Digital vs. Print Books: How a Ghostwriter Can Boost Both Digital and Print Publishing
November 20, 2024
“A room without books is like a body without a soul.” — Cicero
Books have always been a powerful means of communicating knowledge. Humankind has used books to preserve and further develop civilization for centuries.
And in the information age, books have become more powerful than ever. However, the changing technological landscape has started to morph books into the electronic domain.
Nowadays, books do not need paper to exist. Books can thrive in a non-material world in which words pop up on a screen. This new domain has done nothing to diminish books’ importance. However, the question now becomes: Are books better suited in their traditional paper format or their new digital embodiment?
In this article, we will explore the pros and cons of print versus digital books. Moreover, we’ll discuss how readers, writers, and publishers can take advantage of both formats to pursue their aims. Lastly, we will examine the role that individual ghostwriters and ghostwriting companies can play within the shifting literary realm.
Are print books still relevant?
Virtually every facet of human existence is progressively migrating to the digital world. In fact, it is hard to find an aspect of modern life that is not somehow part of the digital world.
Books are no exception.
Now, more than ever, it is quite easy to access vast arrays of literary materials in electronic formats. It seems as though digital publishing is barreling ahead, poised to overtake traditional print publications.
Or so it seems.
In 2019, the Association of American Publishers reported an estimated $26 billion in publisher revenue. While this figure is impressive, the most stunning figure is the disproportion between print and digital book sales.
Print book sales comprised roughly $22.6 billion of the total market revenue.
Surprisingly, digital books accounted for only about $2.04 billion in sales.
This significant gap raises questions about digital books’ true popularity among readers.
Meryl Halls, managing director of the U.K.’s Booksellers Association, offers this insight into print books’ ongoing popularity: “I think the e-book bubble has burst somewhat, sales are flattening off, I think the physical object is very appealing. Publishers are producing incredibly gorgeous books, so the cover designs are often gorgeous, they’re beautiful objects.”
Indeed, print books offer a sensory experience that digital books are yet to deliver. This phenomenon explains why devices such as e-readers have sound effects for turning pages. Moreover, these devices attempt to mimic the reading experience that comes from holding a paper book.
Unfortunately, electronic devices are unable to deliver that same degree of experience.
Halls adds, “The book lover loves to have a record of what they’ve read, and it’s about signaling to the rest of the world. It’s about decorating your home, it’s about collecting, I guess, because people are completists, they want to have that to indicate about themselves.”
Undoubtedly, a tablet or e-reader full of volumes cannot offer the same visual exposure that physical books can. After all, the visual that comes from seeing shelves full of paper books is unbeatable.
Are digital books the wave of the future?
As society transitions into a fully digital world, electronic publications will eventually overtake print ones. This phenomenon has already disrupted the newspaper industry.
According to a study by the Pew Research Center, daily newspaper circulation averaged 63.2 million in 1990. Additionally, Sunday newspaper circulation averaged 62.6 million in 1990.
Fast forward to 2020, that figure had fallen to 24.3 million on weekdays and 25.8 million on Sundays.
Print newspapers’ remarkable decline is partially due to the accessibility that digital media offers consumers. With tablets and smartphones readily available, it would appear that a transition to a fully digital media world is evitable.
Furthermore, generations of digital natives continue to place greater pressure on print publications. Author Franz S. MacLaren sums up e-books’ influence by stating, “Life without a Kindle is like life without a library nearby.”
Indeed, an e-reader such as a Kindle can open the floodgates to an immense world of knowledge.
Therein lies both a blessing and a curse.
On the one hand, digital media allows readers to access vast quantities of materials. A quick stroll through the Amazon Kindle selection can easily blow anyone’s mind. Consequently, there is no shortage of options to choose. There will always be something to read and something new to discover.
On the other hand, the seemingly limitless array of materials can make narrowing focus virtually impossible. Choosing what to read may become extremely complex. And getting lost in an immense ocean of titles may ultimately discourage readers from making a choice.
Undeniably, digital media has entrenched itself in people’s day-to-day lives. Nonetheless, it may seem that the transition from print to digital has not been as rapid as once thought. Therefore, authors and publishers should not neglect the importance that both print and digital have on society. It would appear that authors and publishers are attempting to serve two masters at once.
Should authors and publishers focus on print, digital, or both?
The question “Should authors and publishers focus on print, digital, or both?” encapsulates the core of the print versus digital discussion. There are three main points to consider in this debate.
First, print media will remain a significant force in the years to come. While print newspapers are rapidly becoming obsolete, print books are not. Print books maintain a firm position in the publishing world.
So, why are books in and newspapers out?
Newspapers, like all news media, thrive on speed.
The faster news reaches audiences, the better. As such, print newspapers cannot hope to compete against instant information sharing through social media.
In contrast, print books offer a leisurely or learning experience that transcends speed.
Reading a book is an exercise in discovery. As a result, print books deliver a singular experience that fast-paced media outlets have come to overlook.
Second, digital media, such as e-books, offer instant access to readers.
In the past, publishers needed to wait weeks, or even months, for their publications to reach a nationwide audience.
