In case you haven’t noticed, the book publishing industry is about half of what it used to be. There is now a mad scramble by publishers to discover what tomorrow will look like.

With the demise of many retail booksellers, both big and small, and the dominance of Amazon.com Inc., the book market, as we have known it for the past 150 years, has changed forever.

When I get on an airplane, everyone has an iPad or Kindle. Well, not everyone, but it’s trending toward everyone. People can now bring 50 books on the plane on a device with a 10-hour battery that weighs only one pound and has adjustable typefaces. Keep in mind that e-readers and iPads are still infants. They are under 5 years old, and their legacy has just begun. But also keep in mind they have found their way into the hands of 100 million people, seemingly overnight.

I write books, and now I have some very hard choices to make with my next book and my future books. Launching a book was simple in 2004. Get affiliates, send out a million emails, click through to Amazon.com, sell a few thousand books and make The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times best-seller lists.

It’s not the same today. Not even close.

Now I have to ask myself hard questions:

• Do I launch the e-book the same day as the hardcover book is launched?

• Do I record an audio book and a video book?

• Where should I make them available?

• Should I use a traditional publisher or self-publish?

In 2004, my “Little Red Book of Selling” launch did not incorporate social media, because there was no social media. Today, you can’t launch a book without it. It’s the same with your products. Anyone (including me) who doesn’t take advantage of the marketing, branding and selling power that business social media has to offer is leaving money on the table. Lots of money.

For my next launch, I’ll be shooting video. Not just video of the book content, but also promotional videos, teaser videos, idea videos and courseware videos that will complement the book. Video trumps text. Electronic text trumps print.

Softcover books will always be there – as a minor player. Hardcover books will always be there – as a minor player. But video is the new text. It’s called YouTube, not TextTube. Schoolbooks? No, no – iPads.

In your business:

• Video is the new brochure.

• Video is the new proposal.

• Video is the new training manual.

• Video is the new letter and email.

Here’s what to do (and what I’m doing) to keep your business up to speed:

1. Take video of something every day. I don’t care what it is. A thought, an idea, an article, a brochure, a sales presentation, a customer testimonial or a little kid sliding down a slide.

2. Make a list and create a pile of everything you have that’s printed. Make a game plan to replace it with something more current.

3. Gather your best customers and have a video party. Begin asking them why they buy from you, on video. Then ask why they would recommend you, on video.

3.5. Whatever it is you’re selling, take advantage of every new channel of distribution. The old ways of selling, the old ways of marketing, the old ways of promotion and the old ways of branding are no longer applicable.

If you are looking for some kind of model, take a close look at mine, and emulate it. So far it’s working well. But check back often, because everything will be different by next year.

The best way to win in this economy is simple: Stay in front of the losers.