The lessons publishers can learn from the music, 
film and game industry.

Thesis by Tamara Wouda, graduated April 2013, Hogeschool van Amsterdam. 
Major: Media, Marketing & Publishing. Commissioned by: Meulenhoff Boekerij

Resume:
This thesis aims to answer the following question: “What are profitable business models, currently used in the music, film and game industry, which could be useful for Meulenhoff Boekerij with selling e-books in the fiction genre?” By conducting both desk research and field research Meulenhoff Boekerij can be advised about this complex situation.

The desk research consists of a search to various business models in the music, film and game industry. To the basis of examples we decided if the business models are suitable for selling e-books in the fiction genre. It looks like the retail model, the subscription model, the free-model and the advertisers model are suitable. Afterwards, we looked at examples from abroad. The hopes were high Dutch publishers could learn from the developments in the English speaking parts of the world, but we got disappointed. Most of their innovative publishing ideas were more suitable for the non-fiction genre or would not work in the Netherlands due to this complex distribution system. Dutch publishers are in a difficult situation, which cannot be compared to the American circumstances.

The field research started with ten unstructured in-depth interviews. The respondents were five experts from the book industry and five experts from the music, film and game industry. Their advice to Meulenhoff Boekerij is to offer, together with other Dutch publishing houses, convenience for a fair price.

Afterwards we conducted a focus group with four authors. They see e-books as an add-on product and they are convinced of the fact the paper book will subsist. The authors affiliate with the experts when it comes to the sales channel: this has to be a collaborating online platform which offers all the e-books published by Dutch publishing houses.

To draw the final conclusion: not Meulenhoff Boekerij should use the business models to sell e-books in the fiction genre, but there has to be a collaboration online platform with all the e-books from the Dutch publishing houses. These would all be divided in different genres and every genre would have its own ambassador. The ambassadors help consumers to pick the right e-book. E-books can be paid apiece, but consumers can also take a subscription. Other business models that can be used are the advertisers model and the free-model.

Download the full thesis (in Dutch) Digitaal moeten we allemaal