With online marketplaces such as Amazon Kindle, access to a nationwide and worldwide audience becomes instantaneous. Authors and publishers can begin to see the returns on their investments within minutes.
Third, digital media is boundless insofar as its capacity to store information. In contrast, physical books need to compete for shelf space. Unfortunately, some books do not make the cut.
Sadly, folks discard unwanted books, relegating them to oblivion. While digital media seems to remedy this situation, it is crucial to remember that physical books are trophies. Print books constitute a status symbol that no e-book can match.
Ultimately, authors and publishers cannot neglect one type of media over another. Authors and publishers need to keep one foot in print and one in digital if they aspire to make their investment profitable.
How can hiring a ghostwriter help boost print and digital publishing?
It has become clear that authors and publishers must boost their presence in print and digital landscapes. Neglecting one over the other may lead to a counterproductive strategy. Moreover, publishing formats that discriminate may ultimately alienate readers.
Based on the need to publish materials in both formats, authors and publishers may become overwhelmed. After all, producing content for both print and digital requires different approaches.
Print books provide a recreational experience that demands more extensive materials. Books related to history, travel, art, and science, among other topics, provide readers with a pleasant reading experience.
Conversely, digital materials provide a quick burst of information. Digital materials appeal to the fast-paced lifestyle of most individuals. Therefore, authors and publishers must focus on a differentiated approach.
However, a differentiated approach to publishing across multiple platforms can become a daunting task.
A professional ghostwriter can help authors and publishers share the workload. The adage “the more, the merrier” certainly applies within this context. After all, authors’ time and attention are finite. Thus, employing the assistance of a ghostwriter or ghostwriting agency can make a huge difference.
Hiring a Ghostwriter for Digital Publishing Purposes
Hiring a ghostwriter or ghostwriting agency can help publishers and authors apply a segmented strategy that allows them to cover several bases.
For example, an established author can employ the services of an experienced ghostwriter to produce a series of blog posts.
In essence, the blog posts serve as marketing copy to draw attention to the author’s books. However, the author does not have the additional time it takes to produce a regular blog post.
As a result, hiring a professional ghostwriter enables mainstream authors to extend their reach without sacrificing quality or quantity.
Hiring a Ghostwriter for Print Publishing Purposes
Authors and publishers working predominantly in the digital domain may choose to move into print. This endeavor may require additional time and effort to produce full-length books. However, they may not have the additional time and effort to spare. As such, a professional ghostwriter can help produce content specifically aimed at print publication.
Ghostwriters are a great alternative for authors and publishers looking to pivot into print. Indeed, sharing the workload reduces unnecessary stress while allowing for a differentiated publishing strategy.
How can hiring a ghostwriting agency help boost publishing?
Publishers looking to paint with a broad brush should consider hiring a ghostwriting agency. Reputable ghostwriting agencies employ a team of professional writers specialized in various areas. As a result, authors and publishers looking to spread their wings can take advantage of what a ghostwriting agency can offer.
While hiring an individual ghostwriter is a great alternative, hiring a ghostwriting agency offers greater flexibility than individual ghostwriters.
In particular, publishers can employ ghostwriting agencies to produce large quantities of material within a relatively short timeframe.
The secret lies in employing a team of writers to work on specific projects simultaneously. As a result, publishers seeking to expand their scope can certainly benefit from a ghostwriting agency’s services.
Individual authors can also benefit greatly from hiring a ghostwriting agency. For instance, an author looking to promote their blog can employ a ghostwriting agency to produce a series of articles within a quick turnaround.
In doing so, the author can provide consistent content to their readers while they work on their next full-length book.
Indeed, employing a ghostwriting agency offers a significant amount of flexibility: The agency can help authors and publishers leave their traditional niches and confidently move into new realms.
Moreover, a ghostwriting agency virtually eliminates the need for additional investment in terms of time and effort. Undoubtedly, a ghostwriting agency offers the opportunity to create a diversified publishing strategy without overextending current capabilities.
Conclusion
The shifting landscape in the publishing world has progressively morphed traditional print publications into the digital world. Traditional print publications such as newspapers now predominantly populate the digital world. However, regular print books still hold their ground amid digital media’s expansion.
The dual relationship between print and digital publishing has forced authors and publishers to maintain digital and print markets. However, maintaining such a presence can imply a significant investment in time and effort.
Hiring a professional ghostwriter is a viable alternative for authors and publishers to further their reach in one or both domains. Professional ghostwriters can produce content that allows authors and publishers to strengthen their position in either domain. This strategy enables them to continue focusing their efforts on their core business while expanding their reach.
For authors and publishers looking to truly spread their wings, employing a ghostwriting agency can help them produce significant quantities of content in a relatively short timeframe.
This approach enables authors and publishers to maintain a consistent presence in the digital and print domains without overextending their current efforts. Since ghostwriting agencies employ teams of writers, ghostwriting agencies have the capacity to produce high-quality content quickly.
Ultimately, authors and publishers can continue to focus on their core business while expanding their overall digital and print media presence.
