Even as more readers switch to the convenience of e-books, publishers are giving old-fashioned print books a makeover.
Many new releases have design elements usually reserved for special occasions — deckle edges, colored endpapers, high-quality paper and exquisite jackets that push the creative boundaries of bookmaking. If e-books are about ease and expedience, the publishers reason, then print books need to be about physical beauty and the pleasures of owning, not just reading.
“When people do beautiful books, they’re noticed more,” said Robert S. Miller, the publisher of Workman Publishing. “It’s like sending a thank-you note written on nice paper when we’re in an era of e-mail correspondence.”
» via The New York Times (Subscription may be required for some content)
See, this is what I’ve been saying!
E-readers are primarily a tool of convenience. They’ll easily make the market for cheap paperbacks redundant, but this only means that the market for the book as an art object will grow. Moreover, if the worst occurs and major publishing houses are bought by, like, oil companies or whatever, authors can just publish independently, market digitally, and give money to small book producers (who can barely subside in the market as it is, because major publishers own the monopoly) to design special-one-time-edition copies for the fans who still appreciate a well-designed volume- and collect all the revenue instead of living on the pittance of royalties. I think books moving into an era of collector’s item is pretty damn cool, really. Bookcases will be sexy again.
(via teachingliteracy)
