When talking about the future of books, lots of folks out there ask themselves, will books eventually disappear?
Now, this question doesn’t mean to imply that people of the future will stop reading. What it implies is that books, as we know them, may disappear. This is certainly plausible when considering that the future may bring about technologies that could replace traditional books altogether. In this article, we are going to explore this idea. Moreover, we are going to consider the likelihood of books morphing into something a little different.
Books Aren’t Going Anywhere Any Time Soon
It’s safe to say that books aren’t going anywhere any time soon. Books are here to stay both in digital and print formats. If anything, recent trends have reinforced the notion that book sales are actually increasing. That bodes well for the publishing industry. The biggest challenge now is getting a share of the pie.
Books Won’t Be Quite the Same
The biggest change we will eventually see is the shift in formats. In the future, we’ll see books in different formats. A good example of this is audiobooks. Audiobooks have steadily increased in popularity as they have become a more convenient way of accessing content. In particular, audiobooks make it easier for people to consume content without interrupting their busy lifestyles.
The Future Will Be Predominantly Digital
This is the biggest point most people raise. The fact is that most books will eventually be published in digital format. Print books will still be around but in a much smaller quantity. Therefore, the future of the publishing industry will predominantly be digital. This is a trend that has already gripped news media. Traditional print newspapers have migrated most of their operations to the digital realm. As a result, most newspapers and magazines offer very little print services to their customers. While print newspapers still exist, news media are now keenly aware that the bulk of their revenue comes from digital subscriptions.
Online Sales Are Here to Stay
Recent trends have shown that online sales channels are the future, today. Companies that wish to thrive in the new marketplace need to have a robust and agile means of facilitating online sales. This implies streamlining everything from marketing to payments so that users have a seamless experience. Naturally, this also implies investing in online capabilities that can provide ease of access and reliability. The good news is that there are more and more third-party companies that offer applications and services that companies can use easily and effectively.
So, we can safely assume that books will be here to stay. What we can assume is that they will transform into different formats. For now, we can assume that eBooks and audiobooks will be the predominant formats of the future. Ultimately, it will up to users to determine if these, or perhaps other formats, will dominate the market. As always, only time will tell. For now, it’s important to recognize emerging trends as they become more and more mainstream.
