In the essay 'Books Will Endure, but Will Publishers?' written by James Surowiecki, it is pointed out how e-books affect the publishing industry. Change is constant and irresistible and it should be observed keJames Surowiecki wrote, he implies that e-books don't want to compete with publishers. Actually, they want to work with them. What is an e-book? I have browsed the internet and learned that "The e-book is an electronic version of a book. It can be on computer disk, data installed on an automated retrieval system, CD-ROM, downloaded as a digital file, displayed on a linear CRT or LED screen device. It's anything other than a book printed on paper." (www.powernet.net)
In the beginning, E-book industry was filled enly... How does change affect the people's living(economy)? E-books are hearsaid to be responsible for the demise of the publishing industry. But in the essay that with positive thoughts. They predicted that they can maximize profit in a short period of while. For that, it had been a controversy that they are the industry responsible for the demise of the print books. E-publishing, a starting feature of the advancement of technology, had gone through a necessary shakeup. They put out more than what they earn because they are overpriced. Their business may require a big amount of investment but their starting company can't be overpriced because they are still starting. Well, they are still developing. All companies go through shakeups. They have to be strong for those in stored.
I can say that E-books are really really convenient especially if you have the gadgets and you can afford a device on which you can read books. You can simply read articles from pamphlets to thick novels in just one access to the internet. You won't have to carry excess baggages and earn back aches from it. Plus, they're available and updated! It could be possible that books are printed to order. It saves publishers from having to print so many copies and lose so much capital. Publisher can take a chance on a new writer without the heavy investment in print runs. Based on experience, some books are unavailable in bookstores- which is very inconvenient. Like when we were required to read the book 'THE REPUBLIC' by Plato in our PGC subject, the whole class freaked out because they can't find the book in National Bookstore and Power books. Still got lucky when two or three were able to find the precious book in one of the stalls in Recto. We were all rushing and cramming to have the books photocopied so we can read them at least for the last weeks of the deadline. Out-of-print. Unavailable. Pressure. Inconvenient.
But then, no matter how convenient e-books could be, they can never replace 'real books'. It's natural that people still view books as tangible... Something you could save your money for, hold up to your hand, read, flip your pages to, read, borrow from a cousin, lend to your boyfriend, sell to a used-book shop, etc., That's the tradition! Many people don't like to move on to the advancement.They'd rather preserve the traditional ways. It's unimaginable to save your money, hold up to your hand, read, flip your pages to, borrow from a cousin, lend to a boyfriend and sell to a used-book shop-- an E-book! Besides, not all people can afford gadgets and access to E-books. E-books aren't necessarily for everyone. They may succeed but they won't erase the existence of the real books. Me? I'd still go for the real book. I don't want to miss the fun in going to bookstores... it's the real thing.
Electronic book publishing may be popular and may become entertaining to people but Publishers will go on. Publishers will endure. They have always been in a market that's slow-growing. Come whatever giant may, they're still in.
