By Janice Robeson

“Except a living man there is nothing more wonderful than a book! A message to us from the dead–from human souls whom we never saw, who lived perhaps thousands of miles away; yet these, on those little sheets of paper, speak to us, teach us, comfort us, open their hearts to us as brothers.”

~ Charles Kingsley

With the advent of E-books and E-readers, debates are raging across the internet about the future of traditional books. While it is true that people are buying more digital readers and Amazon announced in July that they sold 143 e-books for every 100 hardcover books over the previous three months—this is not the end of the story.

Here is a statistic from the Association of American Publishers:

New York, NY, August 19, 2010—

“Adult Paperback sales increased 0.9% for the month ($133.7 million) but increased by 12.1% for the year so far.”

E-books actually seem to be spurring more sales of paper books! When books are available online, more people become aware of a particular title, may read the digital version, and then go out and buy the paper book to add to their collection.

What is happening with paper books? Are e-books going to take over and make paper and ink a thing of the past?

I scanned several articles online and the recurrent theme was this… “E-books are portable, lightweight and cheap (after the initial investment for the reading device), offer capacity for downloading numerous titles to your reader, and are interactive. However, the very things that make them attractive can be a disadvantage at the same time.”

Let’s do a comparison list for starters:

Digital Books

• Portable
• Lightweight
• Cheap
• Hold numerous titles
• Interactive
• Good for research
• Device is a moderate cost

Paper Books

• No power needed
• Low maintenance
• Cheap
• Colorful
• Portable
• Low risk for theft
• No distractions
• No risk for new technology making it unreadable.

The controversy continues with discussions about how the digital version is affecting people’s attention span. When reading an e-book, there are many distractions online. This costs you time and interferes with the concentration required to think about what you read.

In one study, workers switched tasks about every three minutes and took over 23 minutes on average to return to a task. If this happens to adults; what about children?

A cognitive neuroscientist stated her concern about a child’s brain…

“that it would not learn to go deeper into the text after the first “decoding” but would rather be pulled by the medium to ever more distracting information, sidebars, etc.”

Because children already have a shorter attention span, digital reading may turn out to be more of a deterrent than a help for their reading development.

E-books are great for non-fiction, current news topics, and in-depth research, but when it comes to novels, poetry and children’s books, paper rules the day. Who likes to curl up in bed with a lighted screen on an electronic gadget?

**From Naomi quoting a fellow blogger in the Jewish Publication Society Blog 7 22 09:

“Reading is a sensory experience in addition to being a way to gather information and to be entertained. A sterile file of book disks in no way can compare to browsing a used bookstore with every corner crammed with books, redolent with the slightly musty smell of old print, coffee and prowling store cats. Nor can it compare to the fresh ink smell of new books and the artistic dust jackets…”

I couldn’t agree with you more, Naomi!

Janice Robeson is the receptionist at WinePress Group and also handles copyright registration and outgoing mail/shipping. She enjoys becoming acquainted with each WinePress author and hearing their particular story.

Here are ten reasons why e-books have a long way to go before they can be a real, mass-market alternative to physical books.

1. Variety. Books come in all shapes, sizes, bindings, and types. E-book readers are still relatively small and their displays are restricted to one size and shape.

2. Accessibility. In order to read an e-book, a person needs a computer, an e-book reader, or some other device capable of displaying the file. A physical book requires nothing more than the ability to read.

3. Cost. Books are inexpensive. E-books are usually cheaper. But e-book readers are much more expensive. Especially if you want a larger screen size or color. Eventually, the prices will come down – but that’s going to take a while.

4. Kids. The children’s book market is huge. E-books could offer more interactive possibilities in future, but right now there’s almost no color (see #5) and not many parents are going to give an e-book reader to their 3-year-old.

5. Color. There’s more to the book market than plain text. Many books are full-color, or at least have full-color sections. For some books – like design-related manuals, or educational textbooks, or children’s books – color is a must. Most e-book readers still can’t handle anything more than shades of gray, and the ones that can (like the iPad) use an electronic screen that is much harder on the eyes than paper.

6. Openness. Physical books are inherently “open source.” Nobody owns a copyright or patent on taking some pages and binding them together. The issue of quality aside, anyone can make a book – and anyone can read a book made by anyone else. There are already several conflicting and “closed” e-book formats, designed to tie readers in to one particular company or store.

7. Durability. Books are durable and can go almost anywhere. They can be ripped, folded, bashed, bumped, taped, squeezed, scribbled on, highlighted, underlined, thrown across the room, cried on, stuffed in a bag, and still retain their core function. E-book readers are much more fragile – and, of course, expensive.

