SIGNUM: How many readers do you need, want, or expect, in order to make it work?

WR: I expect we'll get back pretty quickly to the levels of traffic that eBookNet experienced at its peak – about 15,000 page views a day. Beyond that, I want to work toward the readership levels enjoyed by some other book-related sites such as AOL's Book Report Network.

eBookNet seemed to validate for a lot of e-book enthusiasts that they weren't nuts – that this technology is really coming and that it is going to change the world.

Right now I don't think there are more than maybe 30,000 serious e-book enthusiasts on the planet. To make the venture work, and demonstrate to sponsors that their contributions mean something, we'll need to capture at least half of this group as regular site visitors or newsletter subscribers. But as e-books gradually become a mainstream consumer phenomenon, I think we'll be able to tap into a much larger audience.

GS: As Wade mentioned to you, we want to get back to our previous level as soon as possible, and work to surpass that. But our goal isn't really just to build site traffic. Our mission is to provide a central source for everyone interested in e-books. To promote the e-book industry through education and information, and provide a meeting place that will be a catalyst for the industry. I think that as long as we are the online heart of the industry, traffic will grow organically as people spread the word. We simply need the financial support of the industry, plus the participation of those who are passionate about e-books. That's why we set it up as a non-profit. To make it clear that we're here for the love of e-books, not for the money. We're here to further the cause of e-books.

SIGNUM: How does the sponsorship model work?

GS: We will have a range of sponsorship levels so that as many companies can participate as possible. In exchange, companies will of course be listed as sponsors, with ads in related areas of the site. We are working on a sponsor package with a list of other benefits that we hope to complete next week. So far more than 20 companies have already inquired about sponsorship, so we are very encouraged and confident that eBookWeb will be around for the long haul. From our side, we will require that companies sign understanding and agreement to our editorial policy http://www.ebookweb.org/about/charter.htm which explicitly states our editorially independent stance.

WR: Basically, we're inviting individuals and companies to become members of the Electronic Publishing Resource Center at whatever annual contribution level they can afford, and whatever makes sense to them from a marketing and community outreach perspective. Their contributions will be tax-deductible, and we'll recognize sponsors in a number of ways, such as prominently-placed public announcements on the site and in our newsletters. They'll gain from the exposure, and by demonstrating to e-book readers and their peers in the industry that they believe in the value of an open discussion to the growth of the e-book marketplace as a whole.

 

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