Hey you got your e-book reader stuck in my browser. No! you got your browser wrapped around my e-book reader. With Google’s big announcement of their eBooks Store and the rapid response by Amazon of an acceleration of their “Kindle for the Web” project, it’s clear that the open web will be a valid reading option.

Books! Glorious books!

At first glance these announcements seem to make the market for e-readers more confusing, but regardless how things look when the dust settles, I believe the fundamental effect will be good for everyone. First, as a strong believer in the open web, I’m encouraged by having two dominant companies backing a simple reading solution open to anyone with a JavaScript-enabled browser. It further simplifies a reader’s life by managing their “library” of books in the cloud, and as long as you’re connected, you’ve got access to your books. From any device you can pick up your book and keep reading where you left off.

While I’m still a fledgling independent publisher, I think that these announcements also offer promising news for retailers, publishers, and libraries. For me this just “fits” into my vision of “content” becoming tightly coupled to the Internet. The dynamics of bits versus atoms spells dramatic changes for any company involved in producing content on some form of physical media. There really is no way to stop this evolution. Any company that wishes to stay relevant in the content industry must commit themselves to the Internet. In both announcements, both Google and Amazon describe what future businesses should soon look like.

These announcements also seem to make it clear that a market for single-purpose stand-alone readers will have an even shorter life span than expected. If you think about it for a second, this also “fits.” The ultimate focus of reading is on books. Why would I want a special device just to read my books and manage my library? Further, why would I want to lock myself into a single device? Sure dedicated devices will “linger” around for a while, but multiple purpose tablets and devices will be the overwhelmingly dominant way to read electronically.

Altogether, I’m very excited by these announcements. They illustrate a reading ecosystem that is flexible, robust, and built to support spreading the written word into every corners of the world. I’ve enjoyed an illustrious career, fueled by voracious appetite for books. These announcements will make the same opportunities available to anyone with a browser and an Internet connection. As I have written before, we are now cresting the brink of a evolutionary change in humanity. It gives me great hope that what Johannes Gutenberg started over 500 years ago is now becoming fruition for a world in desperate need of the hope contained in books.

Flickr Creative Commons Contributor: Honou

Over the last month or so I’ve been working closely with Kat Meyer at O’Reilly Media on the TOC for Publishing conference. It’s almost been like a dream come true, mostly because I’ve now got an opportunity to align my freelance efforts with the future of e-publishing. In some ways, I’ve been moving towards the publishing industry ever since I picked up a 35mm SLR camera, waaaayyy back in high school. Back then I graduated with the full intent of moving into the world of photojournalism. The problem is I got side-tracked in college, convinced myself that computers was a better career path and have been circling back towards journalism, writing, and publishing ever since.

Through my connections at O’Reilly and my participation in their Open Source Conference, I think I’ve finally come full circle. I’ve been welcomed into the TOC for Publishing community and I feel a real affinity, I feel like I belong. I don’t think it is too much of a stretch, but I feel like working on the future of publishing is what I am supposed to be doing, at least for now. I have three main motivations for this feeling:

1. First, it’s now very clear to me that I need to setup my own alternative publishing business. One of my best friends here in Puerto Rico is a prolific and very talented writer. We’ve already started one book, which I hope to finish very soon. However, recently he informed me that he’s already working on another collection of short stories as well as some other projects. More importantly, he’s determined to develop a steady income from his fiction writing. So he needs a publisher, and I need to learn how to publish. Thankfully he’s given me the opportunity to become his publisher. For your trust, I thank you Gil.
2. Second, once I’ve learned the ins and outs of this brave new world of publishing, I’ve got quite a few projects of my own to get published. I’ve done most of the research required to launch those projects, so once I’ve got the how-to piece mastered, all I lack is the discipline to put my arse in front of my computer and write. Easier said, then done, but I’m running out of excuses.
3. Finally, as I’ve written about already over at the O’Reilly Broadcast here and here, the future of e-publishing is going to be immense. Not since I sat in my office back in 1994 cruising the early Internet, have I seen such a clear opportunity unveil itself before me. It’s my humble opinion that I see this new opportunity clearer than most people and I’m determined to become an expert in the future of publishing.

I’m really honored for the opportunity to participate in the TOC Publishing community. I hope that as Tim O’Reilly frequently says “I’m able to add more value to this community, than I hope to get out of it.”