 and an academic publisher wanted to get involved but they wanted to set premium prices for the texts they placed.  Their model was the price of the book plus $40.00.  The next publisher was the price of their book plus 10% minus our trading terms.  The next publisher came in at different trading terms altogether.  Nothing was easy.  And that was THEN!  It hasn't improved because each publisher has a different philosophy and a different mindset about the ebook market.  Educational publishers look at it one way, reference and professional publishers another.  If a publisher primarily released works for library consumption, it was easier to manage the transition (she says with hindsight).  They had to provide both formats and give the libraries what they wanted or no sale. 

Now I have no problem with an academic or reference book being the same price as the print.  There is a lot of development work and the content has educational value.   They are also higher priced items and they usually have a three year minimum lifespan. I have issues when publishers price their site licenses out of the market and then wonder why sales drop but that's a discussion for another day...

I fully support publishers charging more for enhanced e-books.  If the product has more bells and whistles than a standard ebook (and by default the printed book), then the publisher has produced a superior product.  Why should they not recover the costs of multimedia elements - videos, quizzes, links to webs etc.? That sounds perfectly reasonable to me both professionally and privately.  Publishers will need to get their pricing right between a normal ebook and an enhanced one, although I'm getting ahead of myself.  A lot of Australian publishers are still working on a "normal" ebook.  I'll do a Ramble on enhanced books in the future..

Back to pricing.  If we take higher priced scholarly, reference and academic works out of the equation, we are left with trade titles.  As a consumer what has encouraged me to buy more books (as you know from my last post that doesn't always translate into "read more books"!) is the price point.  A price point of US$9.99 to $12.99 for a trade title is a trigger point. If the book sounds interesting and it's a genre I like, there's usually not a lot of time between reading the blurb and pressing the "buy now" or "download now" button.  This works really well for authors I don't know.  It also works for authors who set their work in a place and time I love e.g. Florence in the 16th Century but I may find the author a little dull (Sarah Dunant comes to mind).  At that ebook price point (anywhere under A$15.00) I'll still buy their works and read them, but I don't want to keep the book.  It's a read now and throw away item (not that you necessarily do that on an e-reader but you take my point)  I believe my price point threshold is A$15.00.  Price it under that, make it easy to buy, and voila,  it's a sale the publisher wouldn't have had before and one they wouldn't have had in print at the $32.99+ price point. 

And as for award-winning, highly regarded books - like Markus Zusak's The Book Thief - I will pay up to AUD $20.00 to read the ebook.  However this is where the trend changes.  In my case the publisher benefited TWICE - they got the "e" first and then the "p".  Why?  Because I wanted to read the other anytime and not have to worry about battery life or where my e-reader was at that precise moment in time.  It's on the shelf.  I grab it. I may want to share it.  Recommend it.  Read it again (it's an extraordinary book).  Somewhere down the line additional sales result - they've got the "e", "p" and hopefully sales from friends who realise what an incredible work it is.

We are already confused with setting the "retail" price of the book.  Wholesaler discounts are another kettle of fish altogether.  I had a discussion only recently with a publisher who couldn't fathom giving anything more than 40% to a wholesaler of ebooks.  Last time I checked, said publisher was offering upwards of 47.5% discount to the chains and grappling with massive returns.  (Alas my Ramble is not on the broader book trade here in Australia otherwise this would really open another can of worms!). 

Your e-book sale is firm sale.  Is it not?  I haven't yet heard of someone wanting to return an e-book.  And yes, our supply chain for ebooks is a long way from being organised and stable.  When it comes to selling ebooks to consumers or via a wholesaler like Kobo or Baker & Taylor for their fabulous Blio product *, there are a lot of costs in the supply chain that need to be factored in.  Technology is not cheap, security is a major issue.  At the Digital Symposium one publisher leaned over to me and said "did you hear what I just heard?  No one is making any money out of ebooks. We're all investing though."

Yes, but sell your content at the right price.  Encourage purchases don't divert them elsewhere.  Get your ebook rights.  Get the supply chain happening and work with those people who know what they are doing.  You can't afford not to. 

Then again, after reading PubDate Critical recently we may all have second thoughts about this digital revolution?  Or that publisher at the Digital Symposium was right.  We're not making money out of it.  Everyone in the trade is going through this.  We've seen the shift to "e" in library supply.  And how do we make it work?  We are incredibly focused on our customer.  At the end of the day, without them we don't exist.

Peter said it beautifully: The central tenet is to be aggressively and remorselessly customer-centric. That is hard for any business, for any industry, but it is the only way to break through into the future.

