If the e-books knowledge level matched the e-books noise level, publishers could proceed with confidence, devoting resources to e-books ­ or not ­ and managing the format to maximize profitability. The fact is, though, that very little is known.

IBPA members are invited to help fill the gap. Because you always generously share the wealth of your experience, we are calling for reports on how you handle e-books, and we’ll be using them in upcoming issues of the Independent.

Please cover as many of the points below as you can, and add information we didn’t specifically ask for if you like.

E-book/p-book ratios
* How many print-on-paper titles do you have?
* How many e-book titles?
* What percentages of your annual revenue come from p-books vs. e-books?

Extent of experience
* How long have you been publishing e-books?
* What trends have you noticed?

Relationships between formats
* Are your e-books versions of your p-books? If so, sometimes or always?
* Which version usually or always appears first?
* What is the time period between versions? Or do you publish in both formats simultaneously?
* If your e-books are not versions of p-books, why did you decide to issue these titles only in electronic form?

Pricing
* What are your e-book pricing policies?
* What are your e-book prices?
* What guidelines do you use in setting prices?
* Have you noticed price sensitivity?

Reaching readers
* How are your e-books distributed?
* Which reading devices do you publish for?

Insights, lessons, tips and plans
* What have you learned from your e-book experiences so far?
* What e-book plans do you have for the future?

Permitted Uses
* What use(s) of an e-book do you allow -- saving, sharing, printing, other?

Rights
* How and when do you acquire e-book rights, including rights for elements such as photographs?
* What guidelines do you use in deciding what to pay for various e-book rights?

Please send your report to judithappelbaum@aol.com. Deadline: August 3.

NOTE: Please bear in mind that IBPA invites its members to share their experiences from time to time in order to prepare informational articles on trends and innovations in the publishing industry. IBPA does not offer guidance on pricing or terms of sale, all of which must be determined on a title-by-title basis each publisher acting on its own initiative and in the exercise of its own business judgment.

All best,

Judith

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Judith Appelbaum
Editor at Large, the IBPA Independent
Sensible Solutions, Inc.
500 Croton Lake Road
Mount Kisco, NY 10549
Voice: 914 241 4749
Fax: 914 241 1942
Email: judithappelbaum@aol.com
Website: http://www.happilypublished.com