E-publishing model

I've been following a discussion about the merits of e-publishing over the traditional print model. Here are some of my thoughts:

1. This is not an either/or game. It's not print publishing versus e-publishing. I think the smartest plan is to do both simultaneously using either print-on-demand or low-cost local distributors. Joe Konrath explains this in his blog, Newbies Guide to Publishing. He does both, but he's moving huge numbers digitally, a lot less in print relatively speaking. But the print model is still very strong and viable. So you do both.
2. As Rebecca Shelley, a friend writer of mine (note link is to her website, not the comment), pointed out, there are lots of kids who read e-books. My neighbor's kid is reading my novel on his Kindle. I sent it to him as a Word doc and they converted it for ease of reading.
3. Speed and Volume are key for e-models, and very lucrative. Speed allows super-vast distribution. Think about it. Once you feel confident in your writing, you can realistically go from conception of a project to launch in 6 months, 3 if you are very quick. That's just the writing, rewriting, copyediting, and formatting. Plus you get much more out there much more quickly. Part of Rebecca's success is having multiple volumes out there.
3. The power of the e-model is far greater than just the simple black and white models the big distributors are doing. It's a multimedia campaign like nothing we've ever seen before. I'm still in the very beginning stages of gathering information, but let me share with you my marketing strategy for a Christmas season launch. It's very ambitious, and perhaps I'm in way over my head just thinking about it.


My Crazy Ambitious Plan
A. I'm hoping to launch my Lizzie Peterson middle grade series in the Legends of Kyreo by November for the Christmas season, including (hopefully) a late summer/early fall launch for book 1, and 2 more to follow, with books 4 and 5 next spring.
B. Audio. Recording audio for your books is cheaper now than ever, especially if you feel confident enough with your voice to do your own. You can always update later with a better voice talent and distribute again. Before, audio was just for the blind or for ebooks on CD. But many, many people like to listen to their books now as they commute. And kids, especially middle grade, will love an interactive experience where they can easily move back and forth between audio and just print, or print with audio. This enhancement will be huge.
C. Color. I'm planning on 5-15 color illustrations and high concept, professional-level art for the cover. This will help me compete with the big national companies, and allow me more freedom in my own image concepts. Plus, it's not nearly as expensive as I once thought. Think about how many books you've read that would be so enhanced with illustrations. Plus you can use color in  your text, titles, etc. Also, maps galore. I get excited just thinking about it.
D. Games. OK, more expensive here, but here's a link to a guy who's doing some simple game tie-ins that: www.themag12.com (no comments about the quality of his materials, which I haven't read. I just found this while researching), while not the most educating, are gaining a lot of traffic. And the level is low-sophistication, so the costs are probably not astronomical. I'm just looking into that, but it's a great tie in.
E. Author commentary. This could be big for adult audiences, but for kids, depending on the kind of content, especially world building and such, could be a great offer.
F. External links to other content, including web pages and such, have vast potential for growth.
G. Music, video links, etc. The sky just keeps opening up.


Summary
So, with the possible exception of music/videos (except I have several professional contacts to make book trailers) and games, I can do all this for under $1,000 a book, including formatting, copyediting, and the like. Just imagine all you could offer this way. Beats the socks off print books that take 2-3 years to get printed with a traditional publisher, and keeps me as a writer exited, engaged, and really motivated to produce. And what I produce will make me 70% profits at Amazon, and closer to 100% off my own web site. Think about it. This is no longer just a print experience. I'll provide more as I move along. I'm weeks away from producing the video trailers, hiring the illustrators, and beginning voice overs. And that's just for starters. And I can keep throwing up more and more, including short stories, and...well...need I say more?