The i-Change in Publ-i-shing

I remember working in the music industry ten years ago when Apple introduced the iPod and the iTunes music store. I was at Apple Headquarters at Infinite Loop in Cupertino a room full of music industry executives and I remember getting goosebumps from the excitement on how iTunes would change the rules of music distribution.

Fast forward to January 27, 2010 and the introduction of the iPad. It’s a cool little device and like how the books look like they’re on shelves, but it’s not the iPad device itself, it’s the free iBookstore application that will be available on the iPad as a free download. This store will change the rules of publishing forever.

Amazon’s Kindle and the brick and mortar stores like Barnes & Nobles and Borders are just about to feel the aftershocks of the iBookstore.

It reminds me how I felt that day in 2000 when I listened to Apple executives speak of how iTunes will change the music industry forever.

The question is how quickly will e-reading take off? Me says very quickly with Kindle and the iPad providing plenty of outlets for readers to try it out. But will readers stay longterm with this e-reading fad? Or go back to physical books because of it’s intimate comfort?

Filed under: Writing

New era of Publishing

So Publishers Weekly reports that Borders Books had very disappointing sales in 4th quarter 2009. This is unfortunate, but this supports what I believe will happen with big chain bookstores in the next few years. They will reduce the number of stores, and the stores that remain open will reduce fiction inventory to the best sellers (i.e Dan Brown, Nora Roberts, Nicholas Sparks) while nonfiction will carry these brick and mortar retail outlets. Meanwhile, Apple’s Tablet to be released in March 2010 will really spark the eBook growth as Amazon’s Kindle continues to gain marketshare. Publishing’s transition to a new business model is well underway. The question is how quickly will major publishers adapt to this new reality?

Filed under: Writing

Twenty Ten

Here’s to a prosperous 2010 to all of you! A new decade. Hard to believe it’s been 10 years since my life changed forever. Getting married and witnessing the birth of my 3 children are my biggest gifts given to me this past decade, as well as somehow making it in the expensive state of California. Now I wonder what will the next ten years bring? My biggest goal for the next ten years is for my kids to remain humble as they transition into adulthood. And it would be great to retire by 2020. But I am a writer, so what are the chances?

I’ll continue to dream…since dreaming is the first step to actually achieving the impossible.

Filed under: Writing