A few days ago, the Electronic Book Congress took place in Barbastro , a congress that ended with many disappointments as its final conclusion. However, my conclusions go further, considering this first edition of the Electronic Book Congress disastrous for the topic it addresses. In short: I don't know what an electronic book is.
For two days, various authorities from the world of books and ebooks met to discuss ebooks in Spain. However, the talks were limited to Amazon and piracy, two major problems for both print and ebooks. In the days leading up to the conference, the price of ebooks was discussed. Everyone agreed that prices couldn't fall below 10 euros and that doing so would result in a loss of quality and job and financial losses for industry professionals.
I will not doubt the words of the editors who commented on their own experiences, but I think the price can be lowered to 10 euros.
In my opinion, some elements were omitted to avoid debate, but the fact that ebooks do away with distribution or reprints , I think, significantly reduces the cost of the new format. The issue of taxes is another topic that was quickly glossed over and which I consider key in these kinds of debates. If we start by considering that ebooks should have a different tax rate than printed books, the conclusion I draw is that there's a very different understanding of ebooks than what they actually are: a new medium, but with the same underlying principles.
Amazon, the e-book killer
Throughout the e-book conference, the giant Amazon was harshly criticized, a major evil that is difficult to avoid. " The messiah will come, sooner or later, but he will come ." Amazon was one of the collaborators and pseudo-sponsors of the event, which in turn was the target of much criticism. Personally, I don't consider Amazon a major evil or a publisher killer, but rather an example that things can be done better and differently than they were being done.
The electronic book of the future
It was briefly mentioned that today's ebook is nothing more than a digital file, but that has nothing to do with the essence of an electronic book. A valid point, but not entirely accurate. I believe the current format needs to be more refined, with improved versions in all aspects of the ebook: typography, spelling, file size, layout, etc. These are elements that are currently overlooked, but frankly, the situation is the same or worse with printed books, and on top of that, you pay more for the title.
The role of large companies in the Electronic Book Congress
On the final day of the Congress, a panel discussion took place with representatives from three major companies in the sector: Amazon, La Casa del Libro, and Google . It was a golden opportunity for everyone to determine the future of ebooks in Spain, but the outcome was quite different. The discussion reminded me of a Tupperware party , but instead of Tupperware , they were offering tablets and eReaders. The Amazon representative practically held up Kindles with Bezos in hand , while the La Casa del Libro representative included a generous display of prices in his presentation, even though he wasn't trying to sell anything.
Solutions and topics that could have been discussed
There are many topics and ideas that can be discussed to improve the situation of ebooks in Spain. Ebooks should have standardized and publicly available formats and regulations. The laws surrounding them are another point that needs to be addressed. The laws should be the same for both printed and electronic books. Readers increasingly demand a fast, simple, and low-cost service. Is this possible in Spain? Furthermore, large companies don't allow the lending of ebooks. Could any publishers do something about this? These are ideas, proposals that are both debatable and possible.
After all this rambling, I think my indignation is clear. The eBook Congress promised much , but it hasn't delivered. I hope all the criticism it has received will help create a second, better, and more useful edition for the market and for users. Even so, I want to emphasize that this is all my opinion, debatable and debated, but like all opinions, respectable. Thank you for reading.
* WARNING: All eReaders are not responsible for the opinions expressed in this article and their comments. *
More Information – The price of ebooks will not fall below 10 euros in Spain.
Video – Eric Pastore