You know, you really have to wonder--why's it taking the publishing industry so long to catch onto the obvious? (Of course, I am talking about an industry that allows bookstores to return books for a 100% refund of the purchase price. Traditional? Yes. Stupid? Yes.) E-books represent a burgeoning market that's only going to grow bigger.
And yet, this question was raised in a recent Soapdish post: So when should an e-book be published?
Well, duh. How about as soon as possible. I mean, this post even cites a success story for George Soros's The New Paradigm for Financial Markets, which sold more than 50,000 downloads as a digital book, two months before the hardcover was released.
I mean, by putting an e-book out there, you're giving the book amazing exposure, which should lead to better print sales. (Word of mouth, people. It works. And those who download the book and like it will probably recommend it to those who stick to "dead tree" books.)
And here's another fair question posed by Soapdish: Why Were There No Publishers at the Consumer Electronics Show?
That's right. Publishers claim they want to ride the e-book gravy train, but they can't seem to find the station.
Open your eyes, traditional publishers. Because that train will be leaving the station without you, if you aren't more vigilant.
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