"publishers" entries

New life for used ebooks

Old ebooks and clever thinking can create new opportunities for publishers.

This post originally appeared on Joe Wikert’s Publishing 2020 Blog (“The Used Ebook Opportunity“). This version has been lightly edited.

Used Books by -Tripp-, on Flickr

I’ve got quite a few ebooks in two different accounts that I’ve read and will never read again. I’ll bet you do, too. In the print world, we’d pass those along to friends, resell them or donate them to the local library. Good luck doing any of those things with an ebook.

Once you buy an ebook, you’re pretty much stuck with it. That’s yet another reason why consumers want low ebook prices. Ebooks are lacking some of the basic features of a print book, so of course they should be lower-priced. I realize that’s not the only reason consumers want low ebook prices, but it’s definitely a contributing factor. I’d be willing to pay more for an ebook if I knew I could pass it along to someone else when I’m finished with it.

The opportunity in the used ebook market isn’t about higher prices, though. It’s about expanding the ebook ecosystem.

The used print book market helps with discovery and affordability. The publisher and author already got their share on the initial sale of that book. Although they may feel they’re losing the next sale, I’d argue that the content is reaching an audience that probably wouldn’t have paid for the original work anyway, even if the used book market didn’t exist.

Rather than looking at the used book world as an annoyance, it’s time for publishers to think about the opportunities it could present for ebooks. Read more…

Top Stories: July 2-6, 2012

Reevaluating criticism of visualizations, why websites still matter, Amazon as friend and foe.

This week on O'Reilly: Andy Kirk made the case for open-minded criticism of visualizations, Brett Slatkin explained why you still need to own a website, and Greenleaf Book Group CEO Clint Greenleaf discussed the complicated relationship between publishers and Amazon.

Amazon, ebooks and advertising

Amazon's adoption of ad-supported ebooks is shifting from possible to likely.

Amazon already sells ads on the Kindle. Joe Wikert explains why ad-supported ebooks are a logical next step for the company.

The reinvention of the bookseller

Coffee shops were game changers for bookstores in the '90s. What's next?

Once booksellers accept the reality they can no longer just sell books, they can begin evolving into something dynamic and unique.

Think of it like a political campaign: Baratunde Thurston's book marketing

Inside the promotion of "How To Be Black."

Make it easy for people to help you — that’s a simple but oft-overlooked concept that author Baratunde Thurston says is essential to book marketing. He shares additional marketing tips and tools in this interview.

Join us in celebrating International Day Against DRM

Trust your customers to do the right thing and you'll earn their business.

A DRM-free world is one where retailers will find it much harder to create a monopolistic position that locks you into their device or format.

State of the Computer Book Market, part 3: The Publishers

A comparison of computer book publishers and imprints.

In this third installment of "State of the Computer Book Market," we look at how publishers fared in 2011 versus 2010.

Top Stories: March 26-30, 2012

Designing data products, five tough health care lessons, lean startup for publishers.

This week on O'Reilly: We looked at a four-step approach for designing great data products, Andy Oram shared the lessons he's learned about health care, and we learned about a competitive advantage that publishers aren't seizing.

Direct sales uncover hidden trends for publishers

Direct channels give publishers full access to their data streams.

A recent O'Reilly customer survey revealed unusual results (e.g. laptops/desktops remain popular ereading devices). These sorts of insights are made possible by O'Reilly's direct sales channel.

It's time for a unified ebook format and the end of DRM

Proprietary ebook formats and rights restrictions are holding consumers back.

The music industry has shown that you need to offer consumers a universal format and content without rights restrictions. So when will publishers pay attention?