Please join me on a webinar sponsored by Mark Logic on Wednesday 2/18/09 at 2pm EST. I'll be covering my five top predictions for 2009 (and beyond). The predictions come largely from a forthcoming research study "Digital Platforms and Technologies for Book Publishers: Implementations Beyond eBook," that Bill Trippe and I are writing. Here are the predictions:
- The Domain Strikes Back - Traditional publishers leverage their domain expertise to create premium, authoritative digital products that trump free and informed internet content.
- Discoverability Overcomes Paranoia - Publishers realize the value in being discovered online, as research shows that readers do buy whole books and subscriptions based on excerpts and previews.
- Custom, Custom, Custom - XML technology enables publishers to cost-effectively create custom products, a trend that has rapidly accelerated in the last six to nine months, especially in the educational textbook segment.
- Communities Count - and will exert greater influence on digital publishing strategies, as providers engage readers to help build not only their brands but also their products.
- Print on Demand - increases in production quality and cost-effectiveness, leading to larger runs, more short-run custom products and deeper backlists.
I look forward to your questions and comments! Register today at http://bit.ly/WApEW
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