The new generation of electronic reading devices such as the Kindle and tablet computers are well on the way to transforming the way people consume books and magazines, according to industry experts.
Originally seen as just complements to printed publications, e-books are about to reach “critical mass” in the market, says SA Entertainment and Media Industry lead at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC), Vicki Myburgh.
Myburgh, commenting on a new PWC report, 'Turning the page: The future of e-books', points out that media coverage of e-books and e-readers has given most consumers a basic understanding of digital publishing technologies.
Although consumers still don't fully understand the advantages of reading digital books over paper ones, she says it is inevitable that the 'digital transformation' experienced by audio and video industries in recent years will soon overwhelm traditional publishing as well.
Arthur Goldstuck, MD at World Wide Worx, agrees, pointing to what he calls the “powerful impact” online news has had on printed newspapers. “E-readers will have a similar impact on printed books,” he maintains.
He predicts the first casualty will be print textbooks. In the near future, he says, textbooks will move almost entirely to e-readers, and university students will be required to own an e-reader.
Besides the convenience of not having to carry around several kilos of hefty texts, “the cost of e-textbooks will be minimal compared to printed textbooks. For the same reason, he says, e-readers will also take over the school market too.”
Goldstuck says we should not be surprised to see tablet computers eventually incorporating an e-reader mode. “The iPad, for example, cannot compare to the Kindle as a book reading device, and eventually Apple is likely to see this as a weakness in its model. To compete, they would need something like an e-ink mode.”
Transition mode
Myburgh advises publishers, content owners and retailers to act quickly to secure a position in the e-book and e-reader marketplace or risk obsolescence.
Goldstuck admits adoption of e-readers is still low relative to the size of the printed book market, but points out that e-reader technology is only about five years old. “You cannot base its potential only on current penetration,” he argues. “When you look at the growth trendline, it paints a dramatic picture of a technology going mainstream.”
However, Myburgh cautions that publishers, bookstores and device managers will also have to provide the market with innovative products that satisfy readers' needs, while authors “should explore opportunities for digital distribution and support publishers in their efforts to publish more content.”
For example, she says, publishers should position themselves as content providers and not simply suppliers of physical books. They should make content available on multiple media, in multiple formats on multiple platforms, including audio, video and games.
Failure to re-strategise and adapt to these changes, Myburgh warns, will push traditional publishers and booksellers out of the expanding market for digital content.
Bookstores can survive, she says, but only “by emphasising their strengths in terms of customer knowledge, customer retention as well as competence, and by distributing content in all formats and via a number of channels.”
Goldstuck however cautions that in Africa “the market may be ready for e-books, but the ecosystem still isn't.”
The ideal e-reader market requires wireless broadband access at a reasonable cost, he points out, as well as the ability to buy e-books seamlessly online. Neither of these is pervasive in Africa yet, even in SA, Goldstuck laments.
PWC says whether multi-function tablet devices such as the iPad will push eReaders out of the market has yet to be established. “Tablets and e-readers are still in the early stages of development and will undergo significant changes.”
Experts believe the devices will merge as the trend is clearly heading for more usability and connection to mobile networks and colour.
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