Ifechuba and Shoki, Part 5
Presentation and Discussion of Data
The data are presented in the following order: Hardware innovations, software innovations, skill acquisition innovations, Internet conduit innovations, marketing/distribution innovations, and e–product innovations under each question.
| Table 2: Identified Hardware Innovations. | |||
| Serial Number | Hardware Features | Available | Not Available |
| 1 | Computers | Available | |
| 2 | Compact discs | Available | |
| 3 | Diskettes | Available | |
| 4 | POD printing machines | Not Available | |
| 5 | Laser films | Available | |
| 6 | Camera–ready artwork | Available | |
| Total | 5 | 1 | |
Out of the six general hardware features identified, five are present among local publishers while one (POD printing machines) is not available among the sampled publishers. Neither the book printers/disc publishers nor the print book publishers indicated that they have seen the machine.
| Table 3: Identified Software Innovations. | |||
| Serial Number | Software Features | Available | Not Available |
| 1 | Typesetting/Design packages | Available | |
| 2 | Setting up/interchange software | Available | |
| 3 | Uploading/downloading software | Available | |
| 4 | Conversion and development | Available | |
| 5 | Content management system | Available | |
| Total | 5 | 0 | |
All of the five software features identified are available among sampled publishers. This implies that the basic software reported by Nwankwo (2005) to be unavailable is now available.
| Table 4: Identified Software Innovations. | |||
| Serial Number | Conduit/Process Features | Available | Not Available |
| 1 | E–mail addresses | Available | |
| 2 | Web sites | Available | |
| 3 | Internet facility | Available | |
| Total | 3 | 0 | |
The three conduit innovations that aid e–publishing through the Internet are available among the sampled publishers. The extent and pattern are discussed below.
| Table 5: Identified E–publishing Skills. | |||
| Serial Number | E–publishing Skills | Available | Not Available |
| 1 | Production skill | Available | |
| 2 | Lithographic skill | Available | |
| 3 | Typesetting/design skill | Available | |
| 4 | Uploading/downloading skill | Available | |
| Total | 4 | 0 | |
| Table 6: Identified Marketing/Distribution Devices/Practices in Use. | |||
| Serial Number | Device/Practice | Available | Not Available |
| 1 | Internet bookstores | NA | |
| 2 | Print–on–Demand | Available | |
| 3 | Electronic Indexes/OPAC | Available | |
| 4 | Internet Co–publishing | NA | |
| 5 | E–serialisation | NA | |
| 6 | E–pricing/fulfillment | NA | |
| 7 | E–advertisements | Available | |
| 8 | E–books in handsets | Available | |
| 9 | Virtual libraries/schools/communities | NA | |
| Total | 4 | 5 | |
The level of Internet connectivity among cassette/CD publishers varies. Four, representing 50 percent, own e–mail addresses, three or 37.5 percent have Internet facilities while none has a Web site. This implies that four, or 50 percent, have no e–mail addresses while five or 62.5 percent are not connected to the Internet.
| Table 7: E–marketing Practices Adopted by Print Book Publishers. | ||||
| Serial Number | E–practice | Number of Responses | Percentage | Number of Titles |
| 1 | Print–on–Demand | 7 | 31.8 | 1,150 |
| 2 | Diskettes | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | CD–ROM | 3 | 13.63 | 27 |
| 4 | Via Internet bookstores | 3 | 13.63 | 35 |
| 5 | Cassette tapes | 4 | 18.18 | 6 |
| 6 | Personal digital assistant | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | Print books with CD–ROM | 8 | 45.45 | 65 |
| 8 | Online serialization | 0 | 0 | NA |
| 9 | Internet co–publishing | 2 | 9.09 | NA |
| 10 | Online book advertisements | 8 | 36.36 | 3,400 |
| 11 | E–publishing partnership | 10 | 45.45 | NA |
| 12 | E–book | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | Audio CD | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The nature of e–publishing is such that a publishing firm can enter the industry from the areas of editing and processing, printing, or marketing. The study therefore attempted to find out if the sampled publishers have adopted any e–marketing and distribution practices in the sale of their books.
Ten responses (45 percent) were returned from e–publishing partnerships. Among the practices indicated were editorial, design, consultancy, and sales collaborations that were not listed in the questionnaire. This is an indication of increase in global outlook by local publishers. Following this is online book advertisements, for which eight responses representing 36.36 percent were returned. It is also noteworthy that seven publishers (31.8 percent) are involved in Print on Demand (POD), all in partnership with the African Books Collective (ABC). None had produced e–books, books on diskettes, print books with CD–ROMs, or personal digital assistants (PDA). Three positive responses, representing 13.63 percent, were returned for CD–ROM, Internet bookstores and online books, while four (18.18 percent) and two (9.09 percent) were recorded for cassette tapes and Internet co–publishing.
| Table 8: Electronic Book Products and Devices Published by Print Book Publishers. | |||
| Serial Number | Product/Device | Responses | Percent |
| 1 | E–book | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | PDA | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Microfilm | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | CD–ROM | 3 | 13.63 |
| 5 | Instant books | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | Books with CD–ROM | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | Books in audio CD | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | Books in cassette tapes | 2 | 9.09 |
| 9 | Books in diskettes | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 5 | 22.72 | |
The table shows that three respondents indicated that they produced and published CD–ROMs while two respondents indicated that they published books in cassettes. The fact that the disc publishers indicated that at least one CD–ROM has been produced for a bank suggests that the responses might be valid. It is also possible for a publisher in the southwest to produce his e–book products outside the southwest. Why these products could not be found in any of the sampled bookshops cannot be easily explained.
| Table 9: Publishers’ Electronic Book Production Devices. | ||||
| Serial Number | E–products | Number of Respondents | Percent | Number of Titles |
| 1 | Audio cassettes | 2 | 25 | 2 |
| 2 | Audio CD | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | CD–ROM | 1 | 12.5 | 1 |
| 4 | Microfilm | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | E–book | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | VCD | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | Master CD | 1 | 12.5 | 1 |
| 8 | No response (blank) | 4 | 50 | 0 |
| Total | 5 | 22.72 | ||
Having found by observation that the sampled publishers have hundreds of musical CDs, cassettes and VCDs to their credit, the study proceeded to find out if they have published any electronic books by any of these means. The data show that two respondents produced two titles in audio cassette for churches. One respondent produced a CD–ROM for a commercial bank while another produced a master CD–ROM for another client. They all believe that there is no demand for such products. No respondent produced books in audio CD, microfilm, VCD or e–books. Four respondents (50 percent) did not respond to the question.