Comments on: The Lost Art of Reading http://www.theherne.com/2009/01/01/the-lost-art-of-reading/ It's not polite to laugh and point. Wed, 19 May 2010 22:35:46 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Herne http://www.theherne.com/2009/01/01/the-lost-art-of-reading/comment-page-1/#comment-31 Herne Mon, 05 Jan 2009 21:50:44 +0000 http://www.theherne.com/?p=205#comment-31 <a href="#comment-28" rel="nofollow">@James Williams</a> - I agree. The whole Amazon "WhisperNet" thing is just a pain in the backside and an added expense. It's holding the Kindle back--I say lose the EVDO and install WiFi. The Sony eReader is a few steps ahead there, but the prices are still too high and it still needs WiFi to make it more useful. Too many US companies have blinders on and can't see past their own borders. @James Williams -
I agree. The whole Amazon “WhisperNet” thing is just a pain in the backside and an added expense. It’s holding the Kindle back–I say lose the EVDO and install WiFi.

The Sony eReader is a few steps ahead there, but the prices are still too high and it still needs WiFi to make it more useful.

Too many US companies have blinders on and can’t see past their own borders.

]]> By: Herne http://www.theherne.com/2009/01/01/the-lost-art-of-reading/comment-page-1/#comment-30 Herne Mon, 05 Jan 2009 21:47:30 +0000 http://www.theherne.com/?p=205#comment-30 <a href="#comment-29" rel="nofollow">@James Williams</a> - I think the price point is still too high to make the iPod Touch more than a geek toy. @James Williams -
I think the price point is still too high to make the iPod Touch more than a geek toy.

]]> By: James Williams http://www.theherne.com/2009/01/01/the-lost-art-of-reading/comment-page-1/#comment-29 James Williams Mon, 05 Jan 2009 04:27:45 +0000 http://www.theherne.com/?p=205#comment-29 <a href='#comment-27' rel="nofollow">@Herne</a> - I did hear rumours that there would be a new ipod touch with a bigger screen... still a rumour, but I think those rumour-planners are onto something good there. @Herne – I did hear rumours that there would be a new ipod touch with a bigger screen… still a rumour, but I think those rumour-planners are onto something good there.

]]> By: James Williams http://www.theherne.com/2009/01/01/the-lost-art-of-reading/comment-page-1/#comment-28 James Williams Mon, 05 Jan 2009 04:26:49 +0000 http://www.theherne.com/?p=205#comment-28 Oh and the other thing that the digital industry needs is universal players that don't just ship to the US or Canada. I have clients here in Australia who want to create ebook content but they can't access to the US iTunes and other ebook providers because of the restrictive trade protection boundaries that publishers put up to restrict parallel importing. In a global economy that has to go too! Oh and the other thing that the digital industry needs is universal players that don’t just ship to the US or Canada. I have clients here in Australia who want to create ebook content but they can’t access to the US iTunes and other ebook providers because of the restrictive trade protection boundaries that publishers put up to restrict parallel importing. In a global economy that has to go too!

]]> By: Herne http://www.theherne.com/2009/01/01/the-lost-art-of-reading/comment-page-1/#comment-27 Herne Sat, 03 Jan 2009 22:40:25 +0000 http://www.theherne.com/?p=205#comment-27 <a href="#comment-26" rel="nofollow">@James Williams</a> - Exactly! Another thing this industry needs is the "ipod" of eBook readers. I'm working up another blog post about the Kindle and the Sony eReader and why devices like these could actually HELP the publishing industry in the future... @James Williams -
Exactly! Another thing this industry needs is the “ipod” of eBook readers.

I’m working up another blog post about the Kindle and the Sony eReader and why devices like these could actually HELP the publishing industry in the future…

]]> By: James Williams http://www.theherne.com/2009/01/01/the-lost-art-of-reading/comment-page-1/#comment-26 James Williams Sat, 03 Jan 2009 08:06:46 +0000 http://www.theherne.com/?p=205#comment-26 As a publisher of digital content (albeit podcast content, and audiobooks) I couldn't agree with you more. The publishing model is like a dinosaur, and the sooner one decent-sized publishing house ditches a strict adherence to the dinosaur model the better the industry will become. It's only going to take one publishing house, to recognise that buying environment has changed - permanently - and to be flexible (and daring) enough to change, for us to see movement in this area. For the rest of the publishing houses left behind - I wonder whether it would be like turning down the Harry Potter publishing deal of the century. In the meantime it's leaving the door wide open to ditital producers like me, who will offer authors who have retained their digital rights a 60% margin on their work - something unheard of in traditional publishing circles. Publishing needs to change their madness into methods that work in today's market, or like a true dinosaur they will discover extinction. As a publisher of digital content (albeit podcast content, and audiobooks) I couldn’t agree with you more. The publishing model is like a dinosaur, and the sooner one decent-sized publishing house ditches a strict adherence to the dinosaur model the better the industry will become. It’s only going to take one publishing house, to recognise that buying environment has changed – permanently – and to be flexible (and daring) enough to change, for us to see movement in this area.

For the rest of the publishing houses left behind – I wonder whether it would be like turning down the Harry Potter publishing deal of the century.

In the meantime it’s leaving the door wide open to ditital producers like me, who will offer authors who have retained their digital rights a 60% margin on their work – something unheard of in traditional publishing circles.

Publishing needs to change their madness into methods that work in today’s market, or like a true dinosaur they will discover extinction.

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