What I'm reading: The Reversal, by Michael Connelly
I'm closing in on another giveaway. I need a few more likes and follows (see the sidebar).
Digital publishing has a North American focus. We tend to think that everyone has the same options and opportunities, but that's not the case. But today, almost everything is available in digital format. More and more authors are taking advantage of being able to publish their own books, be they original or previously published titles. As she put it, "Self publishing is the new black."
In 1998, the first ISBN was given to an e-book.
In 1999, the Baen Free Library appeared (with DRM free books!)
In 2000, Stephen King self published his first e-book, selling 500,000 copies in 48 hours.
Romance readers were instrumental in the growth of e-publishing as readers found they could get books and read them in the privacy of their homes. (Sad that there's still a stigma on being a romance reader or writer.) Ellora's Cave was a leader in the field.
The first Kindle appeared in 2007, but Sony had the first "new" e-reader long before that. (And this is NOT the answer to question #3 in my quiz)
In April, 2009, J.A. Konrath published his first e-book.
In 2010, the iPad made its debut.
Here's a short quiz.
1. When was the first ebook published?
2. What was it?
3. And what was the first dedicated e-reader? (My first reader, an eBookwise, was a spinoff of this one, and I still have it.)
Email your answers to me contest @ terryodell.com (Remove spaces, and please DON'T put them in the comments, to be fair to all.) I'll send everyone who gets them right a coupon for a free Smashwords download of one of my books.
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7 comments:
Interesting! I didn't know all that led up to where we are today with epublishing. I think I sort of discounted ebooks when they first came on the scene. Thanks for the info, Terry!
I think most of us discounted e-books. I know when my first book was published with Cerridwen Press, which was digital-first, everyone said, "Oh, tell me when you write a REAL book."
Terry, stop by my blog and collect your Versatile Blogger award that I handed out to you today!!! http://saucylucywisdom.blogspot.com
Cindy - thanks so much. Glad you enjoy my blog and its features.
I'm very thankful for e-books. I can't always afford the price of a print book and e-books give me another option so I'm not just reading the contents of my pantry :O)
Thanks, Karen - and thanks for answering the questions. I've sent you a Smashwords coupon code.
Terry
Thank you!
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