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As the librarian who coordinates OverDrive for my school district (thirteen librarians and approximately 10,000 students), I spend a lot of time with OverDrive and have been able to give the service a considerable amount of thought. I think digital reading services are a really good fit for school age kids for a variety of reasons and here’s why…
OverDrive and other digital reading services are respectful of student privacy. Kids may feel self-conscious about what they are reading for a variety of reasons. Some kids read well below grade level, and they don’t want their peers to see what they are reading for fear of being made fun of. Some kids have reading likes that are different than what they think their peers read (I had a fifth grade male student who liked reading books that he feared his peers might see as teen romance novels written for girls). For these youths, these services provide a safe environment for them to explore their interests and reading needs. It allows them to borrow materials that they might not check out if they had to bring it up to the circulation desk in front of other kids, their parents, or even an unknown adult.
OverDrive offers over 2,500 picture books in a “Read-Along” format. These narrated books allow children to follow the words of the actual book while it is read aloud to them. This feature helps build literacy in emerging readers and children who struggle with improving their reading skills. While I know many of us (myself included) recognize the importance of the social interaction between a child and an adult who reads to him or her, the “Read-Along” format can bea valuable supplement and reinforcement of what kids are learning in school, in their libraries, and from their families.
Ebook collections generally operate (OverDrive certainly) with twenty-four hour remote availability. That means your kids can access ebooks whether they are five hundred miles away visiting nana, or next door. They can access your collection in July if your school library is closed for the summer. They can borrow ebooks even if they can’t get a ride to the library because the buses are not operating when they can go. If your kids have access to wifi and a computer or device to read on, they have access to ebooks. The benefits of this go without saying!
One thing that I was surprised to learn is that at least one major children’s publisher offers a significantly larger selection of ebooks to public libraries than it does to school libraries through OverDrive. I had no idea that this was the case until one of our students brought his device to one of my colleagues and asked about downloading a book from our public library’s OverDrive collection that was unavailable to us in the school library marketplace. I assume that this is a business decision based on other products this company offers. While it is disappointing from the school library perspective, it opens up the opportunity for dialog between public and school librarians. This might, in turn, lead to greater collaboration on matters of collection development and instruction related to digital resources…as well as other topics.
Finally, we have to recognize the role technology plays in the lives of kids. Numerous studies show that the great majority of children have access to smart phones, tablets and computers, even among low-income families. While there are certainly good reasons to believe that not everything about the rise of technology has made life better for kids, it is impossible to deny that technology has become one of the ways that kids relate to and shape their world. Digital reading services give us the opportunity to direct that eagerness and energy in a way that is helpful and productive to the development of young people and the skills they need to function.
Our students are incredibly enthusiastic about reading ebooks on their personal electronic devices. They love looking for ebooks, checking them out, and downloading their selected titles. My colleagues and I are delighted by this reception. On a deeper level, the decision to develop a digital reading collection has helped our school libraries to be seen as more relevant and visible in our school community. How great is that?!?
If you received a book over the holidays, was it digital or printed on paper? E-books (and devices on which to read them) are multiplying like rabbits, as are the numbers of eReading devotees. It’s easy to assume, particularly in the United States, with the highest level of e-book sales worldwide, that the only way this trend can go is up.
Yes, there was triple-digit e-book growth in 2009, 2010, and 2011, though by 2014 those figures had settled down into the single digits. What’s more, when you query people about their reading habits, you find that wholesale replacement of paper with pixels will be no slam-dunk.
Over the past few years, my colleagues and I have been surveying university students in a variety of countries about their experiences when reading in both formats. Coupling these findings with other published data, a nuanced picture begins to emerge of what we like and dislike about hard copy versus digital media. Here are five facts, fictions, and places where the jury is still out when it comes to reading on-screen or on paper.
Cost is a major factor in choosing between print or the digital version of a book.
True.
College students are highly cost-conscious when acquiring books. Because e-versions are generally less expensive than print counterparts, students are increasingly interested in digital options of class texts if making a purchase. (To save even more, many students are renting rather than buying.)
Yet when you remove price from the equation, the choice is generally print. My survey question was: If the price were identical, would you prefer to read in print or digitally? Over 75% of students in my samples from the United States, Japan, Germany, and Slovakia preferred print, both for school work and when reading for pleasure. (In Germany, the numbers were a whopping 94% for school reading and 90% for leisure.)
The “container” for written words is irrelevant.
False.
There’s a lot of talk these days about “content” versus “container” when it comes to reading. Many say that what matters in the end is the words, not the medium through which they are presented. The argument goes back at least to the mid-eighteenth century, when Philip Dormer, the Earl of Chesterfield, advised his son:
Due attention to the inside of books, and due contempt for the outside is the proper relation between a man of sense and his books.
When I began researching the reading habits of young adults, I assumed these mobile-phone-toting, Facebooking, tweeting millennials would be largely indifferent to the look and feel of traditional books.
I was wrong. In response to the question of what students liked most about reading in hard copy, there was an outpouring of comments about the physical characteristics of printed books. Many spoke about the aesthetics of turning real pages. One said he enjoyed the feel of tooled Moroccan leather. They enthused about the smell of books. In fact, 10% of all Slovakian responses involved scent.
E-books are better for the environment than print.
Unclear.
Debate continues over whether going digital is the clear environmental choice. Yes, you can eliminate the resources involved in paper manufacturing and book transport. But producing – and recycling – digital devices, along with running massive servers, come with their own steep costs. The minerals needs for our electronic reading devices include rare metals such as columbite-tantalite, generally mined in African conflict-filled areas, where profits often support warlords. Recycling to extract those precious metals is mostly done in poor countries, where workers (often children) are exposed to enormous health risks from toxins. The serried ranks of servers that bring us data use incredible amounts of electricity, generate vast quantities of heat, and need both backup generators and cooling fans.
Today’s young adults are passionate about saving the environment. They commonly assume that relying less on paper and more on digits makes them better custodians of the earth. When asked what they liked most about reading on-screen – or least about reading in hard copy – I heard an earful about saving (rather than wasting) paper. Despite their conservationist hearts, internal conflict sometimes peeped through regarding what they assumed was best for the environment and the way they preferred to read. As one student wrote,
I can’t bring myself to print out online material simply for environmental considerations. However, I highly, highly prefer things in hard copy.
Users are satisfied with the quality of digital screens.
False.
Manufacturers of e-readers, tablets, and mobile phones continue to improve the quality of their screens. Compared with devices available even a few years ago, readability has improved markedly. However, for university students who often spend long hours reading, digital screens (at least the ones they have access to) remain a problem. When asked what they liked least about reading on-screen, there was an outpouring of complaints in my surveys about eyestrain and headaches. Depending upon the country, between one-third and almost two-thirds of the objections to reading on-screen involved vision issues.
