The Printed Page: RIP?

No way, says Dan Poynter, Director of the Book Summit:

We will always have the printed page.

Early adopters purchase the hardcover; most people buy the softcover (it takes a while to hear about the book); the budget-minded wait for the mass-market paperback; the vision-impaired and the reading-challenged prefer the LARGE print edition; the commuter, sales rep and long-haul trucker listen to audiobooks; and airline passengers often read eBooks.

Television did not replace radio, but radio did change. Sitcoms moved to TV and radio expanded with music, news, and sports. eBooks won’t replace pBooks (printed) but the law of economics will prevail. It does not pay to cut down trees, make paper, print books, ship them all over—only to have many come back as returns.

We will always have printed books but the additional editions will make the work available to more people.