The book and publishing industry has gone through many transformations in recent years and e-books have gained prominence. Since then evoked digitization in all spheres of life with mobile apps in the leading role, book and publishing companies also made a breakthrough with them. Known as “Digital Versions of Printed Books”, eBooks circulate on the Internet as PDF files. They can be read on a variety of smart devices, e-readers like Amazon’s Kindle that promise a comfortable and hassle-free reading experience. On the other hand, apps are there as basic tools to help read e-books on smartphones, tablets for those who don’t own an e-reader.

To be sure, the e-book industry is in its infancy and far from influencing its large number of publishers. To date, however, it has only proven to exceptionally widen the reach of the publishers’ market. Read in the next section about some notable trends currently being seen in the e-book industry.

#1 More posts than readers

Here publications do not mean hard copies but digital copies. Many times, books are sold out in physical stores, for new or popular releases, which discourages bookworms. That is an impossible case for electronic books that can never go out of print. In addition, it is cheaper and more convenient to enter the field of electronic books, as opposed to print media. Thus, the e-book revolution resulted in an exponential increase in publications, while the number of readers gradually increased.

#2 Subscription models that generate more profit

Readers, or especially bookworms, are always willing to pay for good reading, because that’s what they’re passionate about. Therefore, the return of subscription models in the digital genre greatly favored publishers. The success of subscription-based reads like Kinfolk showed that digital print is gaining momentum in revenue models and readers are looking for it.

#3 Minimalist approach to design

Neutral colors, spacious content layout, higher contrast, and authentic photography are the few main design elements that help an eBook app stand out in the publishing industry. These are essential as they give readers an experience similar to that of a printed book, but for free or at a low cost.

#4 Self-publishing will be more prominent

In the old context, publishing a story or piece of information meant partnering with a hardcore publishing agency. However, the advent of electronic books empowered storytellers and journalists for self-publishing. Most e-reading apps offer a direct publishing option to get your work out to the world in 1-2 days.

#5 Book reviews and discussions

Authors not only need a consistent reader base, they also need to strive to get more readers. Therefore, apps have the corresponding segment to allow readers to post informative reviews, engage in thought-provoking discussions about a particular read, share their reviews on social media. All of this helps authors boost their presence in the mobile and web world.

Without a doubt, smart devices and apps are transforming publishers’ business models to a fully digital environment. However, competition is also increasing in this sector. Publishers and self-publishers should not only restrict mobile engagement to reading, but also engage readers in other activities such as reviews, social sharing, discussions, etc.