I love this email thread.  It shows how diverse we are when it comes to ingestion of information.  Some people prefer a hard-copy book that they can read, store on the shelf, share with others, sell to a used book store, etc.  Others prefer electronic readers that can instantaneously download books and other information, storing an entire library in their pocket.

So what's the best delivery method?  Both!  

This is why the newspaper business is in such turmoil.  They have been slow to understand that their customers have diverse delivery preferences.  Yes, some people still want a newspaper.  Some prefer to view the content online.  Some prefer using mobile phones or eBook readers.  Some people want to see video.  Others want to see text and photos.  

I'm not in the publishing business and have never published a book, so I don't know what all goes into the decision-making process on whether to make an electronic version of a book available.  I'm pretty sure it varies publisher to publisher and author to author.  However, I am an advocate of delivering a product in the way the customer wants to receive it.  If a publisher is in the business of printing books, they will likely find themselves in the same position as newspapers who think they're in the business of printing news.

Mark Graves
Omaha, NE
[log in to unmask]

List archives at http://lists.ufl.edu/archives/recmgmt-l.html
Contact [log in to unmask] for assistance
To unsubscribe from this list, click the below link. If not already present, place UNSUBSCRIBE RECMGMT-L or UNSUB RECMGMT-L in the body of the message.
mailto:[log in to unmask]