By Edward Nawotka
Today’s feature story considers the implications of implementing the “Spotify for books” model from the reader’s and author’s point-of-view. One of the key questions concerns the tolerance for advertising in books. While the publisher’s perspective on this question will be addressed in tomorrow’s issue, it will be interesting to hear your perspective today? What do you think — as the price of content is driven lower and lower, and publishers struggle for new ways to monetize their products, is it now time for publishers to consider taking advertising inside books?
If so, should advertising be restricted to digital titles, where pricing concerns are most acute, while print is left pristine? Or should publishers also consider putting ads in print books, where the ads are likely to command a premium price? Should authors have the option to negotiate this as part of their contract? And how would you react as a reader?
Let us know what you think in the comments.
8 Comments
I don’t mind reading a little product placement in a book. If I saw an ad at the front or back of the book it doesn’t bother me either. However don’t interrupt my page flow.
So what’s new? The early Penguins (c1936) carried full pager advertisements at the end of the book for Cadbury’s Dairy Milk chocolate!
As Rod Adner and William vincent pointed out in their op-ed titled “Get Ready for Ads in Books” in the 8/19/10 issue of the Wall Street Journal, ebooks lend themselves to advertising in a way print books do not, viz., by allowing for dynamic updating of ads that the long lead times and static nature of print publishing do not make possible. In my essay on “Back to the Future: Old Models for New Challenges” )Against the Grain, April 2011), I identify advertising as one of three revenue streams that may permit scholarly publishing to make the transition to open-access publishing possible. It may not be the predominant source of income but at least can play an important secondary role in this sector.
As a reader: NEVER inside of a book! Maybe on the outside, in a throw-away paper jacket covering a printed book but please, not inside! Not interrupting the flow of my reading!
So, for e-books, where would it go? At the end? Up front? Probably not up front, it would discourage from reading. In between chapters? Not a good idea, it interrupts the flow of reading. So at the back end…But from an advertiser’s POV, probably not a very enticing place to be!
I realize e-books allow for advert updating in real time but, but that’s frightening! It means:
(a) as pointed out in your article, that the reader gives up his/her privacy – certainly not fair and a frightening form of “Big Brother is Watching You”; and
(b) it is demeaning to the author – I can well understand how upset an author would be to find, as you say, that a novel set in Bilbao will have ads for restaurants…why not bars and discotheques? Where’s the limit?
Conclusion: if publishers really want to go down this road, writers will have to get it all down in clear terms in their contracts to avoid any unpleasant surprises…As to the readers…Who will fight for them?
It brings to mind product placement advertising found in tv and movies. Will authors have their characters using specific brands? Interesting. Would probably be more effective than a page ad.
If publishers are going to allow advertising in a book, I think they shoud be advertising their other books in the same genre or subject. I remember when Penguin and Ace paperbacks used to have ads at the end of the books, and that is where they belong. As a self-publishing author I advertise only my own books and only if their titles pertain. Otherwise, I would not presume to insult the readers with product placement or ads for other products. You have to balance the need to monetize a book with the sensitivity of the readers, who are annoyed enough with the antics of television ad placers. Leave books be.
The problem I see is that print books are around for a very long time. It’s not like a news paper, which is meant to be thrown away in a week. Any ads placed into a printed book are going to _be_ there, forever. As a result, in 5 or 10 years, when your child picks that book up to read it, they’re going to see an ad for something that may not even be available anymore.
The only way I see it working is if they stick to advertising other books. Which I have seen in some books. And that’s fine, considering that I’m already reading a book, and if the publisher has another book that’s like the one I’m reading, then I might (and have before) go check out the book advertised.
But if they start putting ads into the body of the story, or putting ads for things that have nothing to do with reading, then they’re probably going to get ignored.
I can’t say that their sales will drop, but it’ll be like those annoying talking ads that play when the page loads, interrupting whatever you had going on in order to find the **** thing and shut it off. (Not a real good impression to make on customers if they associate your brand with “OH GOD TURN IT OFF!!!”)
Now, I understand the publishing industry’s plight.
Bookstores are closing due to lack of customers, few people are reading and fewer are buying printed books. Ebook sales are on the rise, and they can’t justify pricing an ebook at $20 to match the hardback sales price, because everyone already knows that in order to get the print book ready, they’ve already _got_ the ebook ready and it’s just a format change if that. Then there’s the rise in self-published titles and independent authors making money without bothering to get an agent or publisher, or even bothering with print editions at all. Some independent authors are undercutting traditional publishers with .99 books, as well, lowering customer’s expectations on ebook prices. (Though the pricing discussion going on amidst independent authors is settling on $2.99.)
However, I don’t think putting ads into ebooks will work to keep the publishing industry afloat.
Look at the App Store on your smart phone. You can get Angry Birds for free, and then it’s got an annoying little banner ad that you just work around or ignore, or you can buy Angry Birds for .99, and get it without ads. Angry Birds creators claim more than 12mil paid customers out of 30mil downloads. People will put up with ads if the product is low cost or free.
That’s the model customers are used to. If you pay for a product, it shouldn’t have ads in it. Putting an ad into an ebook that is full price would be paying the publisher twice. Thus, putting ads in an ebook, especially if they’re intrusive, will have the product associated with a feeling of annoyance.
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