Public Relations & Social Marketing Insight

The increase in ebook sales is a disruptive trend that can’t be ignored and traditional publishers are racing to adapt. Figures from Yahoo indicate that ebook sales rose by over 4,400% from $68 million to $3 billion between 2008 and 2012 which is 25-30% of all book sales. But that is only the sales data from the big publishers.It’s bigger than that....

Ebooks have become a high priority for both consumers and the authors of the latest publications. Authors, publishing houses, and consumers alike are all beginning to choose the digital copy ... ...

Many of these publishers are getting started with a number of controversial titles to draw attention to themselves. Though they may not be able to draw the big name authors, quite yet, these small mcommerce companies are including controversial titles among their offerings in order to help to help to build recognition.

For instance, one of the latest ebook launches that was meant to attract attention includes one written about Anne Hathaway, the actress, and how her popularity has generated considerable “hatred”. This was released by Entertainment Concepts Press.

Many of these publishers, including the one mentioned in the above example, are focusing exclusively on mcommerce. These books will not be published on paper, but will instead be sold over mcommerce as ebooks that can be read on ereaders, tablets, and even the occasional smartphone or laptop screen. All of the major bookstores that sell online are jumping on the digital bandwagon and have built up an extensive list of downloadable offerings. This is especially popular for the bookstores that have their own ereaders and tablets to sell, as well.

According to Jeff Bezos, the CEO of Amazon, when discussing the topic of ebooks over mcommerce, “We’re now seeing the transition we’ve been expecting.” This was a statement that was made in late December 2012. He added that “After five years, ebooks is a multi-billion dollar category for us and growing fast — up approximately 70 percent last year. In contrast, our physical book sales experienced the lowest December growth rate in our 17 years as a book seller, up just 5 percent.”...

eBooks definitely aren’t a fleeting trend. Studies by the Content Marketing Institute have found that 32% of B2B marketers are currently using long-form content offers for marketing, and an additional 54% intend to increase their spending on custom content in the next year.

According to leading expert Joe Pulizzi, it’s now necessary to publish “epic” content marketing to stand out from your competition – and that requires product that’s definitively needed in your niche, and best of breed. There’s few better ways to provide serious value to your audience than with a carefully-researched, brilliantly-designed eBook. Here are some ways to make your next long-form content really stand out from the rest....

If the goal is to produce content that gets found, read, and shared, then content marketers can't ignore mobile devices and online bookstores. Making your eBook available in retail stores can expand your audience, and maybe even your bottom line.

Apple released its Lion operating system in July of 2011 and Ars Technica reviewer John Siracusa was ready with his detailed 27,000-word review. But instead of confining the article to the web, where it was available as an advertising-supported, 19-page, free document, Ars Technica formatted it for Kindle and sold it on Amazon for $4.99. Ars reported selling 3,000 copies in just the first 24 hours, which netted $10,500 ($4.99 x 3,000 x 70 percent royalty)....