I just read a very thought provoking article by Jordan Golson of GigaOm entitled: "Book Publisher: e-Books Will Be Our Downfall."

It got me thinking about how technology has changed our personal behavior and along with that, our distribution channels for certain goods & services. E-Books and E-Readers, such as the Kindle, along with distribution "centers" such as Amazon for books or Apple iTunes Store for music, add convenience to the buying process, but they also alter the experience. Sometimes this is good, sometimes, not so much.

What value do they bring beyond price & convenience? Do they market - sort of. They provide a search/discovery tool and can make suggestions based upon what other buyers who have purchased the same movie, book or music have also purchased. They provide a place for users to rate creative content, but most people don't bother taking the time. They don't coordinate book signings. They don't provide book editing services. They don't provide demographic data to writers to help them with plots or sales. There data is different & their resources are limited. Distributors have always had amazing databases. It's just easier to access them now, but it is equally as useful online or off.

There is certainly more that these e-distributors can do, but it doesn't spell the end of book publishing as we know it. It does mean the the book publishers need to do a better job of communicating the value they bring to the writer, the distributor, the retailer (or e-tailer) and the reader. People abandon behavior when it no longer serves any purpose. Book publishing is not dead. Book distribution has transformed and will likely continue its transformation. What happens to book publishers is up to the publishers. Doing nothing gives innovators a chance to gain ground. If they innovate in-house and offer valuable services (and effectively communicate them) to all their constituents then the prognosis is pretty good.

e-books are not our downfall unless they completely replace printed media. Remember, e-books can't be shoved in a back pocket, they don't like water, sunscreen and sand, you can't write in the margins and you can't show-off your first edition Mastering the Art of French Cooking or your author's signed copy of The Mouse the Roared. And, didn't Captain Kirk receive a copy of The Tale of Two Cities (leatherbound) as a birthday gift in The Wrath of Kahn." What year was that???

Life is rich. Life has texture. Television didn't kill radio nor do I believe e-readers will kill off publishing and all printed media. If the printed book dies it's not because of technology, it's because of societal changes in what's valued. Format is format - everyone likes something a little different, but the process of publishing has much more depth than just distribution. If we forget that, then the book publishers are the least of worries.

Just one gal's opinion...