When the term technology is used our minds fill with visions
of computers, wires, and laser beams.
Wind the clock back a hundred years, a couple of hundred years, or
several hundred years, technology takes on a different sense.
The printing press was a technology frowned upon for many
reasons, one of which was the belief that monks would become lazy.
The automobile.
Photography.
Flight.
All technological advances.
The commonality? They were all
feared, shunned, played off as a fad, and touted they would never, ever, not in
a million years, replace “x”.
You just have to love us human-types.
Digital photography will never replace film. That statement came from a photography
magazine printed in 1994. In all
fairness, digital photography has not “replaced” film, but when was the last
time you saw a new film camera for sale at your local superstore? As a matter of fact, without doing a search
on the web, tell me fast, where would you take that film to get developed?
People will always want to read the morning paper. It will never be replaced by the
internet. There are hundreds (if not
thousands) of newspapers and magazines that no longer exist because they failed
to recognize the oncoming train of technology, and countless more that are
struggling to catch up before they too go under.
“X” format will never replace the LP. People long for the hiss and pop of the
classic vinyl record. Been to a “Record”
store lately? Oh wait, you can just get
that online. If you dig deep enough, you
can even get a copy of that song with the hiss and pop included.
So, why do we believe electronic books will never, ever, not
in a million years, outsell print books?
Already we see signs of that flawed belief. Whatever happened to the “Big Six”? What are we down to? Five?
Four? The big publishers sat
mired in the mud for years. Now they
struggle to catch up with the very technology they downplayed.
When was your most recent trip to Waldenbooks, B Dalton,
Borders?
Will the e-book ever completely replace the coveted print
version? No. Much like a photograph printed on special
paper, the desire will always be present.
However…
Much like a hand-tooled leather belt, the printed
photograph, the hardback novel, will become cost-prohibitive for the average
customer. They will become novelty items
relegated to the collectors and those with disposable income.
It won’t be today. It
won’t be tomorrow. It may not even be
within a decade, but there will come a time in your children’s life when
special orders for printed books will be the norm.
The bookshelf, much like your photo album, will be
virtual. So, instead of fighting
technology, find a way to make it work to your advantage. After all, technology is coming, and it has
been proven over the centuries, its force is greater than any resistance you
can provide.
Go ahead, keep saying it’ll never happen. You’ll be one less competitor we have to
worry about when it does.
Shameless plug here:
I have three titles available; one novel, Blood of
Two, and two shorts, The Leaf Pendant, and The Most Intelligent Orc in the
World. Check out Smashword, Amazon,
Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Diesel, or iTunes to find a copy.
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