With news of the iPad reaching fever pitch, I've been gadget watching, observing commuters and their reading. Today it was paperbacks nil, iPhones 3 (these were games – Poker, Peggle etc – not books), and eReaders 1 (held aloft on the down escalator at London's Liverpool Street).
My journey into work is mercifully brief but nonetheless I am seeing habits in transition. The eBook reader as travelling companion can work, thanks to long battery life, multiple titles and pageturning with one hand.
So as an author, do you need to concern yourself with eBooks and eReaders, what they are and what they do, and how to write the perfect e-seller?
The buzz around Apple's long-awaited unveiling of its tablet computer, the iPad, is that it feels good and is a serious contender. Earlier this month the Consumer Electronics Show 2010 - the tech analyst’s barometer of what’s to come - had an astonishing number of eReaders on display, with even manufacturers best known for other categories of electronics wading into the mix. Samsung conjured up 4 models of eReader.
There’s a lot out there, a lot riding on what’s out there, and yet, so much is frustratingly uncertain. eReaders haven’t followed normal segmentation patterns; they're not your average gadget for guys. Consumers of eReaders are "more likely to be female" and "less tech optimistic", according to Forrester Research.
I find the argument that eReaders convert existing readers persuasive, and agree that the biggest new audience will in all likelihood be increasingly met elsewhere, by the iPad, smartphones and book apps such as Stanza. For the industry there's a new world beyond the physical devices, a world of new revenue models that might challenge Amazon.
As an author you'd do well to keep an eye on developments. An informed author is usually the best at tapping into emerging markets and landing an agent/deal. However there is no simple equation which will lead you to digital success. Do your research but be mindful that times are changing and things might not be quite what they seem.
The New York Times recently reported that Kindle ebook charts ignore price, so what is billed as a ‘bestseller’ might actually have been given away for free as a promotion (see Amazon Bestsellers in Kindle Store). It's just one example of how traditional publishing models (everything from tracking sales to production to copyright) are in a state of flux.
For a moment I'd like you to be a futurologist. My question to you is, how will readers interact with your book/s five years from now: on the iPad, eReaders, smartphones, or via simple old-fashioned print?
Interesting stuff, although my reading habits may cause "Health & Safety" concerns as I always read for 10 minutes in the bath in the morning. A damp paperback is normally retrievable, not sure I could do the same with an e-book.
Similarly, would the Marmite stains wipe off ok after breakfast, and on holiday, what kind of impact do the midday sun, seawater, and suntan lotion have. It frequently makes me smile when I look at paperbacks I've previously read on holiday and see this acceptable collateral damage. It has the added value of reminding me of those superbly serene and relaxing moments, enjoying a good read under the Mediterranean sun. Ignore me, I'm a luddite!
Cressida,
I say, go for it. eBook readers are really good if all you want to do is read. And you can always add 'fragrance of real book' with this smell spray?!