An Aptara survey shows the latest impacts of eBooks on the Publishing Industry…
Have the publishers finally joined the bandwagon of digital eBook publication? Well, yes, and no. Out of the 600 publishers Aptara surveyed in the summer of 2010, only 64% (384) are offering eBook titles. While this figure is up 11% from an earlier 2010 survey, Aptara shows the majority of publishers are “struggling to maximize profits” from the eBook market.
Publishers continue to try and fit a round peg in a square hole, using “inefficient print production processes that require transformation in order to support scalable, affordable digital output.” Though publishers are making a positive move toward the fast-growing evolution of book publishing, there are still more questions than answers.
Survey Findings:
- 62% of publishers are still unable to calculate return on investment (ROI) from eBooks.
- 14% of those who calculate ROI realize that eBook command a stronger ROI than print.
- Almost a quarter of Publishers creating eBook use XML, which indicates a “positive shift to scalable, digital workflows in support of efficient eBook production across all eReaders.”
- 7% of publishers implement enhancements to eBook. This indicates they are not aware of the EPUB standard’s inherent support for “content enhancement including audio and video.”
Other key survey findings:
- 41% of all publishers surveyed support the EPUB format; 25% support the proprietary Kindle format.
- 61% of Trade/Consumer publishers support the EPUB standard; 18% more than any other publisher type.
- 64% of all publishers are offering titles in eBook format; up 11% from the first survey.
Aptara is conducting a series of surveys, documenting the “evolution of book publishing” in the wake of consumer trends in the fast-growing digital, eReader market.
So what does this mean for the Publishing Industry?
Though publishers are starting to realize the impact of eBooks, they just don’t know how to efficiently produce them in a way that is cost effective. They are slowly inching along the stream of eBook publishing, testing the waters with many one paddle short.
Until publishers find the golden path to effectively producing digital books, writers should retain their e-publishing rights. The digital eBook train is picking up speed and publishers need to find a solution soon to compete.
