I took a peek at the C-SPAN channel over the weekend (sounds boring, no?). They were covering the NY Book Expo all weekend, showing panels with authors/agents/editors, and experts in the publishing industry. Fascinating! The hot topic, it seemed, in every session, was the boom of digital books, and the worries over how that will affect the industry as a whole.
Today, I found this article online (via Writer Beware): Will e-Books Make Midlist Authors Extinct?
Very informative, and sadly, not very hopeful. It seems that, by this account, the best-selling authors will be just fine in the digital-book age, while the lesser-known midlist authors will suffer. Of course, he could be wrong (and I sort of hope he is). But what he says makes perfect sense. How many times have you entered a bookstore to purchase one book -- but left with MORE than one, just by browsing titles and looking at interesting covers? That same experience can't be duplicated in a digital bookstore. Not really.
So, what are your thoughts on digital books? Do you think they'll greatly affect the industry, or "midlist" authors as a whole? I guess, in the end, time will tell...
To me, there's nothing like holding a book in my hands...savoring every page I turn and read.
ReplyDeleteYes, I am 'attracted to covers'...it's what gets me to turn those pages in a bookstore or library. I do think we're approaching that digital book age but it's not my choice. My bookshelves are overflowing!