It’s harder to concentrate when reading on a screen than when reading on paper.
True – by a landslide.
My question was: On what reading platform (hard copy, computer, tablet, e-reader, or mobile phone) did young adults find it easiest to concentrate? “Hard copy” was the choice of 92% (or more) of the students in the four countries I surveyed. Not surprisingly, across the board, respondents were two-to-three times as likely to be multitasking while reading on a digital screen as when reading printed text. It goes without saying that multitasking is hardly a recipe for concentrating.
How does concentration relate to reading? There are different ways in which we can read: scanning a text for a specific piece of information, skimming the pages to get the gist of what is said, or careful reading. The first two approaches don’t necessarily require strong concentration, and computer-based technologies are tailor-made for both. We search for specific keywords, often using the ‘Find’ function to cut to the chase. We jump from one webpage to the next, barely reading more than a few sentences. When we wander off from these tasks to post a status update on Facebook or check an airfare on Kayak, it’s not that hard to get back on track.
What computer technology wasn’t designed for is deep reading: thoughtfully working through a text, pausing to reflect on what we’re read, going back to early passages, and perhaps writing notes in the margins about our own take on the material. Here is where print technology wins.
At least for now, university students strongly agree.
Headline image credit: Books. Urval av de böcker som har vunnit Nordiska rådets litteraturpris under de 50 år som priset funnits by Johannes Jansson/norden.org. CC-BY-2.5-dk via Wikimedia Commons.
One of my favorite predictions I have put down on pixel and screen is this one from 2007, when the Kindle had just been announced, e-book sales were virtually nonexistent, and the iPad was but a glimmer in Steve Jobs' eye:
In my opinion there will never be a widely used iPod of books, a device that people buy specifically for books -- e-books will take off when they can be easily downloaded and easily read on a device like a larger iPhone-of-the-future, something people already have, which evens out the economics since you don't have to plop down a significant chunk of money before you even buy a book. This would give e-books the decisive edge in economics, which might just tip the world of books toward e-books. Until then? Printed page for most of us.
I would argue that this is pretty much what has happened in the last six years. Yes, Kindles have sold pretty well and you see them around town, but they're nowhere near the ubiquity that iPods were in the mid-2000s. Print is still a majority even as Kindle prices dropped below $100. We haven't yet reached a majority e-book world, and it's still "printed page for most of us," as the last paragraph suggests.
And yet... I'm actually a little worried about this prediction.
The second part of the prediction is that e-book sales would reach a majority when most everyone has a "larger iPhone-of-the-future," aka an iPad, iPad Mini, Nexus 7, Kindle Fire, Nook HD... you get the picture.
We're almost there. There are now tons of tablets in the world. Apple sold 22.9 million iPads in the last quarter alone (link is to CNET, I work there, opinions here are my own).
And yet growth in e-book sales seem to be leveling off. Even as people are buying more and more tablets, they're not reading more and more e-books.
Some people, including Nicholas Carr in the previous link, see the leveling off of as proof that people are simply still attached to print books. I don't doubt that this is the case for many people.
My fear is that books are losing ground to other forms of handheld portable entertainment. Tablets should make it easier for people to read more because there is no delay between deciding you want to read something and being able to read it. It's (usually) cheaper to buy e-books. But that doesn't seem to be happening at the moment.
And this is where publishers have to realize that they are not competing against just books anymore when they're setting e-book prices.
Basically: Buy a new e-book for $11.99 or buy Angry Birds for $0.99? If you want to be entertained for six hours while you're commuting and you're cost conscious, that extra $10 goes a long way, and it adds up quick when you're talking about buying multiple books over time.
E-books have to be priced in a way that makes sense relative to its competition. They're not simply competing against other books anymore, they're competing against very very cheap (or free) forms of entertainment on the same device. Books and magazines aren't the only game in town for portable entertainment anymore.
I don't think the book world should be patting itself on the back that e-book sales have slowed. Yes, print books will absolutely still exist and people are still attached to them. But if people aren't reading books on tablets the book world will be in serious trouble as tablets become still-more ubiquitous in the future.
Art: Take Your Choice by John F. Peto
32 Comments on Will Books Lose Out in a Tablet World?, last added: 2/27/2013
You address something I've been wondering about and experiencing myself since the e-book price fixing suit/settlement went down and e-book prices went up.
E-books have a perceived value to me and I hesitate to pay more than that. A tighter budget compounds this issue and means my book purchases are more thoughtful and less impulsive now than they were six months ago.
And $11.99 for an e-book makes me pause and think, especially since I know that price will most likely drop when the paperback comes out in a year.
I've often wondered the same thing. Personally I use e-books mostly for technical matters (I'm a web developer), content I send to my Kindle from the web, some magazines, and for travel (I do NOT miss having to cart around tons of books, either on the subway or plane/train) but I still prefer reading books.
However I do worry that it's not just competition with angry birds or any other time-wasters out there. Those have always been around to some extent. What I DO worry about, is the loss of a space to read, to write, to contemplate. Whether it be cell phones intruding on every single public space, video games or the relentless All-caps nature of the web, the space where writing, and reading, matters I fear is becoming less and less. Look at the decline of literature's influence in the last few years.
Maybe that's pollyanish of me, but it's what I see. Hopefully we'll reach some kind of balance in the years to come.
I had an e-reader that went on the fritz and just upgraded to a tablet. I admit, I've mostly used the tablet for catching up with things like Top Chef's Last Chance Kitchen if I don't want to boot up my laptop. I check out ebooks from my library and load onto my device, but the selection is pretty small, and I usually have specific books I'm looking for. I hope that libraries get access to more ebooks, because I think that will help people convert to ebooks more. I use my library a lot; for the books I buy, I am usually buying print at a book event to support the author.
Stoich91 said, on 2/25/2013 10:08:00 AM
I love this discussion; very thought-provoking.
I don't think there's anything to be concerned about for readers or writers (unless your a print publishing company or investor by day!).
So what if ebooks become all the rage? Readers (vociferous readers) only care about two things: Quality and Accessibility of reading materials. We will read magazines and toothpaste bottles and classic novels so long as they either make for quality reading, accessible reading, or, ideally, both. It doesn't matter if the words are printed on plastic or a digital screen or paper (I mean, it does, but common, let's be honest, that is mostly nostalgic, and although I love the smell of paper books, I love accessible and/or quality reading even more).
