Is digital publishing the death of print publishing?

 Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

“Reports of my death are greatly exaggerated” Mark Twain

Way back in 1897, Mark Twain to his surprise, is said to have seen his own obituary. He famously remarked, ‘the reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.’

The death of the print book at the hands of the ebook has long been rumoured. But the fact is printed books are still very much on the rise – there are more print books printed daily than ever before. And just to be iconoclastic, at 5 billion copies the Bible is still the world’s most printed book (not J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter).

Often we speak to aspiring authors who want to produce a ebook. We love ebooks and produce quality ebooks for a high percentage of our authors. Most of these authors effectively combine print with ebooks.

But everyone in publishing continues to ask ‘have we reached “peak ebooks” – like the concept of “peak oil” production’. Is the ebook revolution at its zenith? Has it plateaued? Or will it start to plateau?

Ebook sales numbers still look strong for years to come, with the market continuing to evolve. We’re seeing more subscription models and audiobooks popping up, which could mean readers’ tastes are shifting—not that ebooks are going anywhere. Publishers and authors are getting creative with marketing and adding interactive features to keep things fresh and fun and sales ticking over.

But will ebook sales eventually dethrone or kill the mighty print book?

Even the ebook in academic publishing has its limitations, despite academic publishing long being the leader in the uptake of the digital word. Jaki Hawker in her article Selling Words: An Economic History of Bookselling, R.E. Lyons et al (eds), The Academic Book of the Future,   says demand for academic publishing is burgeoning under academia’s prevailing ‘publish or perish’ mantra. But demand for publishing space has outstripped supply as economic fundamentals means that not all demand for publishing articles can be satisfied. Hawker’s thesis is that digital journal sales to libraries are now driven by actual demand measured in clicks. And as such libraries tend to buy digital journals with proven demand.

Additionally Hawker makes the point that students want digital content cheaper or free. And importantly, when buying packaged books – ebook and print together –  only 35% of students accessed both the print and digital versions.

‘Courses… moved to Open Access text following student feedback… 25% of the same students willingly purchased physical copies of a textbook they could read and use, free to them online ^1′.

The possible future plateauing of ebooks is accompanied by the continued rise of  print with production numbers hitting record highs in recent years. This resillience can be attributed to several factors, including a growing appreciation for the tactile experience of physical books amidst the digital age. Many readers relish the smell of paper, the feel of pages turning, and the aesthetic of a well-stocked bookshelf.

Additionally, niche markets and diverse genres are booming, drawing in a wide array of readers eager to explore unique perspectives and rich narratives. The combination of vibrant indie publishing and the revival of classic literature has made printed books more appealing than ever, ensuring that they remain a beloved medium for storytelling and knowledge-sharing.

Indie publishing/self-publishing, driven by the revolution of Print-On-Demand (POD), is exploding. We have POD providers like companies from the US Ingram and Amazon, and now Australia’s own Author Freely. We call this newfound capability the ‘democratisation of publishing’. It means anyone can now publish a print book.

Footnotes: 1. J Hawker, Internal company sales report, Blackwell’s.