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Wiley: publishers must push e-books

12.10.07 Mark Chillingworth

Publishers must help to drive consumer adoption of e-book readers from the likes of Sony and iRex, according to John Wiley chairman Peter Wiley and his colleague, Stephen Smith, senior vice-president for Europe and international development at Wiley.

Wiley, speaking to The Bookseller Daily, predicted the demise of printed textbooks in higher education—but was bullish about their future as digital editions. Smith said, "Textbooks will be digital, but I'm not sure when."
Smith sees e-book readers as the key to the success of electronic textbooks, and indicated that Wiley and other textbook publishers are ­likely to try to push forward student use of the devices.
"We may have to try to influence the tipping point of e-book readers," Smith said. "The ability of government and teachers to keep pace with technology is difficult. Anything that comes along to help learning is critical, and it is important that publishers play a part."

Wiley said the process had already begun: "We are already educating the educators in the US. Faculties that are not comfortable with tech are now included in a network that teaches them about electronic information."

Smith believes new e-book readers—Amazon is tipped by technology blogs to launch its Kindle reader next Monday (15th October)—will mean growth for textbooks. "We can offer more value online. The upfront costs of the technology are higher, but as publishers we can sell more content to more students more of the time," he said, adding that text­books have a strong future. "[But] we are in a rocky transition period right now."

Wiley believes the technology will bring the price of textbooks down. "Students and professors can interact with content and use it as part of assessment. We are targeting the students." Institutions and students purchase entire textbooks at present, but may only use part of the content held. Wiley said that electronic textbooks will "fit the courses".

Smith said Wiley is re-assessing its business model for textbooks, and has not ruled out site licence deals such as those for software or journal access, and digital market places.

Print sales still dominate the Wiley revenue figures but the US giant, which acquired Blackwell Publishing last year, is experiencing rapid digital growth. It is currently developing a search-driven platform on which to de­liver all its content, whether book, journal or textbook. Wiley said of the changing marketplace: "You once sold a book and went away. Now we are integrally involved in the education process."

Mark Chillingworth is editor of online information title Information World Review (www.iwr.co.uk).

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