This seems to be a common refrain lately. Some people are saying it.

And well, I hate to bust anybody’s bubble-I really do, but…well, these people wrong.

The majority of readers still aren’t into ebooks yet.  They just aren’t.  Quite a few books sold through places like Walmart, Target, even the typical Borders, Barnes and Noble, Books A Million, the indies, Half Prices Books and More…those are bought by the people who love their print books.

Most of them aren’t ready to make the switch.

Most of them don’t want to make the switch.

Many of them can’t see plunking down the $200+ for a decent e-ink device and many of them are going to hold onto their pennies until a more ‘universal’ device comes onto the market.  The majority of my readers are print readers-and here’s the kicker-I started out in ebooks.  As far as ebook/digital readers go, I’ve got a decent reader base built up. But the digital readers are still outnumbered.

Now… will it stay this way?

Nah.  At some point, digital books are going to be the ‘normal’.  In some ways, I’m ready.  For any parent out there who has a skinny kid (like me) who is hauling around text books that way half her body weight?  Oy, I’m waiting for the day I can opt in to get her a digital text book reader.  My back hurts just watching her lug that back pack around, and she hasn’t even really started getting the heavy books.

I’m also an ebook reader.  I’ve got a Sony and I love it.  Especially if for some reason I can’t get out of the house to the bookstore-whether it’s sick kids, too busy, whatever.  Just go tot the Sony Store, get my book and away I go.  I’ve been reading ebooks since 2003 and I’ve shown my Sony Reader far and wide.  I love my ebook gadgets and I love the options ebooks have.

But…they aren’t dominant yet.

And as long as the local bookstore is a popular place to go on a rainy day, as long as there are readers who want to go browse the real bookshelves over the virtual ones?  As long the readers who want to hold the print book in their hands still outnumber those who are into the digital books?

The print books are not going anywhere.

Traditional publishing isn’t going anywhere.

Is traditional publishing going to have to change? Yep.  But everything changes-that’s just the way the world is.  If you’re not growing, you’re dying.  And as long as there are readers willing to buy books, publishing is going to grow.  Plenty of readers are still plenty willing to buy books.  Right now, traditional publishing is going through some ‘stumbles’ as it adjusts to merging digital technology with its traditional publishing choices.  There are going to be screw-ups, there are going to be stumbles, but that doesn’t mean traditional publishing is dead.

It isn’t.

It’s not going anywhere.  It’s going to change some and since the publishing industry wants to thrive and survive, I think it’s going to figure out how to make changes for the better.  But growing is rarely easy.  It’s a matter of trial and error.