Some book publishers fear of how e-books might change their bottom line is causing them to try to punish the consumer by delaying the publication of the electronic format of new books.

Nick Bilton, writing for the New York Times, believes that people don’t invest several hundred dollars in an e-reader in order to save money by not purchasing hard bound books.  Instead, they are avid readers who like to have a library of books in one neat portable package.

If they can’t purchase the e-book format of a new book (because of publisher delays), they will just find another available e-book to purchase immediately — they won’t automatically rush off to the bookstore to buy the hard cover.  The consumer understands that digital means immediate and infinite, and the limits imposed by paper no longer exist, he says.  Bilton owns both an Amazon Kindle and a Sony Reader.

Some publishers, understandably wary about digital formats, are burying their heads in the sand, trying to pretend that the old business model isn’t changing.  But “the next generation of book buyers won’t understand why they can’t access any information they want in a digital format. They have grown up in a world where everything, from movies to magazines, is basically just a collection of digital bytes,” warns Bilton.

Frankly, I don’t think it’s going to take as long as “the next generation of book buyers” to disprove the old model.

Image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/srharris/ / CC BY-NC 2.0

At paid.Content.org, there’s an article with predictions from Forrester Research for the E-Reader and the Ebook market in the coming year.

They note that this “has been a breakout year for e-readers and e-books—device sales will have more than tripled by the end of this year, and content sales are up 176% for the year. But next year will be anything but boring.” Here’s what they are saying:

1. E Ink will lose its claim to near-100% market share for e-reader displays. Competition will come in three forms: 1) cheaper substitutions for E Ink that use the same electrophoretic display technology; 2) dual-screen devices that have both an E Ink and an LCD screen; and 3) devices that use an entirely different display technology, such as transflective LCD or OLED.
2. Dual-screen mobile phones and netbooks will eat into e-reader demand.  Consumer electronics manufacturers will tap into the growing digital reading trend by launching new versions of their devices with reading-optimized screens. For instance, mobile phones like the Samsung Alias 2 already have secondary E Ink screens, which could be repurposed for reading rather than typing or time-telling. Netbooks will also launch with dual E Ink/LCD screens, like the Asus EEE PC prototype that debuted at CeBIT in 2009.
3. Apps will make non-reading devices more e-book-friendly.  Next year will see more e-book apps on more devices. These apps will make it easier to view reading content on non-reading-optimized devices, which will provide a “good enough” experience for the majority of consumers who don’t read enough to justify buying a single-function e-reader, and will provide multiplatform convenience for consumers who do own e-readers.
4. eReaders will get apps, too. As anyone with an iPhone knows, apps are where the magic happens: They make the device infinitely more useful.
5. Amazon will launch a suite of new touchscreen e-readers. Awkward Kindle keyboard, begone! We think 2010 will bring several entirely new e-readers from Amazon, featuring touchscreens, color (by the end of the year), and flexibility.
6. B&N will steal market share from Amazon and Sony. This year was a setup year for B&N, and 2010 will see its efforts start to pay off. In 2009, B&N acquired Fictionwise, launched its own eBookstore and reading app for mobile phones and PCs, announced partnerships with e-reader manufacturers Plastic Logic and iRex, and launched its own Nook e-reader (which it promptly sold out of). In 2010, B&N will rack up significant sales of Nooks and e-books, as some consumers look for an Amazon alternative. Sony will launch its own new devices, and will work on improving the software and book-buying experience. B&N will end up taking market share from both Amazon and Sony, but Amazon will retain its dominant position as market leader.
7. E-book content sales will top $500 million in the U.S.
8. E-textbooks will become more accessible, but sales will be modest.
9. Magazine and newspaper publishers will launch their own apps and devices. Magazine and newspaper publishers aren’t satisfied with the way their content looks and acts on the Kindle and Sony Readers—they want color, video, interactivity, the ability to sell ads and control the subscriber relationship.
10. China, India, Brazil, and the EU will propel global growth, but the U.S. will still be the biggest market. Right now, the U.S. is the biggest market for e-readers and e-books, and that won’t change in 2010. But the rest of the world will start to catch up.

Photo credit: goXunuReviews: http://www.flickr.com/photos/43602175@N06/ / CC BY 2.0

My eye was caught by this PC World article reviewing ebook readers currently on the market (excludes new B&N Nook).

