Last Friday at the BookExpo of America in LA, Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos held a seminar plugging the company's new product, the Kindle, to a roomful of booksellers and publishers. The response, according to the New York Times (via CNET), was excitement tempered by concern. In case you've been hiding under a rock since November, the Kindle is an electronic reader that provides users access to books, newspapers, blogs, and more. It sold out on its first day, and Bezos says that it already makes up 6% of the company's unit sales of book, a figure that many suspect will continue to grow exponentially. While that's a good deal for Amazon, the Times reports that the Kindle's success has some small booksellers freaked:
"It certainly does feel like a threat," said Charles Stillwagon, a manager at an independent bookstore in Denver.
While Bezos claims that Kindle owners tend to purchase paper books as well (at least through Amazon, which is a good thing for him and publishers), even some publishers say its not so. One publishing exec notes:
"We don't see people buying both versions," Shanks said. "I think there is almost a one-to-one cannibalization."
Which brings us 'round to this week's survey question. Are electronic readers like the Kindle eventually going to stomp out small book sellers by making paper books obsolete? Or is this just hysteria?
Tell us what you think in the comments section below!
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Save some forests, buy a Kindle. Paper books pretty much have to go the way of the antiquarian collector. Get out there and evolve. I wouldn't mind a Kindle Lite. Something smaller that relies on a computer to make the purchases, no email, no QUERTY. Get rid of all those things and give me shark repellent.
—Matteo
18:38, June 3rd, 2008
I don't believe that real books will ever go away, just decrease in volume published maybe. Maybe we should think of it this way, for every book that isn't an actual book saves a few trees. People will always be published it just may change the way we read books. For the mom and pop companies that still exist, please understand that to keep your company competitive with the rest of the world you have to stay fresh and innovative. Keep up with the times, and don't fight change. Change is difficult but necessary, and if you want to stay in business it is a fact of business.
—Netrentatoy
17:48, June 3rd, 2008
Personally I think the paperback will go the way of the vinyl EP; sure "enthusiasts" will still use them but the populace will adopt the far easier electronic version. And if you've used a Kindle, you realize it freakishly looks like you are reading on paper. Kindle is on my Christmas/Birthday list and the only reason that I don't buy one now is I have about five books I need to get through before hand. Let's face it, Kindle plays to the lazy-bones nature of American's. Once the early-adopters get the word out on exactly how cool the Kindle actually is, I think the price will come down and the adoption will go up. Also, I bet later versions of the Kindle will do more stuff (Jeff, call me if you need any ideas). Don't forget the Kindle is earth friendly (I would love to see the carbon footprint books and newspapers leave).
—brentbutler
14:43, June 3rd, 2008
When cost comes down, I can see the Kindle being primarily useful for newspaper and magazine subscriptions and secondarily as a replacement for mass market paperbacks. The email feature seems kind of superfluous. Should/when I become a gargoyle, I'd probably use my phone to communicate, my computer to work, and my Kindle to read the news. Until The One Gadget to rule them all comes along, that is.
That said, look, publishers still make hardcovers. There's still a market for them. There are still people letter-pressing poetry chapbooks for small and eager audiences. The people that buy these books are willing to pay a little extra for a finer/specialized product. When they invest in a hardcover, they're not just buying the information, they're buying the artifact. That's something the Kindle can't compete with.
—richard
14:29, June 3rd, 2008
For super-savvy early adopters, the Kindle and all such widgets will always have appeal. But I think Doctorow has a point. Since reading for pleasure is declining in general (if the NEA is to be believed), and most folks prefer to play Wii than read, the Kindle will likely not be produced in amounts that will threaten the ubiquity of the good ol' fashioned paperback. For the Joe and Jane Americans who still read out there, a $7.99 Grisham will still beat a $360 piece of pretty plastic.
—Mahesh
20:12, June 2nd, 2008
I don't think the feel of a real book in your hand can ever be replaced. While electronic books are convenient and probably necessary for some, I for one, will never be able to give up the feel and smell of a book in my hands.
—Brooke
19:55, June 2nd, 2008
Both probably right if the kindle were simply an ebook reader—but I have one and will never go back. Here is why:
1) Its not just an ebook reader. It has a basic browser and I can get my gmail delivered to it.
2) I can have my normal email forwarded to it and its digested into a daily delivery and converted to E-Ink. Yeah, its no blackberry but its another way to stay connected with a full keyboard.
3) I get the Wall Street Journal and Investors Business Daily when they are printed, not delivered. They automatically hit the kindle at about 3:00am PST.
4) Hard covers cost 9.99 and are available the moment they come out. Too bad I'm not a Harry Potter fan.
5) I was recently having a good conversation with someone suggesting a relatively obscure book. I had it on the kindle in 15 minutes and was versed in it within an hour.
6) I hate having books. I feel wasteful throwing them away but I also hate having them. Kindle, 'nuff said." Click click—deleted. Or its got a gig which is like 27,000 books if you want to e-collect.
The only drawback—no sharing really. To share a book 2 kindles have to be on the same account.
Its a home run. Is it going to be any measurable % of book sales anytime soon... probably not. Apply long tail economics to it and it doesn't have to be. It's a full bookstore in your hand. Like Itunes, the major money will be made by millions of obscure sales you won't find in a normal store, not the 100,000s of hits. It's a game changer.
—bryanh
18:48, June 2nd, 2008
Not to mention, durability. I would much sooner shove a flexible, $13 paperback into my carry on or take it to the beach, than I would a piece of expensive, fragile-looking tech. I'm sure Amazon has put it through its paces, but it doesn't seem sand- or Transportation Safety Administration-friendly.
—benpirie
18:19, June 2nd, 2008
The mass market paperback (and even trade and hardcover editions) still have the same price, portability, and convenience edge that they've enjoyed for ages, particularly over the $360 Kindle. I don't think it's going anywhere anytime soon. Plus, this article by Cory Doctorow kinda puts Kindle into perspective: http://www.locusmag.com/Features/2008/03/cory-doctorow-put-not-your-faith-in.html
—Mahesh
18:11, June 2nd, 2008
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