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For Publishers And Authors eBook Creation Becoming Critical

When you think about writers, the image isn't always of cutting edge technology, yet throughout history, authors and publishers have been at the leading edge of technological leaps that have changed history. Some of the devices that have had enormous impact on modern society: the printing press, the typewriter and the personal computer are classic examples of game-changing technology that has either been driven by authors or found writers among the early adopters. The next wave of change is beginning to hit the publishing industry.

When you visit a bookstore, look around and you'll see rows of books. When you think about the economics of this arrangement, there are definitely improvements to be made. It costs a lot of money to print all of these books, ship them to bookstores all over the country and dispose of any unsold inventory. Consumers have to drive to the store, buy a book, carry it around if they wish to read it, and then find a place to store it in their home. The economics of the situation dictate that only popular books are stocked. Now think about how that book begins its life: as an electronic file, text written by an author.

It isn't a stretch to see the next wave of technological innovation that's beginning to wash over the publishing industry. E-books are beginning to hit the big time and ebook creation is suddenly on the radar of every publisher, content provider and author. The concept of e-books has been around for years and the idea held tremendous potential. People dreamed of being able to carry entire libraries around with them instead of having to lug individual books. The first generation of e-book readers began to make an impact with the early adopter crowd, but as the technology has improved, they're reaching the mainstream. The Amazon Kindle, Mobipocket, Sony Reader and even Apple's iPhone have proved themselves to be effective and affordable electronic book platforms, capable of carrying hundreds of books at a time. Amazon and other online retailers have been ramping up e-book distribution and Google has been busy scanning public domain books into electronic format.

Publishing, it seems, is now coming full circle. The electronic file submitted by an author no longer has to go through a convoluted process to end up on the printed page, but now reaches its readers the same way it began. Freed up from the cost of stocking inventory, online retailers can distribute e-books from a vast range of authors, regardless of whether they're likely to sell a million copies or just ten.