Much has been discussed about the growth (or shrinking) of digital book content delivery. I figured today was the perfect day to put in my two cents.
Here is what happened in the last few years, explaining why digital sales have slowed, as told through a little story I conjured up.
Avid book reader Barbara got up early one morning, made coffee and sat down to read with her e-reader. She noticed there was a special on eBooks, so she bought one she liked and added two more eBooks for free, happily loading all three so she could read them eventually.
The next morning, avid book reader Barb, got up, made coffee, sat down with her e-reader and her steaming cup of joe and noticed because she bought a book yesterday, she could get three books for free, she happily loaded them on her e-reader. She would read them…eventually.
The next morning, avid book reader Barb, got up, made coffee, sat down with her e-reader and her steaming cup of joe and noticed she could get three books for free, she happily loaded them on her e-reader. She would read them…eventually.
The next morning, avid book reader Barb, got up, made coffee, sat down with her e-reader and her steaming cup of joe and noticed she could get three books for free, she happily loaded them on her e-reader. She would read them…eventually.
The next morning, avid book reader Barb, got up, made coffee, sat down with her e-reader and her steaming cup of joe and noticed she could get three books for free, she happily loaded them on her e-reader. She would read them…eventually.
The next morning, avid book reader Barb, got up, made coffee, sat down with her e-reader and her steaming cup of joe and noticed she could get three books for free, she happily loaded them on her e-reader. She would read them…eventually.
The next morning, avid book reader Barb, got up, made coffee, sat down with her e-reader and her steaming cup of joe and noticed she could get three books for free, she happily loaded them on her e-reader. She would read them…eventually.
The next morning, avid book reader Barb, got up, made coffee, sat down with her e-reader and her steaming cup of joe and noticed she could get three books for free, she happily loaded them on her e-reader. She would read them…eventually.
The print-loving world screamed with joy, “See, no one wants eBooks. We win!”
Authors and publishers pushed out so many books for cheap and free that e-readers are saturated, at least for a time. And sales of the various e-reader devices have flattened out because, frankly, not everyone can afford to buy one. Money doesn’t grow on trees you know.
Once we all get comfortable reading books on our smart phones like the other seven billion people in the world, digital will grow again.
Happy Groundhog Day.
