E-Books Part 2

This evening there is a discussion on C-Span 2 (Book TV) about the impact of e-books in the publishing industry. The discussion took place this week at the 2010 Bookexpo America conference. Along with Scott Turow, the incoming president of American writer's association, were four other speakers were executives of publishing companies and a author agent firm. (Penguin; Farrar, Giroux, and Strauss; Ingram; Workman). With so many voices on the stage, opinions on a particular subject or interpretations of a situation differ. A couple of the speakers, including Turow, bemoan the possible decline of the printed book and envision doom for the industry. Others see opportunities in the digital realm, but recognize that the current business model must change to take advantage of them.

Here is a list of some of the topics of the discussion: author compensation, pricing of books in all forms in light of changing consumer expectations, increasing competition for the eyes of readers from other forms of entertainment, the cultural and economic value of books, the costs to publishers to purchase the technology to create an e-book, and authority control.

The decreasing prices for books was, unsurprisingly, extremely prominent. This is an issue that impacts all aspects of the publishing industry. What happens when book readers no longer think it is reasonable to pay $25.00 for a hardcover book? At what level are prices for e-books going to stablize? Responding to the demands of customers in the digital realm is significantly more complicated. Customers now have more options to purchase books, so the ability of the publishing industry to dictate what a customer is going to buy and how much money is spent is declining.

The possibility of embedded media in e-books I found extremely intriguing. For instance, if a customer buys a cookbook in a digital format, it may be possible to watch footage of the book's author cooking some of the recipes. The experience of reading a children's book could be completely transformed into a complete multimedia adventure; it could be more like watching an animated program than reading a traditional book. Interviews with authors could be included explaining the genesis and development of the book, not unlike a director interview on a dvd or blu-ray disc.

A Discussion about E-books

Yesterday I watched the PBS Newshour while preparing my dinner. It just happened that a segment about e-books was part of the broadcast. The three guests who took part in the discussion with Geoffrey Brown were author Scott Turow, representing the perspective of writers; an editor from one of the major publishing companies; and the owner of an independent bookstore in Denver.

All of them agreed that e-books are currently only a small fraction of the market; the overwhelming majority of books sold in the United States are traditional books. Each of the guests, though, had different opinions of what impact E-books will have in the future. The editor was uncertain whether the publishing industry would benefit from increasing e-book sales, particularly if it means decreasing sales of traditional books. E-books, after all, tend to be sold at a price that is considerably lower than hard-cover books. Scott Turow talked about the changing business of being a writer. Although the barriers to publishing are being lowered, it is still unclear how an aspiring author would distinguish himself or herself from the increasingly crowded realm of digital publication. The bookstore owner did not fear that e-books would destroy the bookselling business. She believes that there will always be readers who want to go to a store to find and purchase books made with paper.

The Intention of the Post

I finally got around to reading what the instructions for this blog are on the Courseweb. I must admit that talking about how I am reacting to classes is not a subject that I am not keen on discussing at this time. Making the mistake of taking three core classes this summer is putting a lot of pressure on me; there certainly is little downtime from my schoolwork. Trying to stuff all of this information into my head can make me a little cranky, but there is no choice by now.

Understanding the course material is not as much of a challenge as it was a fortnight ago. This is easing the burden a little, yet there always seems too much to do. I just need to learn how to deal with it.

Writing about films is undoubtedly more interesting.

Charlie Rose

Hello Everyone (however few you are),

I have decided to write about some of the programs and movies I enjoy watching. This week I will discuss the Charlie Rose talkshow broadcast on PBS and Bloomberg media outlets. This is a program that I have watched for nearly seven years. Over those years I have watched world leaders, financiers, writers, economists, actors, scientists and a host of people involved in a myriad of activities interviewed by a man who is curious, well informed, and enjoys talking to people. The show is recorded in studios of the Bloomburg building in New York City. As a host, Rose is seldom inclined to discuss topics and issues at a shallow level. It is this willingness to explore a subject in depth that I most appreciate. Throughout this year, for example, he has hosted at least six programs about brain science and research, bringing together in one studio four or five scientists with a busy schedule of academic work and research (not a small feat in itself).

Charlie Rose was born in North Carolina and attended Duke University. He received a law degree there but decided to pursue broadcasting as a career. I read that he worked as a producer for Bill Moyers in the 1970s. Rose's current program started in the early 1990s. All the interviews he has done for the program are available at the program's website. Some of the most memorable interviews I can recall are the those with the late historian John Hope Franklin and the one with Ahmet Ertegun, the founder of Atlantic Records, shortly before his death.

I certainly do not mind staying up late to watch this program. Perhaps you might not mind it either.

Starting An Experiment

This is my first experience creating a blog. I have never even considered engaging in this sort of activity before, so I am not certain what I am going to do with it yet. Perhaps I will discuss topics that attract my attention at a particular time, or I might delve into some of the activities and things that interest me. I believe that I am at liberty to choose any subject within the rules of this system.