Kindle Textbooks
Kindle Textbooks could be huge. That’s saying a lot for me since I’m not a big fan of the Kindle. It’s not that the device doesn’t look interesting or perform half-way well. I simply believe reading is active rather than passive and there is no motivating agent of change to adopt a new reading platform. So, I’m not nearly as bullish on future Kindle sales, despite the ’sold out’ buzz and fawning praise from gadgeteers.
Yet, the textbook niche seems ripe for the Kindle. Textbooks are expensive, heavy, frequently updated, largely disposable and reach a demographic eager to adopt new technology.
The US Department of Education (DOE) and Government Accountability Office (GAO) have researched the rising cost of textbooks in the last ten years. Following are a few excerpts from the DOE Koch Report:
Between 1986 and 2004, textbook prices rose 186 percent in the United States, or slightly more than six percent per year (GAO, 2005). Meanwhile, other prices rose only about three percent per year (GAO, 2005).
CALPIRG (2005) found that students at California public universities spent an average of $898 on textbooks in the 2004-2005 academic year. If textbook prices have continued to rise at six percent per year, then this expenditure will rise to $1,009 in the 2006-2007 academic year and constitute 6.1 percent of the estimated annual cost of education for a resident student at a four-year public university (College Board, 2005).
There is a lot of money to be made in textbooks - publishers, college bookstores, used booksellers. In fact, the secondary market in textbooks is perhaps as important to the book vertical as the holiday season. Textbooks provide an ever renewing source of customers who are essentially forced to buy textbooks at high price points.
The Kindle would disrupt this ecosystem which may be why Amazon hasn’t (yet) tapped the textbook potential.
Who would win? Publishers could be persuaded to lower prices for digital distribution based on lower production costs. In addition, if DRM can be attached, the resale capability of textbooks is severely reduced. They likely lock in higher margins, even while reducing the cost of textbooks. The latter means students win and, of course, Amazon wins.
Who loses? Certainly the secondary market for used textbooks. The college bookstores also lose since they’re no longer in the distribution chain, ceding this to Amazon. Folks like Barnes & Noble (who run many college bookstores) and Follett would not be pleased.
Aside from the economic issues, the weight of textbooks has been a growing concern for both parents and educators. Kindle textbooks would solve the weight issue and would certainly appeal to those concerned with the environment.
However, it could potentially expand the disparity in education via the digital divide. Here’s where Kindle contracts with school systems or grants from non-profits could help distribute the Kindle to all economic classes.
Finally, the market is perfect. They’re young, not reading for pleasure and have no real necessity to hang onto a particular textbook. It’s practical and functional. Yet, a certain percentage will begin to view the Kindle as the preferred reading platform and likely use it for more than textbooks. Amazon could actually create the market I currently don’t see through wide adoption of Kindle textbooks.
The Kindle already provides some features that would benefit students:
… you can add annotations to text, just like you might write in the margins of a book. And because it is digital, you can edit, delete, and export your notes, highlight and clip key passages, and bookmark pages for future use.
There’s already a drum beat of folks advocating for Kindle textbooks, including here, here and even on Amazon. Me? I still don’t have one and don’t really want one either.
I still think wide Kindle adoption is a long-shot but the odds would get better if Amazon launched a highly focused Kindle textbook initiative.
June 3rd, 2008 at 11:10 am
[…] Used Books Blog « Kindle Textbooks […]
June 27th, 2008 at 4:22 pm
As a recent undergraduate and current graduate student, this is outstanding! I have been waiting for the digital textbook, whether downloaded to the laptop/computer or now, downloaded to a device like the Kindle, to take flight.
Students spend so much money on hard copy textbooks and reading materials, and often have to carry them all around which is not convenient or easy to do. Digital textbooks on the Kindle will make it so quick and easy for students to access any of their books or other resources whenever and wherever they need them.
I, myself, am a Kindle champion, and all in all, while $359 for this device plus the cost of the books etc. seems high, you are getting a great deal of value out of it. I can’t wait for the textbooks to be offered for my courses at graduate school.
I recommend this to anyone and everyone, but especially for students considering this good news!
For more info on the Kindle, visit http://www.prokindle.com!
June 29th, 2008 at 10:26 am
[…] their backpacks, along with the laptop and ipod, but one that actually may lighten their load. See this discussion for a well organized summary of the issues surrounding the potential of textbooks on the Kindle. […]
June 29th, 2008 at 10:41 am
re the paragraph in the above post:
“However, it could potentially expand the disparity in education via the digital divide. Here’s where Kindle contracts with school systems or grants from non-profits could help distribute the Kindle to all economic classes.”
This is the mission that Connect2Books was established to address. Think of it as a literacy oriented One Laptop Per Child campaign for low income middle and high school students. See the post at :
http://kindlesforkids.wordpress.com/information-about-the-kindlesforkids-scholarship-program/
Gordon Rogers
July 17th, 2008 at 9:08 am
[…] I’ve written previously, the textbook market is perfect for Kindle. The new size and color make it both easy to carry with traditional books and ‘cool’ to […]
November 25th, 2008 at 10:54 pm
I would not want to replace the books I read for leisure with Kindle. However, as a college student I would buy one in a second to replace my textbooks! My god. if the ink moves to form the words imagine what they could do with math books! Add MP3 tech to the thing and they could give an optional mini math tutor! As for the book store, they could sell the Kindle along with all the other things they have there. They could have a resale market of the kindles themselves. I LOVE this idea…
January 10th, 2009 at 8:53 pm
Can you give more details on this?
February 9th, 2009 at 12:19 pm
Here’s another situation where an innovation (Kindle) is an absolutely perfect solution for a big problem (high cost and weight of text books)
- yet the imbedded commercial interests won’t make any money from it -
therefore adoption of the innovation is stymied.
It’s very frustrating - and stupid.
Obviously, the market for Kindle textbooks is HUGE.
If an innovative publisher started offering high incentives to textbook authors to publish their textbooks in a Kindle format,
they would get a headstart on this explosive market, and make a fortune.
A Win-Win-Win for the publishers, authors and students.
This would bypass the current archaic text-book publishing/sales industry… and allow students the world over to finally enter the 21st century of education.
February 18th, 2009 at 2:03 pm
I suggest everyone that agrees with this (Kindle Textbooks) go to Amazon.com and flood them with requests to make textbooks available.
May 13th, 2009 at 10:39 am
I’m pretty sure I read that several large textbook publishers are on board. The Kindle DX has the potential to be huge success with students.
I think there are two big challenges for Jeff Bezos regarding the academic market. First, the price of the wide-format kindle is a bit steep. Add to the fact that many people still haven’t personally used a kindle and you can understand why many will shy away from it. Amazon should consider offering education discounts if they really want Kindles to be the popular choice on campus.
I write regularly about the Kindle, so if anyone wants more to read, visit me at KindleChat.com.
July 3rd, 2009 at 11:25 am
Kindle Reader said: “the price of the wide-format kindle is a bit steep.”
Competing E-Reader manufacturers could dominate the market if they
offered book subscription services. For example, a person signs a two-year subscription to download a minimum number of books from Barnes & Noble, they get an eReader (of some sort) for $39.
Something like cell phone contracts and cheap cell phones.