theguardian.com, 2002). However, it wasn’t until Amazon launched their e-reader Kindle in November 2007 that the e-reader market really took off (Hall, 2013) as the Kindle ‘sold more than a quarter million units’ (Pontz, 2008).
2010 Apple introduced the iPad (Apple, 2014) with features that allowed users, to read e-books, browse on the internet, and play around with apps. That was however not the only advantages that the iPad offered, the most important feature in terms of e-books, was the fact that the iPad allowed users to open different formats of e-books, such as ePub and PDF’s (cnet.com, 2014). It also allows its users to download the Kindle app, giving them the option of reading Kindle books if they wish to do so. Some might argue that whilst the iPad might be more expensive, it does come with added benefits; their users are not bound to one format.
Throughout the 21st century, there has been a tug-and-pull war between different organisations trying to capitalise the e-reader market. Amazon launched their own version tablet in 2012, an attempt to compete with the iPad (thebookseller.com, 2012). However, Kobo decided that they wanted to compete in a different way by differentiating the e-reader by developing a waterproof device: Kobo H2O (Campbell, 2014).
Along with the Kindle came the art of self-publishing (Halls, 2013) which doesn't necessarily mean a bad thing for publishers. Fifty Shades of Grey was first self-published before it got picked up by Random House (Barber, 2012) and is not the only self-publishing novel that has generated profit for big publishing houses; Penguin's originally self-published novel Reflected in You managed to outdo Fifty Shades in top-selling paperback (ibid). Which suggests that publishers can now easily see when a self-published author has a growing fan-base and make use of that knowledge.
Lastly, a Mintel report (2014) shows that 38% of the consumers bought a paperback book in 2014 whilst only 21% bought an ebook. However, we live in a society where the younger generations are being brought up in a digital age and that is something that publishers need to take into consideration. It is not about killing the printed book, it is about distributing good writing to those who love to read it, and the digital age allows us to do just that in so many ways. Publishers need to ensure that they retain a balance between print and digital products, so as to maintain a strong relationship with consumers who like either print or digital, or both. Especially when we live in a digital age and the future lies in the hand of the younger generations.
532 words
Bibliography:
Amazon (2014) Device and Feature Specification [online]. Available at: https://developer.amazon.com/appsandservices/solutions/devices/kindle-fire/specifications/01-device-and-feature-specifications (Accessed: 3 October 2014).
Apple (2014) Apple Launches iPad [online]. Available at: http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2010/01/27Apple-Launches-iPad.html (Accessed: 2 October 2014).
Arthur, C (2012) The history of smartphones: timelines, The Guardian, [online]. Available at:
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2012/jan/24/smartphones-timeline (Accessed: 2 October 2014)
Campbell, L (2014) Waterproof e-reader from Kobo, The Bookseller [online]. Available at: http://www.thebookseller.com/news/waterproof-e-reader-kobo (Accessed: 1 October 2014)
Flood, A (2014). Waterproof e-reader launched for bathtime bookworms. The Guardian [online]. Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/aug/27/waterproof-e-reader-bathtime-readers
http://www.the-ebook-reader.com/amazon-kindle.html (Accessed: 2 October 2014)
Greenfield, J. (2013) Ten Bold Predictions for Ebooks and Digital Publishing in 2014. Available at: http://www.digitalbookworld.com/2013/ten-bold-predictions-for-ebooks-and-digital-publishing-in-2014/ (Accessed: 1 October 2014).
Hall, Frania, The Business of Digital Publishing (London and New York: Routledge, 2013)
Hoffelder, N. (2013) Amazon's First eBookstore Launched 13 Years Ago Today. Available at: http://the-digital-reader.com/2013/11/14/amazon-ebooks-14-november-2000/#.VDmSudTF_g5 (Accessed: 1 October 2014).
Jones, P (2011). Three new Kindles and a Kindle Fire, The Bookseller [online]. Available at: http://www.thebookseller.com/futurebook/three-new-kindles-and-kindle-fire (Accessed: 2 October 2014)
Lebert, M. (2011) 1998 - The first ebook readers. Available at: http://www.gutenbergnews.org/20110716/ebooks-1998-the-first-ebook-readers/ (Accessed: 1 October 2014).
Mintel 2014. Books and eBooks [online]. Available at: http://academic.mintel.com/display/679475/ (Accessed: 2 October 2014)
Mintel, 2014. Books and eBooks [online]. Available at: http://academic.mintel.com.oxfordbrookes.idm.oclc.org/display/717162/ (Accessed: 24 October 2014)
Pontz, Z., (2008) A year later, Amazon’s Kindle finds a niche, CNN.com, [online] Available at: http://edition.cnn.com/2008/TECH/12/03/kindle.electronic.reader/ (Accessed: 23 November 2014)
The E-book Reader (2014) Available at: http://www.the-ebook-reader.com/amazon-kindle.html (Accessed: 2 October 2014).
