New devices such as Amazon’s Kindle and Sony’s Reader have opened the wide world of digital to the book publishing industry. It is bracing for the changes, which have dramatically affected other media for better or worse. Making sure that they are paid for content whether in paper or digital form is a key. The industry is studying what has gone down before, and of course is noting how the recording industry handled the challenge. One exec told Reuters, “Our aim is not to beat up the music industry … but that said, they sure did screw it up.”
RBR/TVBR observation: In all fairness, the internet made music the media pioneer whether it wanted it or not, but the recording industry seems to have done almost everything it could wrong, from ignoring the problem to suing its own customer base, and is now poisoning its relationship with its best source of free marketing, radio. Book publishers will be wise to watch and do the opposite.
