This is one end of an industry that has capitalised on the advances that digital technology has made to the design and production of visual publishing. Social media have also served as a free advertising network for selling books online. For any publisher, the ability to sell even a percentage of your titles direct to the customer can save on discounts to distributors and retailers that can be around 50 per cent of the retail price. For a tiny press, it can be the difference between sinking and staying afloat.
Five years ago, when the first iPad was launched, might have been the time when photographic publishing began to migrate to the screen and leave the book behind. But so far, digital technology has acted as an enabler, making it possible for individuals to design and print their own books. The attraction lies in the physical “book-object” itself.
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http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/be1fd978-bceb-11e4-a917-00144feab7de.html#slide0
