The first ebook I read was The Whites of Their Eyes by Jill Lepore. I heard an interview with Jill on the radio and straight away jumped online to purchase it to read in the free Kindle app on my iPhone. A couple of clicks and I had a new release book in the palm of my hand I could read whenever I felt (provided I didn’t forget to charge my phone).

Until that moment I’d never really thought much about ebooks. I knew they were out there and that people were reading them. I’d picked up my friend’s Kindle and was impressed but didn’t think I would ever actually buy one. Not because I was afraid of it, but just because I didn’t really need another device (that reasoning, of course, goes completely out the window when it comes to an Apple product).

Either way, I don’t remember ever having a very visceral reaction against ebooks. Growing up with computers I assumed it would be something I’d eventually do. Yes, I love holding a book and reading a physical, print book but beyond that…

Hearing a couple of the sessions and the panel discussions at the Romance Writers’ of Australia conference on Saturday, the fear and apprehension in the room was like a green slime coating the walls.

I love technology. Call it a Gen Y thing (though I don’t think of myself necessarily as Gen Y) but technology is awesome and when combined with excellent design, resistance is not only futile but painful. It still comes as a bit of a shock that not everyone is like that. I always think it’s best to have a go with something first and the likelihood of breaking it is relatively low. But that’s just me.

Digital publishing dominated a lot of the discussion at this weekend’s conference, both in panels and private conversations. There is no getting away with it. People’s comments range from “what is the best device?” to “can you explain territorial rights?”

We heard that everyone is afaird: publishers, agents, writers and readers. Many of the world’s traditional publishers have been caught off-guard and are desperately trying to catch up and slot themselves into a rapidly saturated market. Agents are trying to figure out how they can continue to provide a good service to their authors as more people self-publish. Many established and new published authors are worried about their digital rights (and from the sounds of it, they should be).

But.

On the other side there are publishers who have fully embraced digital and are responding to reader/writer needs. There are agents who are getting savvy and employing people who know about this stuff and working hard for their clients to provide the best deals. Then there are the writers who are embracing this new phase in publishing and doing it successful.

And what about readers? They seem to be gobbling it up, in spite of their initial technofear, and becoming staunch advocates of digital books.

Bob Mayer recounted a story of giving his wife a Kindle and despite initial mistrust realised the massive service it provides. Similar to my story about Jill Lepore’s book, if you’re watching a TV show where an author is being interviewed, you can pick up your ereader, search for the book and download it before the ad break. If you stop and think about that, you’ll realise what an amazing development that is. And not just for readers. But also everyone in the supply chain, from writers to publishers. There is little time for a reader (consumer) to stop and process what they’re doing. Hanging around in bookshops (and yes, I love bookshops) gives consumers too much time to change their mind. With an ebook, your finger might hover above the “Buy Now” button for a few seconds, but at $3.99, what have you got to lose?

Of course, pricing was a topic of scalding temperatures. Angela James is very worried about the 99c and $1.99 prices because it has a huge potential to undervalue the author’s work. I’m inclined to agree with that. If a paperback book is in print and sells for $7.99 and is priced at 99c online, that shows the book is only worth $7.99 because of the paper. Real cost of your book? 99c. Real value of your book? Almost nothing.

What is the effect of seeing more and more books offered at this lower price range? A saturated market? A lost readership? Unread authors by the boat load? Investing in the author brand and the publisher brand is going to become more important than ever as readers desperately search for some beacon in the darkness. Angela James thinks publishers will become curators of the brand and that makes sense. Why do we go to big department stores? Why are we attracted to certain clothes brands? Do you buy a $50 mp3 player or a $99 iPod Shuffle? (For the record, I don’t own an iPod Shuffle.)

There is definitely uncertainty in what is happening but whoever hesitates is lost (or however the saying goes). I think the times ahead are ripe for opportunity and will show what has been necessary for evolution of life on earth since time immemorial: adaptability.

Adapt or Die. Now, isn’t that a good motto to have?