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:

  1. The Domain Strikes Back – Traditional publishers leverage their domain expertise to create premium, authoritative digital products that trump free and informed internet content.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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