Author J.A. Konrath keeps an interesting blog, and this week he announced his decision to publish all of his future books in ebook format only. He's taking back control from the publishers and based on his current ebook sales, he is convinced he will make a better living this way.
I agree with his decision, with just one exception: he should still put his books into print and sell them online. Ebook readers are without a doubt the wave of the future. I have both a Kindle and iPad and love, love, love the instant gratification of downloading books almost instantaneously, and the convenience of boarding a plane with dozens of books pre-loaded and ready to consume. But there is still a place for paper books, and it doesn't have to cost a mint to produce them.
True, the brick and mortar bookstores are being hit hard. Barnes and Noble put itself up for sale this week! But readers still love books--we're just purchasing them online because the selection is better.
I read a LOT of books to my 4-year old. In fact, we've downloaded many ebooks on the iPad and he loves them (the Dr. Seuss editions are fantastic). But the digital versions can't take the place of our shelves full of books, and my hope is that they never do. Ebooks should walk side-by-side with good old fashioned printed books.
Ultimately, the point that Konrath is making is that he is tired of the publishers reaping all of the rewards. (I can relate to this, which is why I have also made the decision to release my future books without the traditional presses and instead publish them in house through Authority Publishing.) The publishers aren't keeping up with the times, which is why they are being hit hard by the economy. They could cut costs, focus on building their digital catalogs and be much more profitable than they are today. But, alas, too many have gone kicking and screaming through the ebook revolution and now they are too late for the party. And authors are tired of letting them enjoy what little profits are available in this crazy publishing industry!
Anyway, good luck to Joe Konrath! I suspect many more top authors will be following in your footsteps.
