Post★Boy

Digital Lending

Amazon will release functionality that allows the lending of eBooks to other Kindle users, in order to catch up to rival Nook.

Good for them?

While I have heard consumers’ argument, that lending books to friends increases the reach of the material, personally I’ve never bought into it.

First, I don’t think lending a book is essential to increasing interest. Lending denotes a more intimate relationship with a select, trusted group of one’s social circle. Meaning in terms of broadcast, a very small audience. Inner social circles do have strong influence over our attention, but how are they influenced? 

Recommendations, reviews, ratings, etc; the voice of the social masses.

Second, in a market struggling with change and survival, not making a sale due to lending doesn’t bode well for continued publications. I know consumers don’t give a damn about that, but it is the truth.

It is on the publishers to set more attractive price points, but the people making the content consumers enjoy need to earn a living for there to ever be more.

So, though I think that lending is a nice feature, it is just that, nice but not necessary.