If the concern is that ebooks will cheapen the reading experience by virtue of e-ink vs. print, alone, than I very much disagree. If the fear is that lack of 'gatekeeper' print publishing companies or the 'gatekeeper' of the labor-intensive process of printing physical books, in general, will keep the quality of reading low, I think we ought to expect more of ourselves.
Even before the printing press, good stories were told and thrived. Ever after, there may be MORE stories, and thus cheapened quality, but there are still good stories out there despite changing technology, and that's the only thing to be worried about, in my opinion.
I too have been thinking that books might just go the way of the record. Just as you can now easily download just a single, and therefore the concept of the album is suddenly losing meaning, I wonder if books will slowly be transformed into something else. My sister showed me a children's "e-book" of Winnie the Pooh on her iPad, but although there were words on the screen, it was really made to be more like a movie. And it made me incredibly sad for kids and their imagination. I think if we want long-form books to be passed down the generations, then it is up to us as parents to transfer our love of books to our children.
I just read that blog post yesterday. (So, speaking of futures and predictions...yeah...pretty sure I just changed the space-time continuum.) E-book sells may be leveling off in the real world, but in the Education World it's the exact opposite. Most of my students now carry iPads and Kindles. My Outside Reading List is now emailed instead of handed out in class and contains links to purchase or download the books. Personally, I would much rather pay 9.99 and read a book on my Kindle than plop down $30-$40 for a hard copy. (But that's non-fiction. I feel rather wasteful paying for a fiction e-book I'm going to read in a couple hours. The library card is my friend.) One of our major textbook suppliers announced at the beginning of this year that they would be phasing out their print department and instead would be encouraging all schools to buy their E-textbooks. However, you are probably correct in that students would much rather be playing Angry Birds than reading about the First World War.
Just to add to your tracking data, we bought a Kindle Fire and returned it in favor a Kindle Touch. My wife uses that to read. I have an Asus Android Tablet (10") and I read on that. Hardly use the library any more ... especially after reading in the NYT that bedbugs are spreading via books. Eeek!
I have a kindle touch with several books on it, but I only pull it out and dust it off for one reason- traveling. Since traveling with a library is awkward and expensive (suitcases are $25 a pop now) I settle for an e-reader on trips. But at home I cannot replace the experience of a paper book. It is tactile and real and something I can hand to my children someday and say "these words meant a great deal to me." I can't imagine bequeathing them my kindle and telling them how much I love my books. You can buy anything on this planet online, but our stores are still crowded. We can order all our books from Amazon, but our Barnes and Noble is always busy. Shopping and selection is a social experience that people enjoy. You can't download the smell of baking bread and hot cocoa from the corner cafe or the way a book feels in your hand when you carry it to the cash register. I am an e-book owner, but with few exceptions, I am not an e-book reader.
I think the problem is that people can't buy an ebook from any store, save it on any computer, and read it on any tablet. If that problem can be fixed, I think people will absolutely buy ebooks, and at $11.99. I guess it means open-source DRM that any ebook vendor can apply and a software program that works like iTunes but isn't only for one kind of file type.
I guess I'm not convinced that price point is the key factor in many people's Angry Birds vs. Book decisions. Sometimes, in the short term, sure ... but in establishing long-term habits I think other factors are at play. I'd venture that more people are liable to become addicted to Angry Birds (and similar entertainments) than they are liable to become addicted to long-form written work, whether non-fiction or novels. But hasn't interest in long-form work always been more rare than simpler distractions?
Will addiction to Angry Birds and the like crowd out attention paid to work that requires sustained attention? Maybe. Maybe for some. Maybe for most, but "most" still leaves a significant audience for books, and book-lovers will find price points they can afford, as we always have.
I like potato chips. I also like to eat meals. I'll pay more for a meal than I will for a bag of potato chips, even though the potato chips are, in and of themselves, probably the more addicting 'food' ... and I don't think I'm alone.
Anonymous said, on 2/25/2013 12:24:00 PM
I think we have to wait a few more years to see what happens. I always look at kids and I see the future. And you don't see many kids embracing print books these days. They all have tablets.
And, tablets weren't designed for e-books. Tablets were designed for many things, from social media to getting information on line fast. So we're really going to wind up right back where we started. People who read will always read, and most likely they'll be doing iton tabelts. People who don't read will be using their tablets for other things.
In other words, I never thought technology would make more people read. I only thought it would change the way people read. And, I wouldn't be investing in a small e-press anytime soon :)
Yes! I love books, and I don't have e-readers (except for the Kindle app on my phone). I use my Kindle phone app all the time (so I don't have to tote a book with me on errands and such), but I notice other people playing games on their phones. I'm usually the only one reading. I have friends who have bought their kids Kindles (or Nooks or iPads), and I've *never* seen their kids reading on them -- they read print books; they play games on their devices (and they're usually playing games, not holding a book).
I think people will continue reading whether Angry Birds is around or not. There have been distractions from long form reading for much longer than there have been free smart phone game apps (case in point: crossword puzzles, newspapers, card games, etc.). But then again, I'm the type of person who reads books instead of watching TV (shocking, I know), so maybe my views are outside the norm.
I agree with Christi. Entertainment in the form of games and apps are on two seperate ends of the spectrum. I dont think people will stop reading all together simply because there are app out there. Interesting post though :)
In this digital world, I now buy more content than ever before. Take today for example, I bought one ebook to read on my iPhone. It is a business book. I bought one audiobook because I'm interested in the author but I know I won't have time to read the book. I would rather listen to it than miss the opportunity to enjoy a good story. Finally, I bought a print book to use for an important project because I want to mark it up for reference.
I love the digital world.
The best thing publishers can do is to negotiate distribution agreements as quickly as possible with tablet and mobile partners. This is how they will add more value to their relationships with authors.
The genie is out of the bottle. This reader is not looking back.
I think you make interesting points in this post given what I can say about my household.
My husband and I each own Kindle Fires. I download books on mine and the occasional game, though I buy at least as many print books as I do ebooks. However, my husband downloads movies, TV episodes, and tons of game apps on his, NOT ONE SINGLE BOOK.
The popularity of such devices does not necessarily equate to the popularity of ebooks. My sister has an iPad she likes to purchase a few books on, but anything she knows she loves and will want to reread, she prefers to purchase in print to keep on her bookshelf. Print books just feel cozier when there's an emotional attachment to them.
It is for that reason that none of my favored books are purchased in ebook format, and my Kindle Fire is full of random reads and guilty pleasures I don't necessarily want sitting out for anyone to see.
