On digital book world (@DigiBookWorld), editorial director Jeremy Greenfield (@JDGsaid) spoke with book industry experts, observers, and players to get their opinion on what’s ahead for us in this fast changing industry:
1. We will see more self-published best-sellers next year with an exponential rise in the number of million-selling authors.
2. Large publishing companies will go through major restructurings, creating new positions and redundancies of all shapes and sizes.
3. Amazon will come out with a larger tablet with an 8.9-inch screen and it will be priced at $299 or lower.
4. Apple will come out with a smaller iPad at a reduced price.
5. Sony will get a second life in the e-reader game when Pottermore launches in the Spring.
6. Literary agencies will engage in a campaign to communicate the value of their services to the book industry.
7. Authors will become disenchanted with the rights they sign away to publishers. Shorter and more flexible copyright terms will become more attractive to authors.
8. The standard ebook royalty from major publishing houses will rise next year and will escalate with increased sales.
9. Standards of what an app is and what a book is will change and apps will eventually be sold in the iBookstore.
10. More publishing companies will form in-house transmedia groups.
Over on paidContent (@paidContent), Laura Hazard Owen (@laurahazardowen) writes “What’s Coming in 2012: Book Publishing,” part of the comprehensive series on the topic of all content, Coming in 2012.
· Amazon and Barnes & Noble make a deal, sort of.
· Ebook pricing will shift to quality-focused debates.
· One big-six publisher will try a subscription scheme.
And Noelle Skodzinski (@NoelleSki), editor of Publishing Executive (@pubexec), presents the results of a survey of her magazine’s readers concerning
· the top 10 challenges publishing executives are facing,
· the top 11 growth areas publishers are seeing, and
· the top 11 publishing technologies/solutions for which publishers will be shopping in 2012.
Stay current with news about the publishing world by bookmarking Somersault’s (@smrsault) SomersaultNOW online dashboard.