Once again, Amazon’s Kindle readers’ proprietary system makes them less desirable than those that are open to multiple file formats.  If you don’t care that you can only get books from Amazon itself, the two Kindle models rate highly, especially with the included wireless access.

But more and more publishers are releasing ebooks in the ePub or Adobe PDF formats, and devices that can easily handle them, as well as other formats, are looking good.  If, like me, you prefer to borrow library books and are very selective in what you buy, you must choose carefully.  Some devices claim they are compatible with the ePub format, but check out whether that includes DRM protected files that libraries offer.

Even then, you may experience difficulties.  I bought the Sony Reader Touch Edition basically because my library said that Sony was producing ebook readers, including that one, that could manage the files.  The Sony Touch is rated number one in PC World’s review.  Check out the top five here.

I have discovered, however, that the Sony Touch has problems with these protected files.  I can usually load one library book and read it without a problem (and I do like the reader’s feel, options, and portability).  But when I load more than one, I often find that the previously loaded book is no longer readable, but is noted as “protected.”  Or sometimes it’s the book I’ve just loaded that can’t be read.  Or sometimes both.  I have tried loading only books in the ePub format and not include any in the Adobe PDF format (both easily available at my library).  Still have the same problems.  When I transfer a library book to the reader, I never know what to expect.

I had a long discussion with a Sony support person who said the company was aware of the problem and working on a solution which they hope to have within a few weeks.  In the meantime, it was suggested to me that I only have one library book at a time on the reader.  Wow.  Sure hope they DO find a solution or I will have expended a lot of money just to carry around one library book in electronic form instead of print (many of the library books are available in both formats, usually with longer waits for print.)

A number of ebook readers are being introduced this year in an apparent bid to compete with Amazon’s Kindle, thought to be very successful although the company has not revealed sales information.

One of the “cool” features of the Kindle, as yet unmatched by any other reader (stay tuned for developments later this fall), is the free wireless access to the Kindle Store anywhere the cell network is available.  Barnes & Noble’s new ereader that they have named Nook provides users wireless access only when they are in a physical B&N store.

B&N is doing it right, however, in several other ways.  Notably, the ebook reader supports a number of different formats, including the open ePub standard.  Amazon’s decision to use a proprietary format for its ebooks is looking less and less competitive today as open standards allow for more flexibility in reading choices.

I took a careful look at Nook’s information about supported formats, but it left me wondering if the support for PDF and ePub included “protected” files in these formats that you check out of a library.  The ability to check out and read library books on an ereader (like my Sony Reader Touch Edition) is one of the most important features for me.

The Nook also allows owners to “lend” a book for a maximum of two weeks to a friend who has downloaded B&N’s eReader software.  The friend doesn’t need to also own a Nook, the book can be read on a PC, Mac, BlackBerry or iPhone.  Since the Nook is running Android, I wonder if Android phones will be next.

CrunchGear states that the Nook “has upped the ante with a small, 3.5-inch LCD screen in the lower quadrant adding touch capabilities that the Kindle definitely does not have.”  B&N says, “Control your nook with an easy-to-use full-color touchscreen, created to work seamlessly with the crisp, clean E Ink ® display.  Just use your finger to swipe through titles and tap open your next read.”

The Nook has 2 GB of storage (about 1,500 eBooks) and an SD slot for expanded storage.  Battery life beats the Kindle with wireless turned off.  Like other recently introduced ereaders, Nook uses the easy-to-read E Ink® display and “retains important reading rituals like bookmarking, making notes, and highlighting passages,”

The Internet Archive (IA) is in the early stages of development of BookServer, with the “lofty goal to essentially create an open web of books where anyone can publish their books and make their content available via search,” says ReadWriteWeb.

According to IA, BookServer is “a growing open architecture for vending and lending digital books over the Internet.  Built on open catalog and open book formats, the BookServer model allows a wide network of publishers, booksellers, libraries, and even authors to make their catalogs of books available directly to readers through their laptops, phones, netbooks, or dedicated reading devices.  BookServer facilitates pay transactions, borrowing books from libraries, and downloading free, publicly accessible books.”

