Posted on 2012-Nov-28
A Brief History of the eBook
With stats and figures indicating eBooks will rise above its elder print siblings, the digital format is leaving a massive footprint in the book industry where physical books are becoming less available. Considering the excellent ecosystem, instant delivery, manageable portability, eBooks win the favor of avid readers who read and tend to buy more titles at an increasing rate. During its initial launch, digital books were created for the purpose of specific projects according to Wikipedia. While Project Gutenberg was busy digitizing a large collection of physical books, the establishment of E-Ink facilitated the army of eReading devices to present the enjoyable reading experience to the reader. Several eReaders were enthusiastically released into the market and subsided as time went by.
Amazon to Become a World-Class Brand Name
When Amazon first experimented in the retail business, their wireless solution for product distribution was the focus of their attention. The massive income earned them direct competition with Barnes and Noble and Border, the leading bookstores at the time. Even in 1997, Amazon seemed like a big threat to brick and mortar shop and the only way to fight for survival was to duplicate the success. In response to B&N’s decision to build their website, Jeff Bezos’ mentality to establish Amazon as their “world-class brand name” proves to stand the test of time even in the post-millennium era.
Kindle’s Marked Retail Success
With Amazon’s ever-growing expansion in retail business, the Kindle product line has received the extra benefit of paving the way to concretize the eBook library. Since the first Kindle was revealed in 2006 by Engadget, the company has changed the history of reading. Quoting the report how the sales of eBooks have surpassed hardcovers since June, eBook revenue is forecast to reach approximately six times higher in 2016—up to $11 billion.
Self-publishers as eBook Creators
The big part of eBook success would not have been written in the halls of fame had authors not declared independence from traditional publishers. Self-publishers are considered one of the greatest contributors in this literary business who constantly provide the content people need. Consumers’ behavioral change in reading preferences allows aspiring authors to celebrate immediate success. Such hall of famers include E.L. James, who enjoyed a worldwide celebrity status, whereas Amanda Hocking was the self-published pioneer to showcase how independent authors can live without publishers.
Publishers’ Adaptation
Publishers do not feel comfortable with this trend when authors are getting away from their supervision. In fact, they heavily invest in negotiating mergers to combine their strength and win back their champion title. Simon & Schuster calls for allegiance at Authors Solution to further establish Archway Publishing. If you are a self-publisher and only have a manuscript in your hand, perhaps outsourcing your burden to professional insiders is the best solution.
Can You Afford Professional Services?
However, check your bank account before asking for their minimum level of service starting from $1,999 for fiction authors. There are a range of features you might need to get yourself recognized real quick such as editorial assessment, eBook publishing, U.S. copyright registration, ISBN assignment, etc. Somehow, you need to dig deeper into their website to find the above information. Despite the scandal surrounding Simon & Schuster’s new business partner, Author Solutions, you might figure out how to work around converting your fixed-layout format into a nicely designed eBook package. Fortunately, if you research various blogs and consult BB eBooks, who are willing to answer your questions free of charge, chances are you will gain more control of your manuscript and your budget spending. We can also create a professional eBook for you for as little as $50.
eBooks to Break Journalists’ Limited Options
The apparent rise of eBooks will continue to create new content (books) and developers (authors) in the industry. Take Mark Oppenheimer for a case study, regardless of the professional relationship with The New York Times Magazine, he chose the independent route to publish his longform article that did not fit in the magazine format. Traditional magazine publication usually ignores 7,000+ words to be included in their space and the charge for long article is “prohibitive.” Having gathered materials from early interviews with celebrities, Mark has every right to replenish the eBook success by addressing his niche market via eBook distribution. Apart from selling to meet commercial objectives, he simply states how can “go direct to his readers” and the self-publishing experience has been “very empowering to bypass the publishing infrastructure.”
Low-cost Promotional Tools
To maintain the legitimate control of his book, Mark’s book promotional methods rely on PressBooks and Ganxy. These low-cost tools allow authors to create eBook for devices with additional features for accessibility and promotion. Back to our original interrogative title, I believe self-publishers have the work cut out for them in a positive mindset to stay true to their desired presentation. Simon & Schuster’s latest movement signifies a significant leap into an outsourcing business that offers professional help for individual authors. Little did they know, the sources of knowledge has already moved forward far beyond their authority.
Label: Self-Publishing
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