Just remember there are customers at every step of the supply chain.  And get your pricing right.




* I should add I work for a B&T company and I love the Blio product :)

The Andrew Wylie Debate

I've been reading all the news articles about the Andrew Wylie deal with Amazon and thought I'd throw my two cents into the ring. Firstly, for those of you who aren't up to speed, agent Andrew Wylie has bypassed the traditional supply chain (in this case publishers) and signed over digital rights for some 20 books to a two year EXCLUSIVE deal with Amazon. Authors wrapped up in the arrangement include Salman Rushdie, Martin Amis and John Updike. I understand they are backlist titles but would be happy to be corrected on this.

Random House is furious and other publishers have released statements. According to The Guardian, Random declared Wylie a "direct competitor" and ruled out "entering into any new English-language business agreements with the Wylie Agency until this situation is resolved". The Guardian article is pretty good so here's the link.

Am I surprised? As an observer of the publishing industry: Not at all. Ebook royalty rates have been debated left right and centre. The agency model attributed to Apple is also a hot topic. Everyone's looking at the ebook pie and trying to carve it up. In the digital world, publishers don't have the control they used to. The barriers to entry have come down. With "e" and Print on Demand, the landscape has changed, and publishers have been examining their role and what they bring to the table so closely they must be getting eyestrain.

Of course his Wylie arrangement is all about the dollars. By going with the industry leader (Amazon's Kindle) as the ebook device and vendor of choice (not mine I might add) they believe a direct arrangement with Amazon - bypassing the publisher of the printed work (who has assumed ebook rights)- is going to yield a much better return for the authors.

Am I surprised? As a consumer: bloody oath! Why should I be locked out of purchasing the titles concerned because I don't own a friggin' Kindle!?

When publishers speak about ebooks they speak about non-exclusive arrangements and getting the content into all devices, platforms and work into the ebook supply chain. You give the consumer the choice and the power to choose what works for them. That's the handshake arrangement. The honour system. Who is Andrew Wylie to say I can't have access to these ebooks unless I purchase a Kindle? And Amazon is probably grinning from ear to ear, but I'm not impressed at all. Shame Amazon. You think it's a leadership position but you've just lost my vote. You have championed the consumer in the e and p world. And I don't mind if you get them earlier and have some competitive edge, but I'm disgusted you've done the deal.

I guess it's lucky for all I don't like these authors. Then again, the beauty of ebooks is that I pick books I haven't read previously, give the author or the genre a go. A quick, cost effective read that may turn into a life-long love. Who knows? I guess with Rushdie, Upton et al, it's not going to happen now for their backlist titles. I'm not going to buy a Kindle just to read them electronically. And I can't see me looking out for the print now. Your names will trigger a reaction in future. And it's not a nice one.

The Andrew Wylie/Amazon deal is just another example to highlight everything we thought about the publishing and bookselling supply chain is wrong. This digital world is not straightforward. It's turning everything on it's head. How it will all end up? Who knows. Am I surprised? No. We've seen it coming. Normally I'd say pick yourself up and dust yourself off, get back on that horse. But in this digital, greedy world. I'm not sure what direction we are heading.

Is there any other news today?

It's been several weeks since I put up something new on this blog. Back then I was rambling about new ebooks not really being new, but new in e. Today there is no ramble. In fact, there's really no other news today. Other than the one story. Yes folks, it's all about Apple. The iPad finally went on sale here in Australia. At one point today the top 5 stories on the SMH website were all iPad related. Facebook friends are putting news of their iPad purchase in their status for all to see and comment. Industry colleagues have rung today to see if I had one and what did I think. And one of our sales representatives popped into my office and asked "big day today, where is it?". Lo and behold I will disappoint you all. I haven't got one. Mind you, I haven't got one on order either. I'm still reading on the plain old Sony e-reader. How dull it looks now in comparison. Look what else is out there. Colour, magic, Apple. It's a new world. So what's wrong with me? Does this mean I'm an alien? Afterall I'm still reading p-books. Yes, you remember. Books. Printed books. After a year of reading ebooks I've decided I actually prefer to read the physical book. Yes it's heavier, but the batteries don't die out, I can read it in direct sunlight, I can read it for the full time on a domestic flight, and of course I can read it in the bath without fear I'm going to drop it and waste hundreds (if not thousands!) of electronic purchases stored on the device. (OK, they are backed up, but let's not go there today). But then I haven't got an iPad. Would my world change dramatically if I had one? Or would it eventually be treated as yet another device. Another gadget. I don't know. But I do know one thing. Congratulations are in order to Apple for making the iPad a subject on most people's tongues. Regardless of age, just about everyone knows about the brand and their new product. Congrats to Apple for creating such extraordinary demand for their devices. The publicity, the promotion, the marketing, the commentary. Apple didn't really have to put a lot of materials out there. And I had to laugh when my email came through today that had the simple heading of "iPad is here". They really didn't need to do much more than that. So today was iPad day here in Australia. I expect it to dominate conversations for the foreseeable future. And I will think about my alien status and the changed world of today...

