It's not quite the usual story in the publishing industry nowadays, but Traverse City's American Marine Publishing is taking a new direction with their signature publication, the
PowerBoat Guide. Instead of going digital from print, they're bringing back their print product from digital publishing, due to customer demand.
After offering the 2010 and 2011 editions of the guide--popular among boat dealers, lenders and owners--as digital guides on CD-ROM or for download online, the publisher heard so much demand to revive the former print guide that it has resumed publication for 2011.
The
PowerBoat Guide is a reference tool with pictures, specifications, floor plans and retail values for hundreds of power boats, including trawlers, yachts, sports fishing boats and cruisers produced since 1980. It's become a key resource for marine industry professionals, as well as boat buyers.
"Renewing book production will mean a lot to customers who use the
PowerBoat Guide in their business," says Ed McKnew, president of American Marine Publishing. "Like most small businesses, we were forced to cut back during the last couple of years to make it through the worst of the recession. For us, that meant reducing our printing costs, our single largest expense."
But they heard from customers that while they would use the digital versions, the print guide was more useful.
"Although we offered the 2010 and 2011 editions on CD-ROM (or as a download from our Website), our customers made it clear that they preferred the physical book for its portability and convenience. With the economy finally showing signs of strengthening, we decided this was the right time to put it back into production," McKnew says.
The book is now available through the
publisher's website and is still available in digital and downloadable forms as well as the print version. American Marine Publishing has been producing the guide yearly since 1989.
Writer: Sam EgglestonSource: Ed McKnew, American Marine Publishing
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