A glimps at the future of publishing

Latest book sales revenue from the Association of American Publishers:

Paperbacks down 63.8%;

Hardcover down 25.4%;

Ebooks up 167%.

Dave

Dear Dave,

I see behind your photograph a bit of framed art. Are you an artist that works with paints or an appreciator of art?

In my whole life, there were times that I could not afford to buy a book, but mostly I went to libraries. If there is one thing that I consider the downside of the technology of e books it is that so very many people do not have the money to buy a Kindle, Nook, IPhone, Ipad or whatever is needed to read books that are E.

The old classics like Mark Twain are still around in print in used book stores and on Amazon and the other big online outlets. I wonder how long that will be so.

With the economy in the US geared to the rich for everything, I hope that just finding a book to read is not another way to shut out the people who cannot buy computers, gadgets for reading e books. I do hope that libraries can maintain and keep up to date with what is being produced as electronic reading.

I worry, I do.



Love,

Betty

Betty, the good news is that some of the formats, such as the Kindle, have a download option that is free and will allow you to read the Kindle formatted ebooks on your home computer and on many of the smart phones such as most Blackberries, no ereader necessary.

I know several people who downloaded the Kindle for the Blackberry, me included, and it works great.

Dear E. Don,

You do know that I love you so. I love you for your honesty, your caring and help, your beautiful writing and because you love the wilderness.



Off I go to cook. I know, you know, that cooking is a joy, even if you wished someone else would do it once in a while. I am proud to know you.



Love,

Bety

Betty,

I was a Navy photographer for 32 years and five months and it has been my hobby since. I was affiliated with the Quayside gallery in Pensacola for quite a while. I do digital painting with Photoshop and Painter.

I am more of an optimist. Ereaders will be very cheap soon and everyone will have one. Schools may even supply them. The advertising that subsidises some of the Kindles is more interesting than the pictures the chose as place holders.

The Kindle is increasing the amount of reading people do. I wasn't surprised to hear that because my Kindle (5 weeks old) has 53 books on it.

Reading will become much cheaper; all of the classics are already available free.

We live in exciting times.

Dave