This is one of the most common question I’m asked.
With all the buzz about the exploding ebook market, it seems that some authors want to skip the process of putting their books into print.
While this can be a money-saving option, there are still many reasons to publish your book as a physical book. Though the ebook market is growing at an astonishing pace, it still only accounts for part of the reading population. If you publish in ebook format alone, you miss out on part of the reading audience. And the same is true in reverse; if you publish in paperback only, you’re missing potential ebook readers.
A printed book is also a tangible item that you can sell at the back of the room during speaking engagements, send to media, distribute to clients, and autograph (try autographing an ebook!). Publishing your book in print is also personally rewarding. There is a tremendous sense of satisfaction when you see your hard work in book format.
While it’s clear that reader habits are changing, which is demonstrated by the tragedy of our many local brick and mortar bookstores closing, I believe that we’re also changing how we buy books. The focus should be on capturing sales online. And there will always be readers who still prefer printed books–but they will most likely purchase them from an online retailer.
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