More on e-books – in today’s Herald Tribune Stacy A. Anderson reports about the Espresso Book Machine: ‘Self-publishing has been made easier since the Espresso Book Machine by On Demand Books made its debut in 2006. The machine also can make copies of out-of-print editions.message:%3C553807bf-9a21-4a71-b38b-14e7116bd5b7@xtinmta408.xt.local%3E The first machine was installed briefly at the World Bank’s bookstore. Through a partnership with Xerox, the company now has machines in about 70 bookstores and libraries around the world, including London; Tokyo; Amsterdam; Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; Melbourne, Australia; and Alexandria, Egypt.
Thor Sigvaldason, the chief technology officer at On Demand Books, based in New York, said the system could help book retailers in two ways. “It can, potentially, give them a huge virtual inventory so they can have as many books as Amazon, all in a little bookstore,” he said. “It turns independent bookstores into places to get books published. It’s a new thing for the bookstore to do: not just sell books, but actually create books.”’

(…)

‘The Association of American Publishers reported that 3.4 million e-books were sold last year in the United States, up more than 300 percent from 2010. Still, revenue from electronic book sales was a small fraction of that for printed books, $21.5 million compared with $335.9 million, the association said.
As bookstores continue to close their doors, hurt by e-books and digital reading devices, more are embracing the Espresso Book Machine.’

(Read the complete article here.)

The Espresso Book Machine as the savior of the bookstore; I would call this superior irony.

Soon we will see publishers advertise their services: “Don’t self-publish! Our publicity department is ready for your erotic chick-lit. We will make you rich.”