There’s been a lot of talk lately about what books should be. Daisy Whitney (a.k.a. Book Chick) asked this question in a recent video.
Here was my response:
I think the answer to this question invariably depends on who is being asked. Certain individuals will undoubtedly only want a traditional, printed copy of a book. I have spoken with numerous individuals who prefer this version precisely because it lacks certain elements found in other mediums. For example, they like to piece together their own vision of a scene instead of having a movie director tell them how it looks. This version, therefore, provides the best experience for them.
Others, however, welcome newer, different versions of these books. These versions will include static e-books seen on a computer screen or on a Kindle-like device in addition to dynamic, interactive versions in which readers can link to videos, pictures, electronic maps, etc. For these readers, these new elements serve to enhance the experience beyond what is offered from a printed book.
Given the significant differences between these two groups of users (and, in fact, among each broad group), publishers and authors would be well served by taking a lesson from their own history. We currently have several methods of distributing books -- hardcover versus paperback; print versus audio; new versus used. These different distributions represent a strength of the trade book industry because they allow companies to segment the market and most profitably capture each segment’s willingness to pay. These new versions of books provide additional methods of market segmentation and represent a profit opportunity for many market stakeholders. The question authors, publishers, and distributors should be asking, therefore, is not what do we (collectively as readers) want our books to be. Answers to this question would inevitably lead, at least on some level, to the incorrect conclusion that all readers should be lumped together. Instead, companies should focus on the boundaries between these different segments and help individuals within them further differentiate their needs.
