Due consideration must be given to the increasing number of ebooks that are only published and distributed as an electronic edition. In many cases the author has no desire to undertake the hassle of releasing a pbook. The author doesn’t want to chase after a mainstream publisher or pay to utilize a digital “publishing service” to produce and distribute a pbook. Ebooks are purchased directly by the consumer because they want to read the content created by the author.

There is a trend developing that when an ebook has achieved a significant number of sales the mainstream houses will seek out the ebook author and put a pbook publishing deal on the table. The transitional turmoil in the publishing industry is prompting authors to ask publishers specifically what the benefits are when they sell the rights to a popular ebook to one of the “big six” to be eventually release as a pbook.

Authors who have earned up to 70% in royalties are going to be reluctant to agree to a much lower royalty offered by the pbook publisher. Of course there would be a sizable advance paid to the ebook author, but the advance is against future royalties. This raises the question: What percentages of books acquired by an advance have sold in significant numbers to earn out the advance???

Born-digital is the evolving future of ebooks. Ebook are more cost-effective to produce and thusly more affordable for consumers to purchase.

Enjoy often… John