A place for everything and everything in its place

Linda Bennett has co-ordinated this entry. This piece is by Christoph Chesher, Taylor & Francis. This is in response to the piece by David Parkes 'The Codex Book'.

eBooks for most publishers currently represent between 5 and 6% of their total print book sales and whilst this is now beginning to ramp up considerably (growth estimates of between 30 and 50%  are not uncommon) eBooks in the vast majority of cases remain as David Parkes says "simply digitised texts". Despite the huge array of possibilities that the electronic world afford us there is of course a very old fashioned reason for this: saleability, costs vs income and the risk to reward ratio.

This is not to say that the potential exciting ePublishing features that David lists are neither possible nor attractive. Indeed I would argue that versions of them already exist on some titles, but the examples of where publishers have added both content and new features in the eWolrd illustrate that they are understandably applying the same business rationale that they apply in the print world, and moreover the "added value" is usually to be seen on the same texts. It’s usually evident where clear need coincides with a competitive environment.  This sees the bar raised with publishers offering real added value, usually to reference works or  to textbooks through the use of companion websites, test banks, animations, supplementary and additional material often in the form of audio  (podcasts) and audio-visual material supplied by DVD as well as online.  Furthermore these days the vast majority of this material is specially commissioned by publishers, not just (as sceptics might have argued more successfully a decade ago) a rag bag of easy to source and superficially related material.

So why don’t we see this plethora of material and features on all eBooks? Cost undoubtedly is one factor. Such investment in monographs (which may sell a few hundred copies worldwide in their life) is not tenable but there is perhaps an even more compelling reason: fitness for purpose. The generic eBook offers excellent features of highlighting, annotating, bookmarking, hyperlinking and search, and to me this is all a reader needs with the vast majority of books, especially monographs. The ability to search across full content has arguably  led to a renaissance of the monograph in that the search facility actually allows one to find that "needle in the haystack", to find that material that is most relevant for one’s current need. For most titles, and certainly for monographs, the cost and investment of additional multimedia content (apart from being cost prohibitive) is both unwarranted, and unwanted. We should perhaps increasingly see the generic eBook and the vast majority of content now being published in this way as the basic building block for electronic use of content. eBooks in their current form should neither be seen as a limiting factor  to further advances in electronic publishing nor as a failure to exploit the opportunity of all that the electronic world now has to offer ,but rather as simply appropriate for current needs. To add more content, bells, whistles, buzzes, dings...inappropriately or unnecessarily not only adds cost, it also arguably risks diverting the reader’s attention from the primary content and aim of the work.  But be in no doubt,  publishers are alive, well and constantly striving to exploit new technology where they see added value to the reader, increased use and, of course, a good return!.

Lastly, the question was raised as to "why would you want to read a book from a TV screen?"   Again the answer depends upon the reader’s profile. As an academic publisher and in my spare time a reader of fiction, I continue to wonder why trade publishers invest so much in the eBook market. The appeal of audio books I can understand but intuitively as a consumer  (and with no research at all I hasten to stress) I can never imagine reading an eBook on holiday, at home, on the plane. In the academic and professional world however the need is much clearer. These people are already using screens to conduct, compile and report their research.  Using an eBook (even if they then print out pages) is but an extension of their normal practice. For many in the professional world who are constantly travelling and who need their most important and valued resources instantly at hand the eBook allows them to have access at a moment’s notice in a way that the old fashioned book doesn’t. Never underestimate the consumer’s ability to act in a contradictory ways either!  As a businessman I carry my professional eBooks and resources on my laptop but my paperback novel in my briefcase. So do hundreds of thousands of others I would argue. On the other hand the development of "ePaper" over the next few years may change all our reading habits again!

In summary, eBooks are not the be all and end all. They’re but a step on the way, valuable to some, treated with indifference by many, and of no use to others. Personally I believe that the advantages they offer, even in their current form, will continue to see demand grow. Investment in new forms of electronic publishing will no doubt also continue and perhaps we’re left with the old adage  "A place for everything and everything in its place".

Filed Under: [Book Publishing, eBooks, Technology, Text Books] •

Posted on 20 Jun 2007 around 12pm by Web Admin