For me, I keep my silly app/game addiction on my iPhone... except for Angry Birds. They're easier to see on the Fire's screen. :)
I love print books. A few years ago I would have sworn I would always prefer them to digital books. But I only average one print book a month now while I buy multiple digital books every month. My Kindle is such a clutter-reducer, space-saver and money-saver. Plus having a portable library with me is fabulous since I tend to be reading 2-3 non-fiction plus 1-2 fiction books at a time and I like to take them with me wherever I go. I used to lug all that around in a big tote or decide before leaving the house which book to take along. Now I can take them all in a slim lightweight device that fits in a my purse. I have a feeling the eBook revolution isn't going to slow down. It may plateau for a while, but it's going to continue to grow in the future. I feel torn about that. There is something lovely and old-fashioned about paper books, but digital books are just so darn convenient.
I still purchase print books for instructional manuals and books that I know I'm going to need to share with the faculty I work with. But all my fiction goes to my Kindle app on my iPad.
One of the frustration points for me is one you blogged about a few days ago and I missed commenting on...I think just as we resell our own used books, we should be able to purchase and resell previously read ebooks. I understand the issues surrounding this, but I always look in my library's ebooks to see if they have what I want to read for free before I consider purchasing. I'd love to be able to purchase an already read ebook.
I work at a new School of Medicine in charge of curriculum development and instructional technology. We will not have a physical book store on our new campus, nor will we sell physical textbooks. Everything will be eTextbook. The biggest question for me is which provider has the best eTextbook platform (note taking, anotations, both searchable and sharable, integrated media and quizzes, flashcards, etc). That company (not the publisher) will win the eTextbook race. It's no longer just the words on the 'page' that provide the experience, it is how the reader will interact with the functionality the ebook platform provides.
As long as people keep writing great books, we'll keep reading them, right? My daughters and all their friends have iPods and/or tablets, phones, etc, but they still devour books and discuss them. I think the readers in each generation will continue to raise more readers. I can't imagine 6 straight hours to read... I'd be In Heaven!
How the conservative WSJ got, from that research, the idea that e-book sales are leveling off is a mystery only they can answer. I think the game of Twister was involved.
b. The only one who can really tell us what is happening with e-book sales is Amazon. And they aren't sharing their data, so we just don't know.
People can reassure themselves that e-book sales are leveling all, but there is nothing to support that!
Second, you are absolutely right that there are dangers to Publishers in pricing e-books too high; they are losing customers and strengthening the competition. They are also, unfortunately, hurting the authors that publish with them.
I admit I had steam coming out of my ears when I saw how high your books were priced, Nathan. Not on my account, of course I'm going to buy your book, but because it prices your book too high for MG, imho. That could potentially hurt your sales, and it makes me really mad, because your books are very good and deserve to be given the absolutely best chance in the marketplace.
And by not supporting you, Publishers are weakening themselves. They are under-cutting their asset, and the costs of that will move into the future.
So, for a number of reasons, pricing too high is just a really dangerous move on their part. It weakens their position - with authors, in the marketplace and against competitors.
I agree with you 100%, Mr. Former Agent Man. It's as I've pointed out as well: the major traditional publishers scoffed at ebooks and Amazon because, despite the really low cost to producing a book digitally these days technology being what it is, they missed the appeal of the Kindle revolution. Kindles, and ebook reading, didn't necessarily explode because people love to read on a screen instead of turning pages! It exploded because suddenly there was a way to carry large tomes, the newspaper, and magazines and Sudoku or whatever people used to entertain themselves with during long waits or just relaxing--and all in a lightweight package. But it wasn't even or only convenience that launched the ereader revolution. It was cost. There are books--you may not like them, they may in your opinion not be very good--you can download for free or 99c? How much did Amanda Hocking charge? If you could get Angry Birds for 99c, and a good novel, say, Pride and Prejudice, for 99c to $3, it would be a tougher choice than your $11 example. Now, that's what Amazon figured out. And what the "major" publishers tried to stop. It's called "undercutting the competition." It's also called attracting cost-conscious consumers in an economic crisis. I've mentioned before it's similar to the paperback revolution of the start of the last century. Do you want to spread literature, and human understanding, to as many as possible? Or do you want to keep readinng, as a form of entertainment as well as education, for only those elites who can afford it? The paperback revolution coincided with the spread of education beyond elites. A coal miner could and might have read War and Peace. Not everyone in every country has access to the technological infrastructure that has made ereaders so popular in the U.S. Until they do, likely paperbacks will out-sell ereaders. But once they do? If you offer it at a price they can afford, they will kill those Angry Birds...
I didn't read all the other comments due to limitations on the use of my eyes, so forgive me if I'm repeating what someone else has said already.
This made me think that apps like Wattpad, which offer readers instant, global access to more content than one could possibly read in a lifetime, are going to have an impact on eBook sales too.
Now eBooks are not just competing with games and other forms of tablet entertainment but also other books available for free, right now, anywhere readers have access to the internet...
A thought: No matter how common they become, e-readers will still mostly be for the well-off in society, whereas books--used and from the library--are what is more likely to land in the hands of the less fortunate, particularly children.
There was a time when books were for only the elite, and then they became more accessible. I worry that in an e-book world--where libraries would struggle to be relevant--that we would return to something mirroring that time. I may be jumping the gun here, but I recently interviewed an author who was writing a book that would only be digital, and that was his concern, that poor kids would not be able to read it. I'm curious what others have to say about this.
Scott
Sevigne said, on 2/26/2013 11:29:00 AM
The problem has nothing to do with e-books, tablets, or publishing. It has to do with this, and this alone: what is the value of reading over playing "Angry Birds" for 99 cents, or even for free?
Anyone can entertain themselves for six hours, if the sole goal of life and growing up, and becoming an adult is merely to entertain oneself. So, I ask again: what is the value of reading, over everything else that can temporarily distract our minds and emotions from the burden of living, and the joy of finding purpose in this world?
Sevigne said, on 2/26/2013 11:30:00 AM
The problem has nothing to do with e-books, tablets, or publishing. It has to do with this, and this alone: what is the value of reading over playing "Angry Birds" for 99 cents, or even for free?
Anyone can entertain themselves for six hours, if the sole goal of life and growing up, and becoming an adult is merely to entertain oneself. So, I ask again: what is the value of reading, over everything else that can temporarily distract our minds and emotions from the burden of living, and the joy of finding purpose in this world?
Sevigne said, on 2/26/2013 11:35:00 AM
Sorry about the double post. I thought captcha had done the usual thing it does when I type it incorrectly, and that it had wiped out the comment.
You know, I had the same concern. I was worried digital technology could be very dangerous, making reading a class issue even more than it is, because of the expense of buying the e-reader.
