This version of the site is now archived. See the next iteration at v4.chriskrycho.com.
Topic: “ebooks”

New research continues to emphasize the importance of mind wandering for learning. It turns out that not paying attention is one of the best ways of discovering new ideas. Reading books, whether silently or aloud, remains one of the most efficient means of enabling such errant thinking. As our bodies rest, our minds begin to work a different way. New connections, new pathways, and sharp turns are being made as we meander our way through the book, but also away from it. There is no way to tell if anyone is actually paying attention anymore as I read, including myself. This seems to be one of the great benefits of reading aloud, that you can think of something else while you do it. We may be holding the book together, but our minds are no doubt far apart by now.

—Andrew Piper, “Out of Touch: E-reading isn’t reading,” November 15, 2012, Slate,
excerpted from Book Was There: Reading in Electronic Times

Bundling!

Published:

Comments:

Filed under: Posts

Topics: , , , , ,

"Why do we have to choose between print and digital?" asked Richard Curtis at Digital Book World last week, before tackling the topic of bundling – getting ebooks at reduced cost or even free when buying a physical copy of the book. Drawing an analogy from music purchases that have moved in the same direction, he suggests that publishers ought to be bundling, and then poses the query: When you purchase a print book you should be able to get the e-book for…

  1. the full combined retail prices of print and e-book editions
  2. an additional 50% of the retail price of the print edition
  3. an additional 25% of the retail price of the print edition
  4. $1.00 more than the retail price of the print edition
  5. free

He suggests that this proves to be something of a conundrum for decision-makers in the publishing industry. With respect, and while recognizing that it probably feels like a conundrum to the publishers, I think the answer is really quite simple. Publishers can dramatically increase their profits, and do it in a way that readers will love. (This is the part where you call me crazy. Up next is the part where I show you why I’m not.) Read on, intrepid explorer →