The Book Conundrum

[penk]

So I'm in the final 18 hours or so of Arisia, and spent a little time this afternoon in the dealers room (after my duties at Registration were over). I noticed a couple paperbacks on sale that I was interested in. One is Glen Cook's A Passage at Arms, certianly one of the best books I've ever read, and one I had thought was out of print. My copy of the book has long since disintegrated, so finding it available again is a win.

Except.. I have no interest in purchasing paperbacks - or even hardbacks for that matter.

I used to collect books like crazy, and had quite a pile stored up. Since I've been reading more and more on my iPhone, my interest in picking up chunks of dead tree (and the hassle inherent therein) is diminishing.

But alas, publishers haven't figured out that selling a book digitally is a simple and effective way to make money with virtually no overhead. They already have the book printed and in digital form. Making it available for download is a minor step.

I firmly believe that digital books are the next step in written media. I just wish the publishers would catch up and let me buy books that I want to read, when i want to read them, and not simply offer the latest Stephen King novel at a stupidly inflated price.

I foresee a thriving black market for digital books until the publishers get their collective heads out of their asses and start putting their libraries out at reasonable prices.

Comments

[creidylad.livejournal.com]

It's sad to think SF writers won't make it...

But people do love a good book cover. And SF fans do get sort of enthusiastic about hoarding things, like certain editions of favorite books, so we can hope...

[dr-memory.livejournal.com]

It's sad to think SF writers won't make it...

I said that the publishers wouldn't make it. Very different thing. :)

[jacflash.livejournal.com]

The writers will make it, at least as much as writers have been making it in recent years (maybe a little more). Amazon, Apple, etc., are already providing distribution routes that allow the writers to make money. What will be missing -- what the small presses provide now -- is curation and promotion, and it's a safe bet that ample alternatives for both will continue to emerge.

Of course, a lot of this will fall on the writers, who are already having to do more promotion than they'd like. The world where a mid-list writer can crank out a novel every 2-3 years and be assured of a comfortable living without having to otherwise lift a finger is long gone, but it's been gone for decades.