Once again, the newswires are alive with the buzz of ebook news siting the recent announcement by Amazon of their intended ebook reader as the next (and perhaps last) chance for ebooks to really hit the mainstream.
It will be called ‘Kindle’ and it will run you between $400 and $500 to begin with – and once again, the world will wait to see if ebooks become a mainstream replacement for paper distribution….
Wait!!
Let’s try and bring some sense into this long-debated madness!
First, the experience of reading a paper book will NEVER be replaced completely.
Second, the argument for electronic delivery of information versus books is, for the consumer, an argument of immediacy, desire and demand. If they really want it AND they are exposed to the product online that they can dowload right away – then most will.
In that sense, publishers have failed miserably in marketing titles to their customers. Simply put – publishers have hidden behind the mass of wholesalers, distribution agents and retailers for so long they no longer know who their customers are let alone how to reach them and with what message.
There are very successful ebooks selling into various high-demand markets including weight loss, business, self-improvement, financial and investing…not to mention hundreds of other niche markets – and why?
Simply because, as ebook publishers, we have gotten to know our markets intimately – we know what they want, why they want it right now and how to reach them with our messages – much of this is taught to other ebook marketers and authors over at InfoMarketer’sZone.
Stop blaming the format, and stop thinking that by coming out with the next best electronic gadget, suddenly everyone will revert to ebooks – instead acknowledge that the limited success of ebooks in mainstream markets today is due to mainstream publishers being impotent marketers.
Onware and upward self-publishers – carry on with your ebook writing plans.
Jeff
