Apple Channels Amazon
May 13, 2020
DarkCyber noted this Digital Reader article: “Apple Launched a Publishing Portal for Book Authors – And You Don’t Need a Mac to Use It!” The article reports:
Apple still doesn’t care if you want to read an ebook you buy from them on non-Apple hardware, but they have finally launched a publishing portal that anyone can access using a web browser.
The question is, “Why?”
Many years ago, DarkCyber prepared a report for a large and now mostly forgotten electronic database company. The point of the report was that self published books and monographs were likely to increase, dwarfing the hard copy new titles. The curves in the PowerPoint looked like Covid19 cases in New York City.
At that time, the electronic publishing company thought books were not interesting. For years, Apple was happy with putting actual and would be authors on the Apple bus.
Now Apple has changed its corporate mind. Why?
DarkCyber opines that:
- Amazon is likely to slam the door on epublishing and use one of those allegedly unpickable electronic locks which talk to Alexa. That’s bad, so Apple is changing its policy.
- Apple wants more money and content. Although the take off was frightening, Apple’s non rich media content offerings are gaining altitude. Books are a useful passenger. Revenue is revenue.
- Apple is just pulling a Silicon Valley me too. The benefit is that Apple wants to be in the book game. As the hip Silicon Valley person would say, “Books because.”
Whatever the reason, authors have a new channel. What about regular book publishing companies? Yeah, because. Like the online outfit that ignored books, there will be less attractive consequences of not embracing electronic publishing and book-like artifacts.
Stephen E Arnold, May 13, 2020
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