BookServer will provide book publishers and online libraries with the means to more effectively compete with online bookstores like Amazon and Google.  It will allow publishers to set their own pricing and manage the distribution of their books.  A secondary goal of BookServer’s open system is to fight back against the proprietary marketplaces, such as Amazon’s Kindle Store and other booksellers using proprietary formats.  It’s confusing for consumers who face a multitude of choices with limited information about which formats will work on which devices.

RWW notes that “while Google promises its Google Editions store will allow anyone to access digital books as long as they have a web browser and internet access, it’s still unknown at this time how the company plans to make the digital content available offline.  Will it require the use of special web browser plugins to do so? Until Google reveals more about the technical details, it is not possible to know how truly open their online store will be.  And even if their store is 100% open, they are still a company whose ultimate goal is to profit from their work of digitizing books.  BookServer’s goal, on the other hand, is to provide universal access to book data made available in open formats.”

IA says that many will benefit from BookServer:

• Authors find wider distribution for their work.
• Publishers both big and small can distribute books directly to readers.
• Book sellers find new and larger audiences for their products.
• Device makers can offer access to millions of books instantly.
• Libraries can continue to loan books in the way that patrons expect.
• Readers get universal access to all knowledge.

They have provided a slide show called Web of Books on Slideshare to explain how BookServer will work.

Ever since I noticed that my library has a number of ebooks in Adobe formats (ePub, PDF) that can be downloaded to a computer and read with Adobe Digital Editions, I have been seriously considering getting a compatible eReader so I can take them with me.  Unfortunately, the Kindle is not one of them.

The idea of an ebook reader is attractive to me for several reasons: 1) I like gadgets; 2) I like the idea of carrying around many books on one small device; 3) Every reader I have heard about lately has easy on the eyes eInk and you can adjust the font to suit your needs.  The latter has become more appealing to me as I age.  I can still read small paperback books but they strain my eyes and I much prefer a larger font.  I often get “large print” books from the library when they are available.

And mentioning the library — that is the biggest draw.  I read, or start to read, hundreds of books a year.  Inevitably, some just don’t appeal and I return them partially read to the library.  I really don’t want to buy all the books I think I might want to read.  Owning a book I am sure I want to read and keep is another matter.

TechCrunch notes that Google is challenging the proprietary Amazon Kindle line through several partnerships.  The most recent is with British Interead, bringing the same amount of ebooks to an online store outside the U.S. for the first time (where close to half a million of them are available for free).  Interead is behind the COOLERBOOKS ebook store.  The company also manufactures COOL-ER eReaders, “small, elegant ebook readers that kinda look like giant iPods and cost $249 in the United States.”

The COOL-ER uses E InkR, which gives a “like paper” display, replicating the experience of reading a book.  The reader uses power only for “page turns” which means that a “single charge lasts for 8000 pages and unlike a book, the electronic display allows you to change the text size to suit you!”  The Cool-ER has a bookstore with more than 750,000 titles and supports Adobe Digital Editions.  You can view the specs here.

Google first teamed up with Sony, adding about 1 million public domain books to the technology giant’s eBook Store which has both free and low-cost books.  Sony has several ebook readers that support the books I can download from my library, the newest one being the Reader Touch Edition ($299.99) which is “temporarily out of stock”.  It has a touch screen which is appealing to me.  There is a brief video on the site showing how it works.

I had to wait awhile before Amazon Fresh grocery delivery service came to my neighborhood, but it was worth it.  I have been using them for several months now and am very pleased.  There are still a few items I like to get regularly that they don’t stock, but I am hoping they will in the future (there is a way to make requests).

I really dislike going to the grocery store except for a quick run for a few items.  I have used grocery delivery services in the last 3 cities I’ve lived in, but Amazon Fresh is the best I’ve encountered.

The website is easy to use and items that are not available cannot be added to an order (I hate when a delivery person shows me a list of out-of-stock items).  You can select from numerous delivery options and expect them to arrive on time, with no paper work involved.

I have friends who like the “unattended” dawn delivery so they find their items in bins on the porch when they get up.  I go for the “attended” delivery, so I can add wine or beer to my order.  I have always been able to choose a convenient time, often later in the same day if I order early.  If you forget something, you can add it to your order if it’s within about 6-7 hours before delivery time.

Just to be clear, I am not affiliated with Amazon or its grocery delivery service, Amazon Fresh, nor am I receiving compensation of any kind for this post.  I just want to give them a boost so they continue to stay in business.  I have known several previous delivery services to fail.

