Have hope, all of you who have declared print books as dead. According to David L. Ulin, the Los Angeles Times book critic, “print books aren’t going anywhere.” E-books complement print books, and the real issue “is that we read, that we continue to interact with long-form writing; by altering the conditions of the conversation, e-books and e-readers have already served an essential purpose.” E-books are the first step towards enhancing literature. Authors are already experimenting, whether it be with PowerPoint or by integrating websites with stories. Ulin ends his note with what he thinks e-books offer, “the promise of immersion, enhanced or otherwise, just as their analog counterparts have always done.”
E-books are good news for the literary world
Still, e-books are a force to be reckoned with. NPR says that e-books constitute one out of every 10 trade books sold. And, the companies who make ereaders can not only track what you download, but how much you read of your download, and even where you read it.
Is Your E-Book Reading Up On You?
Tim O’Reilly, the founder and CEO of O’Reilly media, says about publishing in an interview, you “need to care about more than preserving your business.” Here’s part of the interview on YouTube.
