In case you missed it, here’s my article that appeared in the 5th February issue of the Bookseller, entitled ‘The Long Game’

There is of course much debate, discussion and discourse in publishing circles about the importance and impact of eBooks. As ever with breakthrough developments, opinion is mostly polarised, as exemplified by an event I attended a while back for publishers entitled “Digitise or Die”. On the one hand we have those who believe that eBooks represent the future of books (“content” seems such a cold word to use) – an opportunity for publishers to find new markets and new profits, and an opportunity for more people to read, to digest, to think, which at the end of the day is what literature is all about, isn’t it? An opportunity to continue the democratisation of knowledge that began with Gutenberg nearly 600 years ago.

Although the iPad is surely going to be a popular way to watch video, play games, surf the web etc., what I am really interested in is what it means for the future of the book.

Earlier today I attended the Publishers’ Association’s ‘Blue Skies and White Clouds’ event focusing on key issues that will shape publishers’ ebook and digital content strategies.

In 2010 publishers everywhere are facing challenges to their business models as the power of the internet spreads. In its simplest form it is purely a case of old meets new. Traditional print media is struggling to adapt to the digital revolution.

I have been reading with interest the online discussion over Scribd.com

Is it a laudable concept that brings creativity to new audiences? Or the scourge of the book trade, giving away protected content for free?

Perhaps the answer to how the industry will be affected actually lies in publishers' digital strategies...