Dead Trees VS Dead Electrons
Submitted by CyberLord on September 24, 2010 - 11:45
I just read the Warren Ellis piece on a plausible direction for Warner now that DC Comics has been split from DC Entertainment. I can't say that I disagree; however, Slashdot had a discussion yesterday (Thursday September 23, 2010) about an article from MIT's Technology Review by Christopher Mims disputing Amazon's claims that electronic books have out sold paper books. Putting the two together I think independant publishers have a wonderful opportunity here.
In the MIT article (http://technologyreview.com/blog/mimssbits/25783/) Christopher Mims argues that Amazon is only counting sales of hard-back books and that when paper-back books are included electronic books are only six percent of all books sold at Amazon.
This morning I read the Warren Ellis article and I have to agree with him. I see no reason a gigantic corporation would want to lose money on paper printed comic-books. HOWEVER, I do see a reason a SMALL company could take comic-book sales and make a profit. Smaller companies are lean, fast, and capable of making a profit from what a dinosaur such as Time/Warner could not make a profit. Think back to Microsoft and IBM, Netflix and the recently bankrupt Blockbuster, Marvel Comics and National Perioficals in the 1960's!
If paper will continue to be the preferred medium for reading AND larger concerns abandon comic-books, that could be a GOOD thing for the rest of us.
