Comments on: Less Expensive, Bite-Sized, Available for Take-Out: The Book of the Future http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2010/02/less-expensive-bite-sized-available-for-take-out-the-book-of-the-future/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=less-expensive-bite-sized-available-for-take-out-the-book-of-the-future Practical Advice to Help Self-Publishers Build Better Books Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:27:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Joel http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2010/02/less-expensive-bite-sized-available-for-take-out-the-book-of-the-future/#comment-1006 Joel Wed, 17 Feb 2010 23:41:26 +0000 http://www.thebookdesigner.com/?p=4403#comment-1006 Mark, thanks for your thorough and thoughtful comment. In your position, I'm sure I would make many of the same decisions. Heck, I'm going to be publishing an e-book myself shortly, and plan to have different versions in PDF and ePub (because of my desire to illustrate with examples, screenshots, etc.). I liked your definition of "book" also, thanks for that. I do tend to get a bit grouchy about the whole e-book enthusiasm. I read on the screen when I have to, I actually read a fair amount on my iPhone because, well, it's right there in my pocket and connects to everything. And when I take my "book designer/publisher" hat off and put on the worn out old baseball cap that says "writer" on it, I'm right there with you. As a writer, what matters most is readers. If readers want e-books, then that is what they should have. One of the interesting things to come out of this past Saturday's talk at BAIPA about marketing was the whole concept of "basic" or "original" content that's then available to be served in the channel that the buyer/reader selects. It does make a certain sense. Now if I could only get Bembo on that e-Reader... Mark, thanks for your thorough and thoughtful comment. In your position, I’m sure I would make many of the same decisions. Heck, I’m going to be publishing an e-book myself shortly, and plan to have different versions in PDF and ePub (because of my desire to illustrate with examples, screenshots, etc.).

I liked your definition of “book” also, thanks for that. I do tend to get a bit grouchy about the whole e-book enthusiasm. I read on the screen when I have to, I actually read a fair amount on my iPhone because, well, it’s right there in my pocket and connects to everything.

And when I take my “book designer/publisher” hat off and put on the worn out old baseball cap that says “writer” on it, I’m right there with you. As a writer, what matters most is readers. If readers want e-books, then that is what they should have. One of the interesting things to come out of this past Saturday’s talk at BAIPA about marketing was the whole concept of “basic” or “original” content that’s then available to be served in the channel that the buyer/reader selects. It does make a certain sense.

Now if I could only get Bembo on that e-Reader…

]]> By: Joel http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2010/02/less-expensive-bite-sized-available-for-take-out-the-book-of-the-future/#comment-1002 Joel Wed, 17 Feb 2010 18:25:54 +0000 http://www.thebookdesigner.com/?p=4403#comment-1002 Dan, I think you are correct, and that there will be a long transition period. When the dust clears, things may be very different than they are today, and different from what we expect. Thanks for your comment. Dan, I think you are correct, and that there will be a long transition period. When the dust clears, things may be very different than they are today, and different from what we expect. Thanks for your comment.

]]> By: Dan http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2010/02/less-expensive-bite-sized-available-for-take-out-the-book-of-the-future/#comment-1001 Dan Wed, 17 Feb 2010 15:07:22 +0000 http://www.thebookdesigner.com/?p=4403#comment-1001 For years, the 8-track and cassette coexisted with the LP. I have a feeling today's so-called ereaders will coexist with the book. Ereaders have their advantages (just as cassettes did) but there's no way today's ereaders are going to supplant books. That's not to say books aren't on their way out. Sooner or later something will come along that we haven't even dreamed of, and when it does, the book will virtually vanish within a matter of years just as LPs vanished when CDs hit the shelves. For the moment, however, I think books are safe. For years, the 8-track and cassette coexisted with the LP. I have a feeling today’s so-called ereaders will coexist with the book. Ereaders have their advantages (just as cassettes did) but there’s no way today’s ereaders are going to supplant books. That’s not to say books aren’t on their way out. Sooner or later something will come along that we haven’t even dreamed of, and when it does, the book will virtually vanish within a matter of years just as LPs vanished when CDs hit the shelves. For the moment, however, I think books are safe.

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