Future of publishing? Konrath mentioned in Nathan Bransford blog

[meg_evonne]

http://feeds.feedburner.com/NathanBransford

Nathan Bransford blogs on e-publishing phenomenon.  What are your thoughts?
The poll was just a way to see what the total votes might look like.

[OZ]

I put that e-publishing will remain a poor cousin but that's only short term. Eventually I think we will see e-publishing take over the majority of the market. How big a majority I wouldn't even try to guess. I still prefer the feeling and even the smell of a good book. My friends are starting to wear me down though. They keep telling me how easy it is to pack their electronic readers on trips. ( I'm the nerd that went on a cruise and spent about a third of the time in my room reading the books that I found in a used bookshop on an early stop and which filled half my suitcase. ) They also point out as you did that it's a cheaper way to try out new authors. I may eventually switch to the e-readers for books that I don't care much about and still buying the hardbacks of the authors that I love.

[LizW65]

While they well may be the future of publishing, I personally have no interest in purchasing an e-reader until the price goes way down--under $50.00--and all the various devices are compatible with one another.  For now, I just can't see investing $150+ on a piece of technology that will likely be on its way out in six months, when I have ink and paper books that are over 100 years old, and guess what?  They still work.

One aspect of e-readers that does appeal to me is that many seem to come fully loaded with public domain classics I've never got around to reading, and having them available would likely inspire me to start.

[meg_evonne]

More fodder to munch on: http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2011/03/further-thoughts-on-kindle-millionaires.html

on the classics? try downloading an app called Laputa. it has all the old classics and it's all free--reader and book. 

[Starbeam]

I have a Kindle, and I've bought maybe 200 books for it in the two years that I've had it.  As much as I love it, I still buy more books at the store than on the Kindle.  I usually managed to spend at least $150 at Borders every month.  This will likely change once the store closes, and part of that was spent in the cafe, but the majority on hardbacks that I just don't buy in ebook, or in addition to the ebook. 

Main reason I have my Kindle is for traveling, reading during lunch, and because buying books takes up way too much space.  Which hasn't stopped me from buying the books, just made me buy them at a slower pace, at least until my Borders was put on the closing list.

Ebooks might very well be where publishing is headed, but it's going slowly.  Right now, physical books still sell more than digital.

[Piotr1600]

In the mid- to long-term, I can easily see the paper and e-markets inverting.
Especially if many other authors soon manage to start making serious money in e-press.

There will *always* be at least some demand for print books. As works of the printers art, appreciated for the sensory experience if nothing else.

But, if you want to look at whats going to happen in publishing, I think that the music industry is a potentially *very* accurate model of things to come.
The industry has changed very considerably even in the last 10 years, much less the past 50.

[meg_evonne]

I agree piotr. I've also heard that e-publishing is best for authors who have a large body of work already out there and not for debut single hits.  In other-words there is the chance for multiple sales.

I hope my Borders doesn't close. It's the only bookstore in my college community! If it does, then I'm really going to get serious on Kindle--out of necessity.