Print is Dead: Books in Our Digital Age by Jeff Gomez

In this well-argued tome, Holtzbrinck Publishers' Director of Internet Marketing Jeff Gomez argues that the era of mass market printed books is over.

With declining sales and a decreased market share, he feels the electronic book will (and should) become the future of reading.

I was initially sceptical.Although I'm a daily used of new media, have a regularly updated blog and want to work in online journalism, I also buy and borrow a lot of printed books.

Indeed, Gomez's book formed one of my most recent five fortnightly choices from Oxfordshire's library services*.

I buy most of my books from charity shops but sometimes buy books new, indeed, I bought Chris Patten's new book last night after hearing him speak at the Oxford Union on Friday.

However, Gomez makes a persuasive case. He is not trying to claim that printed books will die out. Instead, he feels that they will become collectors items, rather like records often are.

Scorning the view of some in the literary world that electronic books (eBooks) will never catch on because you cannot read them in the bath, he claims the words, not the presentation, are important.

He makes a case for eBooks reducing piracy, as people would not bother to copy books onto the Internet for free if they already existed online for little money.

Gomez says that digital reading allows readers to share books or parts of books with others via social networks,emails or blogs, and will reduce the problems of finding books in bookstores. In time, he believes they will be as popular as the iPod.

He admits eBook takeup has been slow, but claims there is a Catch-22 between publishers converting books to digital and eBook sales. Mentioning an article by Andrew Marr about the benefits of digital reading, Gomez feels part of the problem is that few people have tried reading eBooks.

Gomez gives five reasons publishers will still exist: to find talent, to support talent, to edit talent, to market talent and pay talent.

The next generation of publishers will need to understand digital marketing, the blogosphere, SEO, social media and be creative.

If not, "Generation Upload" or the multimedia generation will lose interest. The decline in reading is attested to the rise in interactive websites and gadgets.

The ideal price of an eBook has been estimated at around $1 to $2 dollars (60p to £1.30) by commentators on a Business Week Online article.

Of course, most people read media websites and blogs online, and quite a few read books online. But eBook readers such as Amazon's Kindle are not as ubiquitous as the ipod, Wii or satnav. Maybe in another ten years eBook reader prices will fall and I'll be on the bus or train surrounded by Kindle users.

There are downsides to eBooks that Jeff Gomez does not cover.What about people who do not have iPods or PDAs and have to buy a reader? Won't the reader be more of a target for thieves than a paperback? What about the ebook reader breaking in transportation?

Another problem is the role of taxpayer-funded reading, or libraries. If printed books become a niche item, will libraries survive?

I reckon many branch libraries will close with the rise of eBooks, and we will have one library the size of a house in each town or city. Will there be council-funded eBooks to encourage people on low incomes to read? (Even if eBooks are only 60p, some people will still prefer to spend their money elsewhere.)

eBooks will become more popular over time, but I still believe there will be a good supply of printed books in charity shops (you can't sell eBook readers and laptops for £1.99) and in niche second hand bookshops and city centre libraries.

I'll buy an eBook reader when the time comes, but I'll still be using printed books as well, either from my own collection or from a supplier.

You can read and listen to excerpts from Print is Dead here. The complete book is well worth a read.

*Local residents:it's in the Central Library or you can order it for pickup at a branch library for 60p.