The New Constant: Paid Inclusions

June 17, 2012

People bought paper books so why all the complaining about EBooks? The article Advertisements in Books Latest Thing to “Save Publishing” complains of eBook marketing and pricing without considering the past. Advertising and marketing provide a return of investment, and even non-profits have to pay bills.

The article states:

“It’s true, the price of the average eBook is outrageous. The last time I paid the about the same for an eBook as I do for my lunch, when the former required years of effort but the latter is delicious, I just about spit nails. Now that books = content, I look forward to a decline in the already abysmal wages of most authors.”

BookBoon started out as Ventus Publishing in 1988, focusing on publishing education related books for business professionals and students. The company made its leap into eBook in 2005, becoming the first book publishing company in the world to focus 100% on free eBooks. Their funding comes from advertising and marketing, not readers.

The books of the past retained publishing, printing, editing and promotion fees. EBooks’ utilizing advertising for ROI is not irrational. It is simply consistent of what is necessary to succeed in modern business. Anyone ever buy a college guide? Those glowing college reviews may be paid for by the school’s marketing unit. Inclusions are new, marketing is a constant.

Jennifer Shockley, June 17, 2012

Written by Stephen E. Arnold · Filed Under Marketing, News

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Stephen E. Arnold monitors search, content processing, text mining and related topics from his high-tech nerve center in rural Kentucky. He tries to winnow the goose feathers from the giblets. He works with colleagues worldwide to make this Web log useful to those who want to go "beyond search". Contact him at sa [at] arnoldit.com. His Web site with additional information about search is arnoldit.com.