But I recently read some articles about what is happening globally (I'm so sorry I don't remember where they are, so I can't link them), and what they've found is that in some cultures - Africa, for instance - e-books are actually easier and more accessible. That's because alot of Africans, even the impoverished, have cell phones. And you can download apps and free books on cell phones.
In addition, there are some libaries being built that allow people to come in and read on digital technology. I think the first all digital library just opened in some little town in Texas. And everyone still will (hopefully) have access to libraries.
Digital technology for libaries makes sense because of storage, accessibility, even dusting. :)
Also, I predict that e-readers will keep getting cheaper and cheaper, until you can pick one up for 10 bucks at the drug store - or even get one for free from some site doing a promotion.
So, I could be wrong, it still might be something to worry about, but I was reassured by these things. I think it is a very valid concern, though!
When thinking about the future of ebooks, I can't help but look to my kids. Although I readily download books at midnight, just because I can, my 8 and 14 year-olds have not made the switch. I've nudged. We have multiple tablets in the house as well as a Kindle, and still, they choose paper. My personal reason for switching had to do with clutter, but if you look around their rooms, it's clear that they are not of that mindset.
We drove an hour to Barnes and Noble two days ago as a treat. The Borders in town closed and nothing came along to replace it. We used to make a weekly ritual of shopping there with the kids. But now when we make the trip to Portland, it's not the same. They only seem to carry the best sellers and the offerings change very little even when it's been a month or two since we made the trip. Both of my kids are becoming Amazon converts and ask me to look things up for them that friends had or that they saw in the library.
My gut tells me they'll eventually switch only because it's so hard to find what they want in paper without ordering it online and having to wait.
For the first time ever, actual science can be derived from reading habits.
Thanks to e-books, companies like Amazon and B&N now know whether people are actually reading the e-books they buy. Better yet, they even know where in books people are leaving off, which books are most likely to be read all the way through, and the speed people are reading them.
As Mike Shatzkin points out, this is important knowledge that the e-booksellers have and publishers do not. It could be more important to know whether people finish a bestselling book than how many copies it sells. If people stop reading and start reading something else instead, it could be a sign people might not be as enthusiastic for that author's next book. And if people read something very quickly it could be a sign of enthusiasm.
The possibilities don't stop there. Could authors improve if they knew at which spots in their book people are dropping off?
Needless to say, this frontier is not without its controversy. Readers may not like to have their e-reading habits snooped, even if it's done anonymously. Authors may be frustrated to be confronted with yet another backwards-looking tool that can pigeonhole them based on their past books without considering whether the new one is really good. And publishers may be frustrated that Amazon and the other e-booksellers possesses this competitive advantage.
I'm excited to have any new insight available, provided this information is made available to authors. It hardly seems fair if this information is hoarded by the e-booksllers if it's being used to make decisions about whether and how an author is signed or promoted. And, of course, care must be taken to ensure that reader privacy is protected.
What about you? Would you want to know where people are leaving off in your book? Is this new technology exciting or intrusive?
Art: The Librarian by Giuseppe Arcimbolo
0 Comments on Your E-reader is Watching You as of 1/1/1900
Nathan, It's all those (exciting, intrusive) and a bit scary. It's bad enough, when we authors get the courage to check them, to read our reviews at the various bookseller sites. Now we have to face learning that some readers may quit in the middle of our books (or even earlier). Pressure upon pressure.
Tari said, on 8/6/2012 7:46:00 AM
Sure, I don't care. Privacy is pretty much an illusion any more, anyway. It's naive to think that we're all in our own little secret bubble. I don't actively seek it out, but if I'm part of some surreptitious 'market research' that can improve things, so what? I really don't mind.
I would love to have that data, especially on free downloads. For example, what percentage of my free downloads have actually been opened, read 25%, read 75%, finished? While I hope the last three would all be equal, I suspect only a very small percentage of those who download it for free actually even open it, let alone read it. I hope I'm wrong on that, though. Have you seen any statistics on what percentage of free ebooks get read?
meh. I only get pissed when a snooping technology uses me to generate some sort of free advertising--a la FB and it's timeline telling everyone what I bought or read online, etc.
If you use my interests to advertise to my friends, cut me a check. Otherwise--if it's anonymous data collection--I don't really care.
I can see how this will be especially useful to track the free books out there. An author could shoot up the rankings with a free book with a great hook, but that no one can stand to finish.
As an author it would be scary but useful to know if I am losing the audience at a certain point. Especially with ebooks that allow you to revise and re-release the book.
I think it would help, for instance, Patrick Rothfuss to know how many people stop The Wise Men's Fear after the Felurian bit, as I did. God above I wanted to love that book. It died.
I am a little surprised at people's surprise at this. How many of us have credit cards? Our purchases are tracked. They even give us a handy statement at the end of the year categorized by type of expenditure.
How many of us have supermarket club cards? Totally tracked. They know what you bought, when you bought it, how much, how much you paid for it. What about bookstore club cards? They already know what we're purchasing. And our library borrowing is also tracked. I believe I can see my borrowing history when I log into my library's web site.
The only difference I see is that they can now tell a little about how and whether you're using the product... or rather, how and whether you've opened the book and turned the pages, and how long you rested on a given page. They still can't tell if you've actually read it, what you thought about it, etc.
With all our tweets archived at the Library of Congress and Facebook timeline taking us back to our births, this seems like it's not degrading our privacy at all. In fact I'm surprised it's taken this long.
This seems like another way to pre-judge a book's worth (why do they stop reading?). Supposition by the 'ereaders stats gatherers' doesn't reveal WHY, only that they did. They assume the problem is with the book.
It's much easier to stop reading an ebook than a physical book. Nothing there (no book on the shelf) to remind me if I don't open that ereader.
People quit reading books for many reasons: it was a gift and not to our taste, it was a bargain or free, but didn't live up to it's hype, etc.
Stats can be useful, or they can be slanted to reveal what the person using them wants to convey.
More culling of the herd. I'd say it's scary for the writer.
I would want to know where people drop off in my books. I would prefer to know in the critique stage, though, so I would have the opportunity to address the issue; I'm not sure what value hindsight has in this regard.
I'm not bothered by e-booksellers collecting metadata on a particular book for analysis, as long as the author can access it. I use Google Analytics to track website stats for my blogs, a similar tool for my books would be interesting, as long as I could refrain from obsessing over it (which is not likely, I'm a sucker for things like that).
Anonymous said, on 8/6/2012 8:33:00 AM
I own a few ebooks. I've been slowly working my way through the Song of Ice and Fire series. In fact, I've been going so slowly with those books that I wonder if they think that I've left off. I started reading the 2nd book last August, only to pick it up again 3 months ago. Also, I own one of my favorite books in ebook format, that I also own in print format, and so I go back and forth between the two, depending on which is more convenient.
