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EPR Archived News |
Bytes Alive! It’s Read an eBook Week!Released on = February 6, 2005, 7:45 pm Press Release Author = biffmitchell.com Industry = Entertainment Press Release Summary = Several years ago, Canadian author Rita Toews did an extraordinary thing: she had a new form of literature officially recognized with a week of its own. Press Release Body = According to Chase’s Calendar of Events, this March 6 to 12 is Read an eBook Week. But wait! Why a special week for ebooks? The invention of the printing press in the 15th Century brought reading to the
masses. The invention of the ebook in the 20th Century promised to revolutionize not
just reading, but publishing for the masses. Suddenly, anyone could be published Things were looking good for trees and anyone who wanted to publish that novel collecting dust in the closet. Then, the dream began grinding down. For some reason, ebooks weren’t the hot sellers
everybody had predicted. Some blamed it on the tactile love for paper books you
could hold in your hands. Some said the dedicated ebook readers were too expensive,
too difficult to use, and too cumbersome. Some said: “I can’t take my computer into
the bathtub with me.” There were disputes over digital rights and copyrights. There
were complaints about proprietary technologies. There were concerns about sloppy
editing. Stephen King left a serialized ebook novel dangling in cyberspace, Things were looking grim for trees and the ebook industry. But now, the future of ebooks is looking bright again. Digital natives, who grew up
reading on screens, are reading ebooks. They’re loading dozens of them into their
PDAs and cell phones. Libraries are beginning to stock ebooks on CDs and even The resurgence of interest in ebooks promises major impacts on what we read and the way we read it. Said reader Peggy Loyer: “I love to travel and I do it frequently. I used to take an
extra suitcase on vacation just to hold all the books I was planning to read. Now,
I take only two paper books with me because I've got at least another ten in my palm “Teens regularly download and pay online,” said e-novelist M.D. Benoit. “They find reading the latest novel on their PDA or laptop as normal as breathing." In the last year, e-publishing has prompted a renewed interest in the short story. Indie publishers like Echelon Press and ShortStuff Books began publishing single novellas and collections of three or four short stories. eBook distributors like Fictionwise have begun selling individual short stories alongside novels. Said reader Brad Parks: “Can you imagine going into a bookstore and buying a single short story, bound as a print book? Maybe in Dickens’ time.” According to some, the greatest potential in ebooks is the creation of a whole world of new voices. According to Deron Douglas of Double Dragon Publishing: “The discovery of the ebook by the reading public has created a vast new industry that’s given voice to a very large group of talented writers that would otherwise not have been heard due to the inherent inequities and practices of the established publishing industry.” Others go still further. “I see the democratic potential inherent in this publishing form,” said political essayist Glenn Brigaldino. “eBooks can offer views, enable independent debate, and present uncensored political critique from a multitude of political perspectives from around the globe.” Much to the joy of both e-publishers and e-authors, sales of ebooks have been increasing steadily. “Double Dragon has seen an increase in ebook revenues between 25 and 30 percent in the last three years. “We’ll continue to concentrate on this emerging technology,” said Mr. Douglas. This closely parallels the US ebook industry’s growth of 25 percent for the third quarter of 2004, according to the Open eBook Forum, a trade and standards organization dedicated to the promotion of e-publishing. “There’s much to be celebrated,” said e-author Rita Toews. "As an author, I find it exhilarating to be on the ground floor of a new movement in reading." It was Ms. Toews who approached Chases several years ago to have the second week of March declared Read an eBook Week. “They accepted it,” she said. “The response in the first year wasn’t great, but it was much better the second year.” “The idea is for ebook publishers and authors to hold special events during the
week,” said Ms. Toews. “By uniting in a mass promotion beginning March 6th, I am
confident In honor of the week, members of the ebook industry are encouraged approach local libraries, reading clubs, and the media to plan special events and bring them to the attention of the media. “Authors can hold readings at libraries,” said Ms. Toews. “Publishers can offer special discounts, contests, and other promotions in honor of the event.” “I think anybody who owns a PDA should download a free book from Memoware.com and try an ebook during Read an eBook Week,” said reader John Heinstein. Canadian eAuthors, a group of Canadian e-writers and e-publishers, has created a
series of free banners and buttons that can be downloaded at
http://www.biffmitchell.com/eBook_Week/ebook_week.html to promote the event. The
page also contains a schedule of events submitted by organizers. As calls will not
be returned, callers with events to submit are asked to leave their email addresses. Contact: Biff Mitchell
Canadian Spokesperson for Read an eBook Week Download buttons and banners, and announce events at:
Web Site = http://www.biffmitchell.com/eBook_Week/ebook_week.html Contact Details = Biff Mitchell
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