subject: Why Consumers And Authors Can Benefit By Going Digital [print this page] It's a changing landscapeIt's a changing landscape. The traditional print industry is coping with a massive movement away from ink and toward the pixel. As this great migration continues, consumers may have a lot to gain with access to cheaper -- and free -- books and media.
eBooks
In 2010, a price war made eReader devices much more affordable to consumers. And it appears that consumers have responded. ReadWriteWeb reported this month that sales doubled in 2010 and now take up 9 percent of the market. This, they say, has been fueled by the rise of popular eBook readers, including Amazon's Kindle, Barnes & Noble's Nook, Sony's Reader and Apple's iPad. In July, Amazon stated that it was selling more eBooks than hardbacks at a rate of 143 to 100. In October, the online sales giant announced that of its 10 top-selling books, people were purchasing eBook versions at twice the rate of print copies.
Audio Books
Free audio books are a popular alternative to purchasing print copies. Nowadays, it's as simple as downloading an audio file to your MP3 player and popping in the headphones while you're going about your daily activities. Librivox.org is a popular site that offers free audio versions of many classics. These books are recorded by volunteers, which may not be as desirable to some who would rather listen to professional narrator who has professional experience, which may include voice over commercials and much more. Audible.com offers a wide selection of books recorded by professional narrators, though these recordings must be purchased.
Blogs and Online Publications
The migration from print to digital has changed the face of the news and media industries. This evolution may be beneficial to the consumer, but it also makes it possible for aspiring journalists and bloggers break into a market that may not have been open a decade, or even several years, ago. Opportunities are growing for those who wish to offer their product purely online. Advantages include much less overhead costs and the ability to target and deliver to a niche audience.
Self-Publishing
Going digital removes traditional barriers to aspiring authors, who are able to sell their own work online without the need for a traditional publisher. Web-Source.net notes a major advantage to self-publishing: you can keep nearly 100 percent of the profits from your sale. Social media and the blogosphere can be a good place to tout a self-published product, establishing a base among a network of family, friends, and connections.
It may not be perfect, and there may be many bumps in the road to from print to digital, but consumers -- and authors -- have a lot to gain as they go for the ride.
