Distribution leader Skip Prichard has offered a message of encouragement to those who fear that digital publishing could harm the book business.

The president and chief executive officer of Ingram Content Group--which includes Christian products distributor Spring Arbor (SA)--believes there is a silver lining in the dark clouds others see.

"I reject the detractors and doomsayers" who predict the demise of the printed book and believe it will have a negative effect, he wrote in a commentary for the Web site The Daily Beast.

"I think this is the most exciting time to be involved in the book business," Prichard said. "Not only are books receiving more media attention, the new technologies offer an unprecedented opportunity to engage readers."

With audio and video enhancements, social networking and interactive technology, "the book itself is being reinvented," he wrote. "I believe the market for books is not fixed, meaning for every e-book sold, one less print book would be sold. Instead, the entire publishing pie can grow as books regain mindshare and embrace new ways to attract readers."
The digital revolution does demand change, Prichard said, but "the good news is that publishing is already filled with some of the most creative minds around, and this talent can easily be applied to the new media."

Prichard was at the International Christian Retail Show in June for SA's unveiling of a new logo, part of what he called a "reinvigoration" of its services that includes an expanded inventory to include more family-friendly films, music, Bible covers and communion ware.

The printed book will endure, Prichard wrote in his online column. "No matter how exciting the world of enhanced media books becomes, I suspect there will be some like me who want it both ways. I may love my new iPad, but I still look forward to reading that relic of the past, the good old-fashioned, printed book."

Click here to read his complete column.