Comments on: Are Phones More Important than E-Readers to the Future of Publishing?

By: Jason

Jason — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 05:21:25 +0000

Agree wholeheartedly, Edward. I independently wrote a similar post this very day, comparing my Kindle App usage (heavy) to my use of the device itself (almost none). Also did the pros and cons of each and came to the conclusion that Amazon is on the wrong track with hardware. More at http://www.bookbee.net

By: Matt

Matt — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 03:27:57 +0000

I believe that cell phone novels are definitely the future of literature in the soon coming digital age of ebooks. As a writer of one, I have seen a large interest in the format not just in Japan, but also in the Western world.

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 22:07:56 +0000

I forgot to add: see the NYTimes Magazine for last Sunday (2/14/10) re: religion in history textbooks. ebooks will finally be able to have customized editions for each state. Texas religious conservatives will no longer rule the textbook world. about time.

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 22:05:15 +0000

I agree with Tell. The phones will get a little bigger and a little more high-res. The books will get simpler, with complicated non-fiction able to link out to web site from the phone. Novels will work, however clumsy they turn out to be on the phone screen. Batteries will be key here. A long train, bus, or plane ride has to have great battery life of extra portable batteries, especially if backlit.

By: Tell

Tell — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 17:35:22 +0000

I cannot imagine reader without wifi and 3g connection. So this is all in one as smartphone

By: Chris

Chris — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 17:06:13 +0000

Yeah, as an owner of a Sony E Reader and Kindle II, I’d have to agree with your assessment, Ed. They’re each big, expensive, fragile and not particularly fun to read on. And as Alton Brown would say, they’re also “uni-taskers,” so probably destined for obsolescence. Yes, mobile phones will be the wave of ebook future. But reading a lot of text even on an iphone remains a pretty sucky experience. A mass market paperback is portable and convenient enough for me.

By: Matt

Matt — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 09:38:13 +0000

I believe Cell Phone Novels are the wave of the future and will have a huge impact, they have already arrived in the English speaking world as well. I am one of a handful of writers to attempt to write one in English in the same style that the Japanese themselves write it in. My Cell Phone Novel “Once Upon A Christmas Wish…” is currently the second most popular English Cell Phone Novel, having been viewed over 14,300 times since it went online Dec. 24. You can check it out here: http://textnovel.com/stories_list_detail.php?story_id=2395

By: The Future in the Palm of Your Hand (Publishing at Mobile World Congress 2010)

The Future in the Palm of Your Hand (Publishing at Mobile World Congress 2010) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 08:05:30 +0000

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