Thanks for seeing the positive in this frighteningly Big Brotherish situation. As a writer, I'd be intrigued to know where readers slow down or stop, but not at the cost of a corporation having that information. I'm not a big conspiracy kind of guy, but when it comes to big companies, I'm moving toward paranoia.
IMO - the only shame here is that it's not provided to the author. This is a big deal, and being able to interpret this data and turn it into sales down the line is going to be huge. If I could get 1 # from Amazon it would be sample to purchase percentage conversion. Having that AND being willing to make adjustments to your sample pages to drive that % higher could be extremely valuable. Not sure Trad pub is willing to do this yet, but eventually they will be.
For a wonderful example on how this type of monetizing works, look at the success of free/paid (Freemium) games on the iOS platform. Players are not paying until they've decided the content provides them value. Game developers know when players lag and address those areas to keep them interested. I know it's a frightening step to take, but it might be a necessary one.
I've made the transition from a traditional video game developer (PS3,360 stuff) to Freemium (iOS,Android) while working for a major publisher and I'll never go back becuase i can offer a dramatically improved and personal user experience.
I'll be the first to acknowledge there are differences between game publishing and book publishing, but I'll also be the first to point out some frightening similarities.
As a content author, knowing when your readers 'tap out' is FAR more valuable than knowing when your critique partners do.
I would absolutely want this data. Invaluable. Big Brother today is a BIg Brother also being wacthed by those it watches. I'm fine with that.
Stoich91 said, on 8/6/2012 9:45:00 AM
Wow! That's redonkulous. Thanks for the heads' up (I wonder what percentage of the ereading population knows about this?!). It's one thing to take information when people KNOW (eg. search engine tracking), it's another when companies are deliberately taking advantage of consumer naivety.
This almost makes me want to go back to reading print books. When we are assured there is nothing save our convenience to the reader involved in switching from print to etext, we were all too blind to believe it. Meh. Way to go B&N and Amazon.com
And what exactly does this gain authors? Of course writers have been dying for centuries to get that forbidden glance into their readers' minds, but will it make them better writers? Methinks not. Writing is part soul, part artistic borrowing (creative licence, stealing, whatever) part heedless idiocy and mostly just plain hard work. If you can't wring something successful out of those sectors without extra information (unfairly gained information, at that!), why are you even writing in the first place?
Privacy is such a constant conundrum that nothing about any of us is private except for our own internal thoughts.
If the e-book companies like Amazon and B&N would share such gathered information with authors then their benefits would be endless for future writing projects, as well as marketing and advertising their wares.
Anonymous said, on 8/6/2012 9:58:00 AM
Don't want to know. Don't care. Besides, I think this is more about tracking sales and trends than helping authors figure out where people stop reading their books. And unless there is a book out there were a large number or readers...like 10,000 or more...are all stopping in the same place it doesn't really matter anyway.
I am a data junkie! This is almost like a dream come true for me...I'd love to get the job as the analyst who determines what the data means...one fun thing about data, to me, is figuring out what is worthwhile and what is trackable but otherwise totally useless.
Maybe I'm just too clueless to be afraid of this stuff, but I find it fascinating. If I could have it all consolidated (and not coming at me every day as a distraction), I'd love to know not just where people stopped reading, but where--at least in an NF book--where they put bookmarks. I should be getting my first e-reader this weekend, so maybe I'll change my mind when I'm on the readership end, but I don't think so.
Sounds cool. I've tried asking readers before when they got distracted while reading my stuff, and they usually have no idea, so I have trouble figuring out where my weak scenes are. Granted, I'd like this feedback BEFORE it goes on sale online, but it's still a good way of knowing where to shape up if you have a certain type of scene that people regularly step away from.
That said, I share e-readers with friends and vice versa based on what books we have. I hope they're not expecting all the books on an e-reader to be read by the same person. If they are, they may be in for a surprise!
Totally inaccurate information. Sometimes I stop because I'm going back later and then I get busy with a project and can't get to the book. Sometimes I stop because I have read the book before and don't want to read just yet, waiting for a time I know I'll be ready or re: above and just don't get back to it because something else came out.
But I don't expect anything less from BN. The company so ignorant they handle their customer service the way they do. What a fiasco it was to even GET my e-Reader. [rolls eyes]
This sounds both exciting and intrusive, and others have said, a bit scary. Yes, I expect companies to keep all the data they can. Like how TiVo knew that the Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction was watched by more people than the entire Super Bowl audience that year. In fact, it is the most re-watched moment in their history.
So I'm not so much concerned over them watching my reading habits. However, I am concerned with them making decisions based on that information without making the data available to the author.
As a writer, I would love to have that sort of data (what people highlight, where they stop, how quickly they read, etc.) It could be extremely valuable to help tell what parts work and what parts don't. What do people love and what do they hate. Especially if they could tell not just overall time to read, but time to read parts. So you could see if most people zip through certain sections and drag through others.
So I see this as potentially a great tool, if authors are given access to this data so they can use it as feedback for improvement (especially for ebooks, where the author could use the information to revise and republish in a matter of weeks instead of years for the dead-tree editions).
Sadly, as with any new development, it could also be seriously misused. Remember the words of Mark Twain: "There are three types of lies; lies, damn lies and statistics." So anytime any group is gathering statistics, it's very easy for them to be misapplied to prove some preconceived idea.
But I guess I'll remain hopeful that this will be a case where data will be shared, rather then horded.
Great post - very interesting! I don't think it really bothers me that much that they're tracking what I'm reading, where I'm stopping etc. I think it has the potential to be a good thing and when it comes down to it they're not going to get too much about us out of the books we're reading. They're not going to be able to access our emails or social media accounts or anything, so I think it's relatively harmless!
As someone who is coming out with his first commercial debut later this year, I would love to know where people are bookmarking my book and/or if they're finishing it.
Anonymous said, on 8/6/2012 3:04:00 PM
I'm very surprised nobody has pointed out that if companies have access to this data, then governments will also. (Surveillance used to require warrants, but that is becoming less and less true.) It doesn't seem far-fetched to me that people could be targeted because they're reading something perceived as "extremist" or "terroristic." Not to mention the opportunities for censorship. If someone decided to pull back all copies of a "subversive" or "pornographic" book from e-readers everywhere, who would stop them?
I'm also surprised at how casual people seem to be about the ever-increasing monitoring of every aspect of our lives. Maybe it reflects the current, my-life-is-publicly-available-on-Facebook mentality, but it really shocks me how little people value their privacy.
