Palm Pilot as an iPod substitute, a telephone book, a mini laptop, and as a convenient place to store my doodles. But I’ve yet to read any of those e-books that I’ve downloaded. Not the first one. And not the last three.
With that said, why am I such an open advocate ‘for’ e-books.
Because digital delivery really is a magnificent tool when you combine it with the right type of data.
In my opinion, fiction isn’t an ideal match for digital delivery. That’s why Amazon’s e-book section is minuscule shadow of their print book offerings.
If fiction e-books were a smokin’ hot commodity, Amazon would’ve been buried up to their eyeballs in them a loooong time ago.
But they’re not. Their involvement is somewhat limited. Things that make you go “Hmmmm.”
Most non-fiction isn’t suited for digital delivery either. For example, would you really want to read a biography on your laptop – for pleasure? Probably not.
The Content Strategy That Truly Fits The Technology
So you know what doesn’t work. Pleasure e-books – fiction and the such – are still a novelty item right now. Who knows if they’ll ever catch on as a mainstay to book lovers.
But the ,000 question is, what does work?
Giving buyers information that they really need NOW.
It’s a simple concept.
Steve has a sinus infection that’s making his head feel like it’s a one ton anvil. Steve cannot afford the rounds of antibiotics his doctor has recommended. (Steve lives in the US, so this is completely understandable.)
So Steve goes online to seek out alternative treatments. He finds an e-book that promises natural sinus infection cures. While Steve cannot