The end of book publishing

Executives in the publishing industry fear eBook distributors such as Amazon (kindle) and Apple (iPad) will spell the end of their business by eating into their market share or by precipitating a devastating fall in book prices. While Amazon, Apple and their ilk are formidable enemies, the final death blow to traditional print publishing will not be given by eBook distributors. It will come from printer manufacturers. The invention of home-use printers which allow consumers to not only print but also bind books from home fast and reliably and for less than $9.99 (the cost of buying an ebook on Amazon) will spell the end of book publishing as we know it.

Imagine it. Ebooks along with a custom cover of your choice are available to download online. With a click of a button consumers can then print and bind the book from home. The book will look and feel exactly the same as if they had bought it from the bookshop round the corner. For the cost of an ebook or less, consumers can have the paper version of it printed and bound at home. No shipping cost, zero delivering time.

Everyone predicts eBooks are the beginning of the end for book publishers. I am not so sure. Ebooks will compete fiercely against traditional books and will eat into the market share of traditional book publishers. But, mark my words, the end of traditional book publishing will take place only when fast and reliable home-use printers are introduced in the market.

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