Publishing is not what it used to be.

National retail chains like Barnes & Noble or Borders are in dire straights. Sales over the past several years are on a continued decline and the firms, trying to reverse course, are shuttering stores and branching out into toys, stuffed animals, coffee, and anything else to boost sales. This not only takes the attention away from books - it means there's less space available to market books.

Ebooks however are on the rise. Pundits are already calling 2010 the "eReader Christmas". With the flood of reading devices hitting the market this fall, eBook sales will be particularly strong in early 2011 as consumers try out their new devices. Anticipating this ongoing shift in consumer buying habits, several prominent publishers and authors are moving to 'digital only' publishing strategies. No more printing physical books at all, therefore nothing to put in brick and mortar stores. As ebook sales continue their meteoric rise, authors and publishers will have to re-evaluate how they will reach consumers. Fewer retail stores and reduced emphasis on bookselling means the author's primary marketing tool, visiting store to sign books, is over.

Fortunately, Autography has a solution to this problem.