The Real Thing

So, ebooks have become the single bestselling category in American publishing. How do we all feel about that? They think that by 2015 ebooks will account for 50% of the US market. The UK is lagging slightly behind, but we're catching up fast. For me, the fact that they are predicting ebooks sales will plateau at 50% of the market is a great thing - it means that 50% of the sales will still be Real Books :)

I've just written a research paper about Artists' Books - these beautiful limited edition collaborations between artists, writers and publishers are a bit of a secret passion. The research felt more like pleasure than MA coursework - a great excuse to revisit old favourites like Delaunay's 'La Prose' and Matisse's 'Jazz'. My prediction is that even if ebooks overtake paperbacks, if 'real books' disappear in the future, these kind of limited edition, finely crafted publications will survive. They make books, volumes, art - and you can't feel that magic on an e-reader.

Today's stop on the blog tour is over at The Bookbag, where we talk about the beauty of real books, and they review 'The Beauty Chorus'. The Bookbag is a fantastic site to browse around the reviews and find recommendations - enjoy x