INTRUSIVE! For me, reading is personal, private, an escape. Would you want someone to be able to view your other private habits? Take sex for example: They would know how fast you go, when you slow down, when and if you finish. Can you imagine the spam we'd receive for our reading habits? I already get way too much for viagra, penis enlargers (I don't even have one-why would I need an enlarger?), and webcams chats. I don't think I could handle the intrusion on my reading as well.
I can't wait until I have the technology available to study the reading habits of my students. That may be the only thing to get me sold on my school converting to ebooks.
Anonymous said, on 8/6/2012 4:02:00 PM
If they don't allow you to opt out, then I don't like it.
What's been pointed out by a lot of commentors here, that data without context is worthless, is something that needs to be considered more closely.
The larger entities, your usual Publishers Row address, is probably not going to take the time needed to do follow up when a data point is determined from the data. They will most likely just walk towards their own conclusion, much as they do now, without any care or concern regarding author development.
Smaller entities, more likely the one person shops, may have the time and resources to do the follow-up necessary, taking a representative sample out of the dataset and query for insight. This could be a note to the reader, asking a few questions, inviting a dialog with that reader. Much like most of the small-ops today work, come to think of it.
So the only real difference that this all makes, in the end, is that there may have been a few bucks exchanged before the process, as opposed to this happening before going to press. End result is net even, with maybe some advantage for the smaller operations (where most writers are going to end up in the future anyway) who will be able to capitalize on the real time data a lot more nimbly to greater effect.
Not surprised, but find that the data is not complete. I read more than one book at a time, different categories, different purposes. There are a few books I've stopped reading from boredom, but other times there are things that pull me away from a book - research, writing my own book, reading hard copies of stories, or the need to read something else temporarily. So the data does not give the whole picture.
Seems the data collected would be 'cooking the books', to use accounting parlance. I wonder if Shakespeare would have been discouraged to write by marketing analysis. Reading tastes and styles are too subjective and personal to quantify in a pie chart of sales.
that readers drop off, pace-wise, at points, is not always indicative of their overall enthusiasm for a specific writer -- some writers insert reams of data or fact and figures to add weight to social commentary, yet truthfully, only the most eager really cares how many tonnes of coal the proles used in a scabrous northern town. It is natural to... skim over the boring parts of a flabby novel whose MC is discussing the mundanities of a trip to Ikea.
Anonymous said, on 8/6/2012 8:00:00 PM
My point of view is I find it all a bit intrusive, whether I'm the reader or the writer of the material. It's getting in to Big Brother is watching you zones that feel distinctly uncomfortable. Almost like prying. Yvette Carol
"The possibilities don't stop there. Could authors improve if they knew at which spots in their book people are dropping off?"
This is a double edged sword.
If the ability to do this so accurately existed in TV, it would result in a monkey randomly appearing and throwing crap at people's face in the "slow parts."
"People love it!"
For self-pubbing, I see it as a very useful tool. Under the mismanagement of any non-creative "creative" entity (basically people who only care about maximizing profit) it could be just as much of a detriment, if not more so, than not having this technology at all.
I haven't completely decided, but I do want to say thanks for keeping us all up to date on developments like this!
Anonymous said, on 8/6/2012 8:59:00 PM
I agree with Heather Marsten. How quickly I read a book has nothing to do with enthusiasm for that novel, but more to do with how many of life's distractions pull me away from it (kids, my own writing, critiquing, my degree, etc.). I have at least five novels that I'm dying to get into right now, and one I've only just started but haven't had the time to get back to in the last fortnight.
So yes, while the data might be useful for some, it in no way represents enthusiasm.
As a reader, I have no problem with the information that they can gather from my e-Reader. At all. As a writer, I would be very excited to have this information shared with me. I would love to see where my readers stop; is my pacing effective? Are they breaking where I want them to break? And while I tend to read two books at one time anyway (one fiction, one non) I would find it valuable to learn if great numbers of readers were giving up on my books. This excites me. It really does and I am sure that this information will be made available to authors, or the technology to gather this information will evolve (eg. Reader Share Aps). Thanks for blogging, Nathan. Always a great read.
I bought 50 Shades of Grey a few weeks back, and put it down at the half way mark.
I just couldn't get over the first person narrative and writing style of it; it seemed a bit...amateur (oops!). I know of a few others who have also put it down after the first few days of reading.
Although it is a best seller, I wonder how many others have bought it and failed to finish it. Maybe the sales of the sequels will tell the tale.
I think if writers can access the information about their books it can be a very useful tool. If readers are stopping reading at a certain point - I definitely would want to know this to try to not make the same mistake in the future. The main problem with the information is that it does not tell the writer why people are stopping reading, hopefully the writer would be able to work it out.
Anonymous said, on 8/7/2012 8:46:00 AM
web usability geeks know that it's not enough to know where a person stops surfing a site, you really have to know why as well.
so, well and good, if authors want all the data on the readings of their latest e-book; but data is not information.
I suspect most people who buy books for themselves don't read all of them anyway. That's why titles and covers and placement are so important. I'm sure every publisher knows this already and banks on it.
This could be really interesting for authors if it showed a lot of people stopped at a certain point. It might indicate that part of the story was a chore to get through, or angered people, or something else, and that insight could help the author write better novels from then on. Of course, that would require the author to make a lot of assumptions about why people stopped, though, especially if there were no prior reservations about that point in the story. That could be a bit dangerous and maddening.
Sorry I stopped at that certain point in the book, but I had to catch a train.
Hope the author doesn't change the scenes here due to my putting the book down while I picked up the baby. I love the book but am so busy with life's distractions right now.
Better finish the book, they're watching, and I really like this author.
I'll read a few more pages. Oh, now I have to cook dinner.
So you see, it's silly!
Oh this author I don't care for, I'll just read page 1 and 2 and drop it, then tell my clan to do the same.
Really some of the stuff that could go on...
And it's creepy having no privacy.
I also wonder if sales in e-readers might actually drop due to this new awareness.
I'm a writer, but the first thing I was concerned about was whether we retained our privacy when we read e-books. As long as we do, then it sounds great.
When we talk about e-books, we mainly think of them as rough, imperfect translations of a paper book. The illustrations within a paper book go straight into the e-book, and while interactive e-books exist and offer some intriguing potential, they haven't yet gone mainstream.
There was another time in another medium where there was a new innovation that afforded new possibilities, and that was color coming to movies. It was initially an expensive novelty, but even after it grew more affordable, "serious" movies were mainly still in black and white. People still associated black and white with newspapers and newsreels, and it lent a more "realistic" look. It wasn't until decades after the introduction of color that it became truly mainstream.
