The Pace of Ebook Development in China

This paper bases its argument on a 'Three Worlds' theory of e-book development. The theory believes that in terms of developmental paths, it is important to understand the worlds of ebook 1.0(e-format of paper book), 2.0(digital-only) and 3.0(enhanced ebook), in which 1.0 represents very much the transformation of traditional print book publishing. That one follows another, a trend as shown and proven in the US and some other markets, is seemingly obvious and inevitable. However, China has a unique situation, in which ebook 2.0 is the first to develop and 1.0 yet to take off. It may also be the case that ebook 3.0 comes ahead of 1.0. There is certainly much to do for Chinese traditional publishing in the development of ebook 1.0, or one may see a completely reversed order or pace of development.