The Guardian (2013) Ebook timeline. Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/books/2002/jan/03/ebooks.technology (Accessed: 1 October 2014)
P eople have often thought that digital forms of content have been a recent development in technology, however, Hall (2013, pp.31) notes ‘the technology for books to be produced in digital form goes back a few decades’. In terms of the e-book market, she also notes ‘the early ebooks were essentially available from the late 1990s’ (Hall, 2013. pp.31). In fact, the first e-reader attempt was by NuroMedia that launched The rocket in 1998 (
2010 Apple introduced the iPad (Apple, 2014) with features that allowed users, to read e-books, browse on the internet, and play around with apps. That was however not the only advantages that the iPad offered, the most important feature in terms of e-books, was the fact that the iPad allowed users to open different formats of e-books, such as ePub and PDF’s (cnet.com, 2014). It also allows its users to download the Kindle app, giving them the option of reading Kindle books if they wish to do so. Some might argue that whilst the iPad might be more expensive, it does come with added benefits; their users are not bound to one format.
Throughout the 21st century, there has been a tug-and-pull war between different organisations trying to capitalise the e-reader market. Amazon launched their own version tablet in 2012, an attempt to compete with the iPad (thebookseller.com, 2012). However, Kobo decided that they wanted to compete in a different way by differentiating the e-reader by developing a waterproof device: Kobo H2O (Campbell, 2014).
Along with the Kindle came the art of self-publishing (Halls, 2013) which doesn't necessarily mean a bad thing for publishers. Fifty Shades of Grey was first self-published before it got picked up by Random House (Barber, 2012) and is not the only self-publishing novel that has generated profit for big publishing houses; Penguin's originally self-published novel Reflected in You managed to outdo Fifty Shades in top-selling paperback (ibid). Which suggests that publishers can now easily see when a self-published author has a growing fan-base and make use of that knowledge.
Lastly, a Mintel report (2014) shows that 38% of the consumers bought a paperback book in 2014 whilst only 21% bought an ebook. However, we live in a society where the younger generations are being brought up in a digital age and that is something that publishers need to take into consideration. It is not about killing the printed book, it is about distributing good writing to those who love to read it, and the digital age allows us to do just that in so many ways. Publishers need to ensure that they retain a balance between print and digital products, so as to maintain a strong relationship with consumers who like either print or digital, or both. Especially when we live in a digital age and the future lies in the hand of the younger generations.
532 words
Bibliography:
Amazon (2014) Device and Feature Specification [online]. Available at: https://developer.amazon.com/appsandservices/solutions/devices/kindle-fire/specifications/01-device-and-feature-specifications (Accessed: 3 October 2014).
Apple (2014) Apple Launches iPad [online]. Available at: http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2010/01/27Apple-Launches-iPad.html (Accessed: 2 October 2014).
Arthur, C (2012) The history of smartphones: timelines, The Guardian, [online]. Available at:
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2012/jan/24/smartphones-timeline (Accessed: 2 October 2014)
Campbell, L (2014) Waterproof e-reader from Kobo, The Bookseller [online]. Available at: http://www.thebookseller.com/news/waterproof-e-reader-kobo (Accessed: 1 October 2014)
Flood, A (2014). Waterproof e-reader launched for bathtime bookworms. The Guardian [online]. Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/aug/27/waterproof-e-reader-bathtime-readers
http://www.the-ebook-reader.com/amazon-kindle.html (Accessed: 2 October 2014)
Greenfield, J. (2013) Ten Bold Predictions for Ebooks and Digital Publishing in 2014. Available at: http://www.digitalbookworld.com/2013/ten-bold-predictions-for-ebooks-and-digital-publishing-in-2014/ (Accessed: 1 October 2014).
Hall, Frania, The Business of Digital Publishing (London and New York: Routledge, 2013)
Hoffelder, N. (2013) Amazon's First eBookstore Launched 13 Years Ago Today. Available at: http://the-digital-reader.com/2013/11/14/amazon-ebooks-14-november-2000/#.VDmSudTF_g5 (Accessed: 1 October 2014).
Jones, P (2011). Three new Kindles and a Kindle Fire, The Bookseller [online]. Available at: http://www.thebookseller.com/futurebook/three-new-kindles-and-kindle-fire (Accessed: 2 October 2014)
Lebert, M. (2011) 1998 - The first ebook readers. Available at: http://www.gutenbergnews.org/20110716/ebooks-1998-the-first-ebook-readers/ (Accessed: 1 October 2014).
Mintel 2014. Books and eBooks [online]. Available at: http://academic.mintel.com/display/679475/ (Accessed: 2 October 2014)
Mintel, 2014. Books and eBooks [online]. Available at: http://academic.mintel.com.oxfordbrookes.idm.oclc.org/display/717162/ (Accessed: 24 October 2014)
Pontz, Z., (2008) A year later, Amazon’s Kindle finds a niche, CNN.com, [online] Available at: http://edition.cnn.com/2008/TECH/12/03/kindle.electronic.reader/ (Accessed: 23 November 2014)
The E-book Reader (2014) Available at: http://www.the-ebook-reader.com/amazon-kindle.html (Accessed: 2 October 2014).
The Guardian (2013) Ebook timeline. Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/books/2002/jan/03/ebooks.technology (Accessed: 1 October 2014)