8. Replacement. In the event a book is damaged beyond all use, or lost, or stolen, it’s easy enough to simply buy another copy. E-book readers? Sure, if you want to spend another several hundred dollars.

9. Sharing. When someone reads a good book, one of his or her most common responses is to want someone else to read it. Books are easy to lend, borrow, and give away. Most people will not be lending out their e-book readers – and trying to “lend” someone an e-book is either complicated or impossible.

10. Independence. An author, or small publishing company, can easily sell books from a website, a speaking engagement, or in bookstores. E-book distribution is currently limited to the internet, with big companies trying to monopolize the market.

WinePress Publishing has been partnering with authors since 1991. We are always at the cutting-edge of technology, but we have the expertise and experience to avoid getting swept up in the latest hype. Authors continue to trust WinePress because we provide honest and balanced advice. Publishing, whether traditional or electronic, can be a minefield of details, false steps, and disappointments. WinePress enables authors to reach their personal goals by giving them a firm foundation and a steady guiding hand.

We’re very excited about the potential of e-books and, very soon, we will be launching a great e-book option to complement our other packages. But, for now, an e-book is only a small piece of the whole publishing picture – and WinePress is uniquely capable of fitting every piece together with common sense and sophistication.

Consider carefully whether an electronic version is a good fit for your book. If you think it is, be sure to work with a publisher like WinePress who can provide a professional service. Whether electronic or paper, quality always stands out.

Malcolm Fraser is the Executive Officer at WinePress Group, and serves as the assistant to the Executive Publisher. He helps to oversee and coordinate all of WinePress’ different departments, handles customer service issues, contract development, and also contributes to programming and designing websites and author blogs.

Much of the buzz surrounding e-books is due in no small part to Amazon.com’s Kindle device, which they have featured prominently and consistently on their home page since it was introduced. Apparently, there are now over 250,000 books available in Kindle format. However, e-books have actually been around for a very long time and the market is much bigger and wider than just the Kindle.

Don’t become so mesmerized by the Kindle that you ignore everything else. The Kindle, with Amazon.com backing it, has a lot of advantages and is getting a lot of publicity. But it also has some negatives.

The recent uproar created by Amazon’s decision to simply remove – without warning or option – some e-books that customers had legitimately purchased is one obvious example. Although Amazon’s boss, Jeff Bezos, has now apologized, the incident has served as a wake up call to the problems associated with proprietary e-book formats and devices.

At over $300 the Kindle might be a “must buy” for those who have to be on the cutting edge of technology, but for many people it’s just too expensive. And it only does one thing. Most people won’t want to carry around a separate gadget just for reading books if they can have something that will do everything. Companies like Apple are already developing tablet computers that will let you read books, listen to music, watch videos, surf the internet, check your email, take pictures, and make phone calls – all in one convenient device.

One thing most people agree on is that the e-book market is starting to explode. Barnes & Noble recently launched their e-book store – once again featuring proprietary software and DRM. Independent authors need to make sure they are positioned to take advantage of the full range of opportunities that are available.

Three simple tips to help you handle the e-book hype:

1. See the big picture, cover your bases, and think long-term.

Okay, so that’s really three tips in one. But, if you’re going to make your book available as an e-book, make sure you cover all the formats and distribution options. Don’t limit yourself to just the Kindle or you might find your book at a disadvantage when the competition expands.

2. Focus on marketing and promotion.

Don’t fall for the idea that e-book sales will miraculously drive sales of your physical books. E-books don’t sell themselves any more than printed books. Statistically, e-books can account for up to 25% of total sales — but that’s only for bestsellers and heavily publicized titles.

3. Focus on marketing and promotion.

Yes, I know I’m repeating myself, but with more and more e-books flooding the virtual bookshelves it’s twice as important. Readers need to know about your book before they can buy it — in any format. And then they need to know why they should buy it. Your book needs to stand out more than ever, and that comes down to good old-fashioned hard work and creativity.

At WinePress, we are uniquely positioned to offer far more than just “getting your book on the Kindle.” We have a strong foundation in professional publicity and marketing and, as we move forward to providing a full range of e-book services, our authors will get a big head start over many others.

The e-book market will only get bigger in the coming years and offers great opportunities for independent authors. Thinking ahead and making sensible choices, instead of getting caught up in the hype, will enable your book and your message to jump safely into the electronic future.

Malcolm Fraser is the Executive Officer at WinePress Group, and serves as the assistant to the Executive Publisher. He helps to oversee and coordinate all of WinePress’ different departments, handles customer service issues, contract development, and also contributes to programming and designing websites and author blogs.