A new e-book isn’t always new

As a library supplier, we have faced this issue since we started selling ebooks years ago. Libraries wanted to know about all new ebooks. But many publishers are digitising the backlist first then releasing as “new” in e-format. It has tricked many of us particularly when the pub date is a current one but the original book was published in 1989. There are a small percentage of publishers that publish e and p simultaneously. They know their market and the preference for libraries to purchase in the format of their choosing. But when we work off publication dates and publisher metadata, when it comes to e - what exactly is a new title?

It’s something that I’ve discussed professionally (a “new release” in ebook format is separate to new in e) but privately I experienced it for the first time recently. I usually scan ebook sites for “new” titles. On the Sony site I sort by date and then pick something that will suit my ebook reading nature. By that I mean, something I can read, hopefully enjoy, satisfied I will only want a digital file (not a “keeper” or an author that I would like to collect their physical works on our wonderful floor to ceiling book case at home) and something that I’m unlikely to want to share with friends – afterall you can’t lend the ebook to someone!

Separate to the explanations to customers over the years as a consumer I must say I felt absolutely ripped off when the new book I purchased on the Sony ebook portal A Favorite of the Queen: The Story of Lord Robert Dudley and Elizabeth I published on 1st March 2010 was most definitely NOT published this year in it’s physical form. The book was originally published under the title Gay Lord Robert (not surprising they changed that title as the word “gay” took on a different meaning over the years!) and the imprint page on the ebook clearly showed the book was published in 1971. That explains the poor editing and uninspiring writing!

Where did it say in any of the metadata, “originally published in X”, “reissued in ebook format”, “introducing this work to today’s e-reading generation”. Something that gave me an indication the book was old. And not one or two years old, but 40 friggin years. Forgive me for never having read Jean Plaidy before but surely publishers and ebook vendors need to take some responsibility here. Perhaps there should be two dates available to ereaders – originally published in and released in ebook format in …

I can’t begin to tell you how disappointed I am. Reissues are not new releases, new in e is not a new title. At least when trade houses release ebooks three months later (for those that believe that is a suitable time frame – I’m most definitely not one of them) the book is still in our minds. It is still the same year. None of this 40 year time span.

Of course my preference would be simultaneous. If I want to collect, share and treasure I will buy the print over e. But for other books I want to read the ebook.

Publishers, ebook vendors, everyone who is interested in the digital world, please note as as a consumer I'M NOT HAPPY – publisher metadata and the blurb itself should have given something away. A trigger point as such. For the record this is what is listed:

Torn between her heart's passion and duty to her kingdom, a young queen makes a dark choice...

Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester was the most powerful man in England during the reign of Elizabeth I. Handsome and clever, he drew the interest of many women--but it was Elizabeth herself that loved him best of all. Their relationship could have culminated in marriage but for the existence of Amy Robsart, Robert's tragic young wife, who stood between them and refused to be swept away to satisfy a monarch's desire for a man that was not rightfully her own. But when Amy suddenly dies, under circumstances that many deem to be mysterious at best, the Queen and her lover are placed under a dark cloud of suspicion, and Elizabeth is forced to make a choice that will define her legacy.

The metadata shows:

• Published by: Three Rivers Press
• Publish Date: March 01, 2010
• Print ISBN: 0307346234
• Filesize: 2.60 MB

And the author info (on a separate tab)

JEAN PLAIDY is the pen name of the prolific English author Eleanor Hibbert, also known as Victoria Holt. More than 14 million copies of her books have been sold worldwide. Visit www.CrownHistorical.com to learn about the other Jean Plaidy titles available from Three Rivers Press.

When it comes to Tudor history I’m loyal to Alison Weir, Alison Plowden, Antonia Fraser, Margaret George, Philippa Gregory and if pressed I might just throw David Starkey into the mix. I shouldn't have tried something new. Sorry old. New only in a format. Anyway, I clicked away because I thought it was new, the publisher got the sale. But live and learn folks, live and learn....

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?

