(1). Dedicated e-book reading devices offer consumers a number of advantages. First, they provide a means to store and carry a library’s worth of reading material in a small, lightweight, and portable device thereby allowing readers to access their reading materials anywhere at any time. Second, with Internet access, e-book readers provide reader with the ability to search out, browse, and buy reading material instantly without the needed to go to the bookstore. Third, e-book readers are much cheaper than traditional paper books, thereby saving readers money. Additionally, e-books readers allow readers to share books with others effortlessly and without fear that they will not be returned as well as facilitate online discussions about the book.
(2). Naturally, e-book readers would appeal to anyone that loves or enjoys reading. Additionally, they would appeal to a public that is increasingly comfortable with accessing and receiving information in a digital or digitized format. Third, they would appeal with readers that are not necessary tech-savvy; that is to say perhaps older readers or children that do not want the confusing array of options that an “all-in-one” device like an iPad or iPhone offer. Indeed, an e-book reader’s dedication to simply just provided consumers with a device to read content, is much easier to understand and operate than other devices.
(3). Initially, the arrival of the e-book industry was not significantly important to major publishing houses. At that time, most people still relied on traditional “brick-and-mortar” book stores to buy books. However, as the public has grown comfortable with digital content, and as technology has advanced so as to make accessing digital content easier and more enjoyable; the public has increasingly abandoned buying books in book stores. Accordingly, the development of the e-book industry is vital to major publishing houses. Without its development, publishing houses would be unable to provide content to much of the public. A public that has not given up its desire or need to read but rather just has abandoned the traditional paper-based means to reading.
(4). Like their traditional role, the publisher’s main role in the e-book industry is to get content from the writer to the reading public. Unlike traditional publishing where there was mainly only medium for consumption, namely paper; the e-book industry has multiple mediums, some that are incompatible with others. For instance, an e-book should be able to read by a consumer regardless of whether he is reading it on an Apple iPad, Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook, Android OS tablet, Sony e-Reader, or Adobe file. Accordingly, one of the main duties of a publisher is to translate the writer’s book or document into the many different formats or operating languages that a reader might possibly use to read it. Additionally, the publisher is involved in negotiating the publishing contracts with the e-book distributors such as Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble and Google. These contracts include issues of what the books ultimate price will be, how the price is split between publisher, distributor, and author. Lastly, as technology advances, publishers must continually keep up with the changes. Failure to do so might result in an e-book being incorrectly formatted or otherwise adversely affect how it is distributed to the public.
(5). The dedicated e-book reader competition is fundamental to Barnes & Noble’s current business strategy which is focusing on both continuing to run tradition, “brick and mortar” book stores while at the same time operating a full-scale online digital business. On the one hand, the writing is on the wall about the future of physical book sales, namely they will continue to decline. However, that has not happened yet and so Barnes & Noble provides something that its main competitors do not. However, it also points out that if Barnes & Noble is not successful in the dedicated e-book reader competition, its future, as an independent book sales service, will be in doubt. Accordingly, the company has invested a significant amount of funds and resources to developing the Nook as well as the e-book industry.
(6). Yes, the Nook could fail and Barnes & Noble might still be able to survive or succeed in the e-book market. This is so because there is still opportunity to collaborate on e-book sales with such companies as Apple and Google with technology that is “device agnostic” or via a proprietary Barnes & Noble developed computer application that could be downloaded and installed on any device. In this way, the money that Barnes & Noble was putting into developing and maintaining the Nook could be repurposed to provide its customers with an even smoother and more enjoyable online experience. To be sure, Barnes and Noble survived the initial years of the e-book industry without its own e-book reader, so there is no reason to doubt that it could not continue if the Nook were to fail. Indeed, whatever they learned of the e-book industry in building and marketing the Nook would undoubtedly give them valuable insight to making a Nook-less online business better.
(7). No, there does not appear that one company or format will be able to gain a commanding 50 percent of the e-book marketplace. First, currently none of the devices or formats offer much significantly different from its competitors. Accordingly, loyalty is based on aspects that are more personal to individual customers such as price, look and feel. Secondly, the e-book market is so saturated with devices and formats it is difficult for customers to differentiate the choices and so they are most likely to stay with the device or format that they are comfortable with rather than change to a new one.
Works Cited
MacCormack, Alan, Brian Kimball Dunn, and Chris F. Kemerer. “Barnes & Noble: Managing the E-Book Revolution.” Harvard Business School Case Study 9-613-073, 03 Apr. 2014. Web. 25 Mar. 2016.
