Just Take a Shelfie!

The world of literature may seem to evolve a little slower than other spheres, but since the introduction of the e-reader, convenience has been king among both authors and readers. In recent years, the way we purchase books has moved from the physical shop to the Internet, with eCommerce taking the largest share of purchases. eCommerce, like the e-reader, provides a large selection to anyone in search of variety and it allows self-published authors to be listed along with everyone else.

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What an awesome shelfie![/caption]

There are even services to make the process of getting your book to the electronic shelves faster. Self-publishers like Smashwords allow anyone to upload their book manuscript, which is then converted into various eBook formats to be distributed. Now, writers can get their novels to the public quickly. At the end of 2014, Smashwords reported that it distributed approximately 336,000 books from over 101,000 authors, with downloads and purchases occurring mere minutes after a manuscript is uploaded.

With a push toward electronic books, you may find yourself nostalgic for that new book smell. If you are a lover of the traditional, physical book, but also value the convenience of having your library with you, the Shelfie app allows you to enjoy both. Shelfie allows users to get the eBook version of books they own, either for free or at a deep discount. The user simply takes a picture of their bookshelf (Shelfie) and watches the magic happen. The app automatically identifies eligible books on the user’s shelf. In addition, Shelfie allows users to explore other Shelfies and helps them discover new books they may want to read. You can receive these books via email and download them on as many electronics as you wish, maintaining both the physical copy to snuggle up with at home, and the digital copy to read wherever you may be.

In the coming years, the reader may hold a bigger role in the process of creating books. Readers can become authors themselves and help fellow writers improve their work. Aspiring authors are looking to their fans to fund their publishing efforts. Kickstarter has led to over two thousand successful campaigns to publish books in the past year alone. In short, the literary world has and continues to get as many books to as many people in the best way possible, all while encouraging undiscovered talent to share their writing.

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