I’m old enough to remember life before computers, listening to records, and black & white TV. Today CDs have replaced vinyl records, and VHS tapes have been replaced by DVDs, with Blu-Ray aiming to usurp DVDs.
What’s next you ask? I think it’s safe to say eBooks are shaping up to become the reading medium of choice. Sales of eBooks are currently second only to hardcover book sales. And what does the future look like?
Indigo predicts there will be a 10% shift from hard books to e-books in the next five years. – by Hollie Shaw of the Financial Post
As people realize that they can free up much-needed space in their homes, they’ll come to appreciate the joy of eBooks. Then there’s the portability factor when you include eReaders in the mix.
Recent announcements are promising for book lovers: Smashwords, an eBook publisher and distribution company, has teamed up with a number of big-name book distributors, giving eBook distribution a real boost.
- August 2009: Barnes & Noble to Distribute Smashwords Ebooks
- September 2009: Smashwords Signs Distribution Agreement with Sony Electronics; Helps Power New Sony Publisher Portal
- November 2009: Shortcovers and Smashwords Partner to Connect the World’s Authors with the World’s eBook Readers
There’s no doubt that eBook sales are the fastest growing market for books. Yet, I don’t believe the eBook revolution means the end of printed books or libraries. It simply means an evolution in the way books are produced, marketed, and enjoyed.
The revolution is coming. Are you ready?
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