Trying to get a piece of the ebook pie

OK. I've worked in this publishing industry for some 20 years now and the past seven years in library supply, I've worked with thousands if not tens of thousands of publishers and suppliers. We have to have a business relationship with every possible vendor as our library customers expect it. We are here to service our customer's needs and meet all their collection development requirements. From new title alerts to promotional material to books on profile to shelf ready services, we have to provide the full mix. The full kit and caboodle as you can imagine.

As the country's leading supplier to academic and public libraries, we are used to working with publishers and suppliers of all different philosophies, business models, customer service principles, business etiquette, professionalism, organisational efficiency. You name it, we know the ins and outs of our purchasing partners. We know what makes them tick. What they do well, what they don't.

Then along comes ebook vendors. A different model. We've worked out the library workflows and watch the dollars transfer from print to e (as you would know if you saw my presentation at the Digital Symposium recently - see last post for full text of my talk). But library ebooks are one channel. Ebook vendors targeting the direct user - either with (or without) a bookselling partner - seem to be coming out the woodwork. Every day there's a new one "getting into" ebooks. Is it my imagination because are they all starting to look and feel the same?! We have Kobo in one corner (great talk at the Symposium BTW Michael!). We've got Blio in another but of course they're not interested in getting content from Ingram Digital because of fierce competition and will go direct where possible to publishers for ebook content. We've got the mighty Amazon, Sony, and of course Google. There's Overdrive who power various booksellers sites as well as the Australian readwithoutpaper.com There's ebooks.com Now O'Reilly is getting in on the act! And so on and so forth.

Ebook vendors launch with all their marketing spin and "bells and whistles". But put them all together, stir them up a bit, and what do they really offer that's different for the end user? With all the larger players, the interface looks pretty similar, the ordering process is usually a few easy clicks, the content isn't remarkable - if it's in ebook format, it's usually there. How do you stand out? If you are an ebook vendor what attracts your customers to you above everyone else?

If you're Amazon, you got in early and got marketshare. You've got millions of loyal customers. Fiercely loyal. You've got the data, the purchasing history, and the clout. And if you're Apple? You've got something everyone has on their wishlist - the iPad. But how are you going to distinguish yourself with ebooks? How are you going to think and act like a bookseller, like a publisher? Amazon's being doing it for years. Apart from already having millions of customers ready and waiting, what are you going to offer that is different to everyone else?

For example, when I think about ebooks, marketing and distribution, I know what I want from my ebook supplier. As an individual who reads ebooks, I can tell you I want a superior browsing service, I want to be able to find titles of interest quickly, clicks to relevant genres, my favourite authors, click click click. I want to see an image, a good description, recommendations, information about the author, and possibly a preview. Has the book won awards? Does the ebook vendor really know books? Can they get the metadata and the target marketing down to a fine art. They have the technology and the customer demand for the e-reading experience. They won't last if they don't get the customer experience right. But when everything starts looking and feeling the same, will we ever get to know them inside out and back to front? I don't think so.... the game has moved on.

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...

A Supply Chain Perspective on ebooks

For the last five years or so, I've attended the International Supply Chain Meeting at the Frankfurt Book Fair. I thoroughly enjoyed the presentation from Peter Kilborn (BIC: Book Industry Communication) on "The Limits of Technology".

Here's just some of the highlights:

"E-book readers will be introduced in the UK later this year, and have already proved popular with American users. From the Barnes & Noble web site, user comments include: ‘I don’t know how I got along without it’, ‘I will never go back to paper again; the future has arrived and it’s great.’"
(The Bookseller, June 2000)

"Simon & Schuster US has unveiled its first ebooks list. It is the latest in a tide of publishers to enter the US e-book market, which is believed to be on the point of explosion"
(The Bookseller, December 2000)

Yes those dates are not a misprint. He was speaking about how slow the industry is to react and how we respond to change overall. We all know e-books are getting A LOT of coverage, but let's try and keep a few things in perspective.

Kelly Gallagher from Bowker also did an interesting presentation on e-book sales. I'm assuming his figures were for the US but in 2008 e-books accounted for 1.5% of all book sales. In the first half of 2009, this went up to 2.2%. Another interesting stat was that for buyers over 50 years of age, e-books are growing at 183%. Sony e-book readers have an average age of 49.8, Kindle 48.9, PDAs 28.0 and the iPhone 37.9. Device presentation was also interesting - 40% were pure downloads to computer. 26.8% were via the Kindle, 13% from iPhone, 6.4% from the Sony e-reader. So beyond computer downloads, Kindle has the market share.

Thought the feedback from the meeting would enhance this blog and will continue to monitor industry alerts for interesting stats and quotes about this growing - and fascinating - market segment.