RE: "The Elusive E-book"

We need to review our history. 
 
There were more than a handful of companies making MP3 players before Apple came along. What Apple brought to the table was a very nice looking device (that wasn't cheap initially, or still isn't for that matter), that made transferring your music to a device almost idiot proof. That's it.
 
Over time, the price came down so that you can get an iPod Shuffle (1 gig) now for less than $100. Anybody who wants a generic MP3 player can get a 2 gig for less than $40, 4 gig for less than $90. But ask anybody what they want as an MP3 player and they will usually say an iPod.
 
The iPod Touch though it still in the $299.99 range and they are selling like hotcakes.
 
Contrast that with e-reading devices. 
 
You have the top of the line iLiad at $699. The Amazon Kindle at $399.99. The CyBook at $349 and the Sony Reader at $299.99 (currently on sale at Amazon for $260). 
 
The lowest priced e-reading device is currently the eBookWise for $109.99 but they seem loathe to do any marketing or promotion of that device. Still, it hits that less than $150 price mark.
 
So here we are as e-publisher, authors and readers wondering what is keeping our industry from taking off and I have to say it is the combination of people not seeing a viable alternative.
 
If all anyone hears about is the Kindle at $399.99, that's too rich for my blood. I went looking for alternatives which is why I can spout off prices. But it's all in the marketing and educating people to stop expecting e-books to be free or as a tool to drive paper books sales.
 
We need to see e-publishing as a business. 
 
Sure, we all may have gotten into it for lofty goals, I know I did. Cut our the middle man, bring fresh voices to the public, help the environment, provide better economies of scale, the list can go on.
 
But the bottom line is this is a business. We are all working to bring something of value to the marketplace and we need to stop treating our product as if it has no value or exist only to drive the paper book sales product.
 
Otherwise, none of us will have a business to worry about.
Aaron J. WalkerPublisher
http://www.walkbroadpublishing.com
_________________________________________________________________
Windows Live SkyDrive lets you share files with faraway friends.
http://www.windowslive.com/skydrive/overview.html?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_Refresh_skydrive_052008

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