ReadWriteWeb posts extensively on three waves impacting the book publishing business: the digitization of back catalogs, e-books, and print on demand.

Part I is an introduction to the issues while Part 2 looks at how they might play out in the future, specifically for book publishing’s major players: readers, authors, printers, publishers, retailers, and e-book device vendors.

RWW notes that the first wave is represented by Google in its digitization program, Google Book Search, which is dealing with three types of books:

• Books in the public domain but no longer in print or easily accessible outside of libraries.
• Books that are out of print but still copyrighted. These were the subject of legal action taken by the Authors’ Guild and the Association of American Publishers to protect publishers’ revenue from back catalogs and authors’ royalty streams. The case was settled in October 2008.
• Books that were scanned by 20,000 publishing partners and sent to Google, which restricts how much of any one you can read online.

eBooks, made more popular by Kindle: Amazon’s 6, represent the second wave, and the third is print on demand.

In Part 2, RWW says readers will benefit from changes in publishing and will get a:

• Broad selection of titles
• Choice of format and device
• Fast delivery
• Low prices

They have some interesting speculations about how changes will impact authors and others in the industry, as well.

Will all our most desired ebooks be withheld  from Amazon in the future and sold directly by publishers at higher prices? 

Publishers will no doubt look with favor on Google’s promise to challenge Amazon’s ebook sales by enabling them to sell digital versions of their newest books directly to consumers through Google, setting their own retail prices.

On Kindle: Amazon’s ebook reading devicebooks typically sell for $9.99, a figure that is far below publisher prices.  According to a spokesperson, Google would probably allow publishers to charge consumers the same price for digital editions as they do for new hardcover versions (around $26).  He said Google would reserve the right to adjust prices that it deemed “exorbitant.”

“Clearly, any major company coming into the e-book space, providing that we are happy with the pricing structure, the selling price and the security of the technology, will be a welcome addition,” said David Young, chief executive of Hachette Book Group, which publishes blockbuster authors like James Patterson, Stephenie Meyer and Nicholas Sparks.

Google has already made its 1.5 million public-domain books available for reading on mobile phones as well as the Sony Reader, the Kindle’s largest competitor.

Google’s program would allow consumers to read books on any device with Internet access, including mobile phones, rather than being limited to dedicated reading devices like the Amazon Kindle.  The project, announced at BookExpo this week, is expected to launch before the end of 2009.  Photo by jblyberg.  Creative Commons license.

Amazon just announced its much anticipated new Kindle DX: Amazon’s 9.7wireless reading device with a large display handy for reading newspapers and magazines.  It can be preordered now for summer availability and will cost $489.  The current 6 inch screen Kindle sells for $359.

Here’s a list of basic features:

• Slightly more than1/3 of an inch thick, as thin as most magazines
• Holds up to 3,500 books, periodicals, and documents
• Large 9.7″ diagonal display, e-ink screen reads like real paper; boasts 16 shades of gray for clear text and sharp images
• Auto-rotating screen: display auto-rotates from portrait to landscape as you turn the device so you can view full-width maps, graphs, tables, and Web pages
• Built-In PDF reader: native PDF support allows you to carry and read all of your personal and professional documents on the go
• Wireless: 3G wireless lets you download books right from your Kindle DX, anytime, anywhere; no monthly fees, no annual contracts, and no hunting for Wi-Fi hotspots
• Free wireless delivery of books in less than 60 seconds; no PC required
• Long battery life: read for days without recharging
• Read-to-Me: with the text-to-speech feature, Kindle DX can read newspapers, magazines, blogs, and books out loud to you, unless the book’s rights holder made the feature unavailable
• Big selection, low prices: Over 275,000 books; New York Times Best Sellers and New Releases are only $9.99, unless marked otherwise
• More than books: U.S. and international newspapers including the New York Times and Wall Street Journal, magazines including The New Yorker and Time, plus popular blogs, all auto-delivered wirelessly

At the packed press conference, Amazon announced a partnership with three top textbook publishers which account for 60% of textbook sales (Pearson, Wiley and Signage).  Five universities have agreed to pilot the Kindle DX: Arizona State, Princeton, Reed, U of Virginia, and Case Western Reserve.  TechCrunch’s liveblog from the conference includes a number of illustrations or you can see more at Amazon’s Web site.