What do paperback novels, Charles Darwin and an iPad have in common?
No, it’s not the recipe for a bad joke, nor is it an Apple commercial gone terribly wrong.
Here’s a hint. It’s one word, two syllables, a new take on an old classic: e-books.
Short for “electronic books,” these digital counterparts are taking the literary world by storm.
Instead of one book, e-book technology gives readers access to hundreds of thousands of books at their fingertips. E-books can be viewed on various platforms and devices like the PC, Kindle, Kobo, Sony Reader and iPad, making them accessible for readers to enjoy at their own convenience, anytime, anywhere.
“It’s faster and easier to find information on e-books,” said second-year University of Toronto psychology major Sukhe Mann.
“I also found that I’m able to go through way more books on the computer than if I went to the library,” she said.
The literary evolution appears to be underway.
“A lot of publishers are moving towards putting out e-books,” said Nick Boshart from the Association of Canadian Publisher’s digital services department.
“We have started a conversion project,” he explained, with over 2,500 books converted to electronic files just last year. According to Boshart, e-books are sparking a revival in the publishing industry, shifting the focus from distribution to content.
“It’s completely different,” he said. “We’re not looking at printing books anymore. We’re looking at really redefining what a book is. It’s no longer a printed paper. It’s what’s in a book that counts.”
“I think e-books are great!” said Jeanie Okimoto, author of The Love Ceiling, which is available in both hard copy and as an e-book.
“As an author, it gives you an affordable way to publish. [You no longer] have to go through big publishing companies. You can bring out a book of your own material,” she said.
While Okimoto said she thinks it will be “an exciting time for writers and readers,” she also predicted it will be “a very sad and difficult time for small bookstores, distributors, the middle-men.”
“What’s going to happen is that printers are going to be hurt,” said Okimoto, “like the blacksmith and automobile.”
The question is, are e-books just another case of Darwin’s survival of the fittest, where the better adapted survive and the weak disappear? Are printed books doomed for extinction?
Mark Lefebvre doesn’t think so.
“There’s more hype than there are actual transactions,” explains Lefebvre, vice-president of the Canadian Bookseller’s Association. In fact, he says the percentage of sales is minimal, making up less than 1 per cent in the US.
“We did a textbook completely free online. Fifty per cent of people [still] purchased the hardcopy,” he said.
“Within our industry there are authors giving away audio podcasts: Scott Sigler, Murr Lafferty, Terry Fallis.”
Lefebvre said he envisions a future where e-books can be downloaded at point of sale. “That’s the goal we’re shooting for,” Lefebvre said.
But he said he believes “there will always be a market for physically printed books.”
As of now, there appears to be a unanimous agreement of the uncertainty of the e-books’ future.
“The thing that’s so interesting is that nobody really knows how it’s going to work,” Okimoto said.
What is certain is that the e-book is definitely something to keep your eye on.
Like the saying goes, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” The e-book just might end up surprising you.