The book and publishing industry has undergone many transformations in recent years and e-books have gained prominence. Since then, the digitization evoked in all walks of life with mobile apps in the lead role, book and publishing companies also made a breakthrough with the same. Known as “Digital Versions of Printed Books”, e-books circulate on the Internet as PDF files. They can be read on a variety of smart devices, e-readers like Amazon’s Kindle, which promise a comfortable and hassle-free reading experience. On the other hand, applications exist as basic tools to help read e-books on smartphones, tablets for those who do not own an e-reader.
To be sure, the e-book industry is in its infancy and far from swaying its huge number of publishers. However, to date, it has only been shown to expand market reach for publishers in exceptional ways. Read in the next section about some notable trends currently being observed in the e-book industry.
# 1 More posts than readers
Publications here do not mean hard copies but digital copies. Many times, books are sold out in physical stores, due to new or popular releases, discouraging bookworms. That is an impossible case for e-books that in no time can be out of stock. Also, it is cheaper and more convenient to enter the field of e-books, as opposed to print media. Thus, the e-book revolution resulted in an exponential increase in publications, while the number of readers gradually increased.
# 2 Subscription models that generate more profits
Readers or especially bookworms are always willing to pay for good reads, because that’s what they are passionate about. That is why the return of subscription models in the digital genre greatly favored publishers. The success of subscription-based reads like Kinfolk showed that digital prints are gaining momentum in revenue models and are being sought by readers.
# 3 Minimalist approach to design
Neutral colors, spacious content layout, higher contrast, and authentic photography are the few major design elements that help an e-book application stand out in the publishing industry. These are essential as they give readers an experience similar to a printed book, but at low cost or free.
# 4 Desktop publishing will become more prominent
In the previous context, publishing a story or information meant partnering with a specialized publishing agency. However, the emergence of e-books empowered storytellers and journalists for desktop publishing. Most eReading apps offer a direct publishing option to take your work out into the world in 1-2 days.
# 5 Book Reviews and Discussions
Not only do authors need a consistent reader base, they must also strive for more readers. Therefore, the apps have a corresponding segment to allow readers to post informative reviews, engage in thought-provoking discussions about a particular reading, and share their reviews on social media. All of this helps authors boost their presence in the web and mobile world.
Smart devices and apps are undoubtedly transforming publishers’ business models to a fully digital environment. However, competition is also increasing in this sector. Publishers and self-publishers should not only restrict mobile engagement to reading, but also engage readers in other activities such as reviews, social media sharing, discussions, etc.