E-market challenge for paper books

Faced with the pressure from e-books, the publishing industry is undergoing a revolution in the way they produce paper books - upgrading the binding and layout to turn books into collector items, say booksellers and publishing industry observers.

"E-books make it convenient for readers to access the content but they have little value for collection. So the traditional publishing industry should focus on adding to the value of printed books," says Seiichi Mizuno, an adviser for cultural institutes in Japan and former president of the Seibu Department Stores in Tokyo.

Yang Zhao, a writer and literary and political critic based in Taiwan, echoes Mizuno's remarks.