A lost chance by publishers?

This week there is a very interesting debate going on (I guess -and hope- it is not finished yet): Kassia Krozser from Booksquare wrote a post complaining about how book publishers missed the chance to take part in the iPhone launch. That was followed by a reaction from Sara Lloyd, Head of Digital Publishing at Pan Macmillan, defending the publishers' attitude. And then David Rothman, from Tele Read, shared his view on the matter here and here.

Being an unexperienced new guy and having not had the chance to try out any eBook reader device, sometimes it is hard to fully understand what it is being said. The three of them are against the "evil" DRM, and I could share their reasons (and one has to be brave to try to convince the authors), though, as David Rothman points out:

... Because of the Tower of eBabel, I can't read America America�said to be a "worthy successor" to All the King's Men�on any program compatible with the iPhone or my iPod Touch. I suppose that eReader's edition for both devices will eventually catch up with AA. But this is still one more reason for the ePub standard and the end of DRM (the enemy of compatibility)�given all the sales that the present horrors are costing. Read on. You'll see Sara's doing some good work on the ePub and DRM fronts. As for Fictionwise's treatment of publishers, that's also timely since the Pendergrast brothers are the only major source of DRM-capable e-book software for the iPod. I need to know yet more details here before reaching conclusions (the bold is mine).

But what is being done here in Spain? Are publishing companies investing in digitalization? Do they have digital departments? Any clue about Print On Demand? And a problem that I am particularly facing: How do you change senior editors' reluctancy to going digital, to technology, especially when they foolishly think what and how they do things cannot be improved upon or at least complemented?

I am afraid that will have to wait for another post.

Update: James Bridle's (from Booktwo) valuable opinion focused on publishers and software development.

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¿Oportunidad perdida por los editores?
Esta semana estamos asistiendo a un interesantísimo debate (me temo, y deseo, que inacabado): Kassia Krozser, de Booksquare escribió un artículo lamentando la oportunidad perdida por parte de los editores para tomar parte en el lanzamiento mundial del iPhone. Su queja fue respondida por Sara Lloyd, de Pan Macmillan, quien defendía la actitud de los editores. David Rothman, de Tele Read, terció en la disputa aquí y aquí.

Con mi escasa experiencia de novato, y sin haber tenido la oportunidad de probar ningún lector de libros electrónicos, a veces resulta difícil entender totalmente los argumentos. Los tres se muestran contrarios al uso del "diabólico" DRM, y estoy de acuerdo con sus razones (a pesar de que no será fácil convencer a los autores), aunque, como explica David Rothman:

... Because of the Tower of eBabel, I can't read America America�said to be a "worthy successor" to All the King's Men�on any program compatible with the iPhone or my iPod Touch. I suppose that eReader's edition for both devices will eventually catch up with AA. But this is still one more reason for the ePub standard and the end of DRM (the enemy of compatibility)�given all the sales that the present horrors are costing. Read on. You'll see Sara's doing some good work on the ePub and DRM fronts. As for Fictionwise's treatment of publishers, that's also timely since the Pendergrast brothers are the only major source of DRM-capable e-book software for the iPod. I need to know yet more details here before reaching conclusions (the bold is mine).

Pero ¿qué se está haciendo en España? ¿Están las editoriales invirtiendo en la digitalización de su catálogo? ¿Han creado departamentos especializados? ¿Alguna noticia de la impresión bajo demanda? Y un problema con el que me topo habitualmente: ¿Cómo cambiar las reticencias de los editores hacia lo digital, hacia la tecnología, en especial cuando tontamente creen que su manera de hacer las cosas no se puede mejorar, ni siquiera complementar?

Me temo que esta cuestión tendrá que esperar para otro momento.

Actualización: interesante el punto de vista de James Bridle, de Booktwo, sobre los editores y el desarrollo de software.