It's easier to release an ebook than a print book.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
One thing I often talk about in my business is that an eBook is not like a print book: it's very, very different. It's organic. It's changing.
I've been saying for years that readers want inexpensive ebooks.
Authors can easily produce ebook versions of novels and shorter work which publishers don't own.
Electronic distribution is more of a fall-back strategy for putting out a book that isn't deemed profitable enough to print. You hardly make any money publishing an electronic book.
Remember that just because major publishing is having trouble, that doesn't mean people have stopped reading books. Printed books won't go away, but ebooks won't go away, either.
Publishers see free downloads as threatening the sales of the book.
The common intuition is that e-books should be cheap because they aren't physical - no printing, no shipping.
It used to be a lot easier to get a book deal.
Together, Amazon and I are giving readers what they want - inexpensive, professional ebooks.
I've never read an ebook. Print every time.