Bundles
Whether packaging a print edition along with the ebook, blending digital versions of an author’s entire oeuvre or organizing reads thematically, many ebook enthusiasts think bundles will inspire quite the popularity surge. The added incentives might very well sway individuals and institutions unsure about whether or not they want to embrace the admittedly expensive technology.
I always thought it would be amazing if when you buy a physical copy of a book, there is a code for a digital download. Hey, they do it with DVDs! My favorite DVDs to buy are the Blu-Ray/DVD/Digital Copy combo packs. Can we do this with books as well? I love to have my favorite books in physical form, but if they had a code for a digital copy as well... heaven. Bundles in ebooks could also work for buying a whole series of a book. You should totally get a deal if you are buying a whole series at once.
Social reading sessions
Online book clubs are actually quite common these days, but ebooks have yet to really seize upon their potential. Beyond offering up discussion questions, readers themselves could include ways for members to communicate with one another via audio or video, or promote even better integration with some of the technologies and organizations already available.
I would love if there were discussion questions at the end of every book. How awesome would that be? What if there is a link at the end of the ebook that takes you to a discussion board? Ah! The possibilities. I swear... this is the greatest time to be alive!
Monetized content
Not everyone will necessarily dig embedded ads in their ebooks, even unobtrusive ones, but that doesn’t mean publishers and companies won’t try to cash in on the technology. All the same, though, monetized content doesn’t have to mean staring down "CLICK HERE!" in the middle of Cat’s Cradle. It could be anything from downloadable content — along the lines of many video games — to subscription services.
Ohhh. Monetized content. Now.. this is an interesting one. Would monetized content have any benefit to the reader? Would ebook prices be lower? Will they be like adwords throughout the book? It’s all very interesting to think about. As long as they aren’t obtrusive, I think I would be okay with monetized content. Especially if it meant lower prices for ebooks.
What do you think? Are there any trends you would like to see become popular with ebooks? Let me know!
Love the idea of bundled content! Works well with DVDs and CDs, so why not eBooks? Don't like the idea of ads in my book, but some books have them already with those annoying inserts, so guess would have to wait and see what format they would take.
ReplyDeleteInteresting post! Thanks for sharing!
SO cool to think about. the monetized content bit i can see as a huuuge controversy, but itll probably go down anyway.
ReplyDeletetechnology is so crazy.
@Alexia561
ReplyDeleteI know! I've been pestering my mom about bundled content for books forever. I probably annoy her with how often I talk about it :)
@tropicaleats.com
ReplyDeleteI knowww. I'm sure the monetized content would be a huge controversy. I mean, how many people do you think would even click on the links? I know I wouldn't. I basically don't even notice them on the internet anymore. I don't know how profitable it will be, but if it lowers the cost of ebooks (I have seriously checked the price of an ebook and a hard cover version has been cheaper--RIDICULOUS), then I'm all for it haha. :)