Now it's black and white that's the novelty. It's a nostalgic throwback. And sure, many of us love old movies, but it would have seemed strange if James Cameron had tried to make Avatar in black and white.
There is a world of possibilities afforded by the format of e-books on tablets. Books could be colorful, interactive, three dimensional. Imagine the ease of a hyperlinked choose your own adventure novel (no more having every finger stuck in the page) or instructional videos within a cookbook. A lot of this already exists on tablets. Who knows what's next? What about a book that interacts with your TV to cast spells? Oh yeah, that exists now too.
Right now these are novelties, tablet adoption hasn't yet gone truly mainstream, and we might even feel they cheapen the experience or transform it into something other than a book. But will there be a Gone With the Wind or Wizard of Oz that pioneers the new mold, goes mainstream, and shows people what is possible?
Can you envision a time when it will seem strange to kids that old books are just, well, black and white?
Art: Saint Hieronymus - Follower of Joos van Cleve
45 Comments on Are Non-Interactive Books Are Going to Be the Black & White Movies of the Future?, last added: 6/22/2012
Well, black and white films or not my kids are reading all of them. I'm not even a fan of audio books because the create the voices for me. I can't see myself buying my future children any interactive electronic book so black and white it is!
I think it's somewhat ironic...Adding an audio/visual element to books in effort to enhance them, but if you think about it, when has the movie been better than the book?
I think they both have their place. Sony's new Wonderbook toy-book-thingy will never replace books, but it could augment the reading experience if done right. Technology can make things better, but some things will never truly go away. Books are like bicycles. We can improve them, add to them, change how they look, but you still have to pedal them to make them go. Mopeds and Segways haven't destroyed bikes. Like old school black and white books, there will always be people that want them.
Speaking of technology improving stuff, I'm listening to a graphic audio book right now. It's got voices and music and sound effects and it's awesome. Way more entertaining than just hearing a dude read it--I always hate when deep voiced men turn on their lady voices for other characters, especially in romantic scenes. It won't work for every genre, but like interactive ebooks, it's a nice option to have.
As always, artists will choose the appropriate medium for their art.
Subjects that can best be presented as a printed book, will be so formatted. Subjects that require interactivity will be enhanced through interactive media.
ebooks are in the "playing with the toys" stage right now. This will settle out as the public gets used to the novelty of the new medium, and authors begin to choose, for reasons of esthetics and content, the appropriate medium for their works.
Anonymous said, on 6/19/2012 8:05:00 AM
Many of the interactive ebooks look like glorified websites right now. They could work well as linked companion books, to follow up with research or further exploration, such as with an historical novel. There could be integrated teaching notes. Skeleton Creek used the links with videos, and I'm sure there are many examples where traditional books have used websites. When does the technology take over so much so that it is no longer a book?
Even with all of this advanced technology, Retina display iPads and Kindle Fires, people still prefer paper or e-ink displays for reading a novel. That is the rub. The technology to have interactive books has existed for some time, yet, few want to blur the lines between the experience of imagining and the experience of having the imagery fed to them.
Do you prefer a graphic novel or a traditional novel? The graphic novel is a bridge between two mediums, and it works for some genres, but not most. I think the same will be said of interactive books. For children’s books or material that was formally illustrated or a graphic novel, it’s a natural progression. For the average drama or crime novel, people will still prefer the written word.
For periodicals, a mix of media will become the norm. For some texts, it will always be a written word. Can you imagine the Quran or New Testament as a graphic novel or interactive e-book?
God, I hope not. I read books to read books. The only interaction I want with the story is within my own imagination.
The thing is, I don't think the analogy works. Color movies are a technical improvement over black and white movies, but they don't change anything about the actual format of the media. Making books interactive is a drastic change of the actual medium, not a technical improvement the way hand written books were a technical improvement over oral storytelling and printed books were a technical improvement over hand written books and ebooks are a technical improvement over printed books. It's a completely different type of change.
It all depends on the tools, right? These things will never become commonplace until the tools make it so easy virtually anyone can create them. Right now they take a huge investment. But 40 years ago, not many people had video cameras, yet today we can all instantly get amateur video of anything minutes after it occurs because people can shoot and post directly to youtube or facebook from their phones.
Web sites started out that way, too. Remember 1995, when Javascript was invented? Before that, there was no browser-based programmability, and just to get a basic HTML page up on a web site required knowledge of DNS. How times have changed in 16 years. Anyone can go to a number of free places to create an interactive blog with all kinds of widgets. It has opened up whole new creative realms that didn't exist two decades ago.
So can I imagine a time when non-interactive ebooks are like today's black and white movies? Yeah. But it's a long, long way off (especially if you're measuring in internet time).
I agree with Sarah McCabe. Interactive ebooks aren't really novels with some extras. They are totally different media. Furthermore the existence of one new medium doesn't mean the death of an older one. Books are pretty deeply ingrained in our culture, despite what many educators bemoaning standardized test scores might say. I can't see them disappearing anytime soon. Even though T.V. has been around for a very long time, people still listen avidly to their favorite radio stations.
Normally, I strive not to be a Luddite, but the whole "interactive novel" idea holds no appeal to me. If I want to "chose my own adventure," I'll pop Gears of War, Halo or Borderlands into the XBox. But if I want to be "told" a story, I'll watch a movie or read a novel, as a passive audience, letting the creator take me on a journey.
As someone said upthread, the addition of extra media, interactivity, etc., turns reading into a whole other media.
I think that one of the major pleasures of reading is that we get to use our imagination alongside that of the author's. We get to imagine what the characters look like, and in a way, we get to decipher the code (when the author shows, not tells). I hope that e-books don't take away that experience.
I think that books will stay books because if someone wants interactivity, they can get it in video games, the internet, and the few books that warrant, and will be enhanced, by that interactivity. This may just be wishful thinking, but I think that people value the experience of reading and recognize that it is different from interactive experiences. Watching a movie in color is essentially the same experience as watching a movie in black and white, except that there is color. I don't think that reading a straight text is the same as using an interactive product.
Movies are about watching life unfold before you. Of course color was an enhancement on black and white because it more closely mimicked real life. Same with photography.
However, writers have had the option of including pictures with their books for centuries and... don't. Not always anyway. Why? Because books are about using your imagination to fill in the gaps.
Reading is supposed to be an immersive experience. Too much "interactivity" would ruin that, at least for me. I'd hate to see our cultures gadget obsession intrude on my reading.
Tracy, I memorized all my Sunday School verses in the original King James, but the first Bible I read cover to cover was the Picture Bible. Essentially a graphic novelization of the entire Bible, not just the New Testament.
Mostly I agree with other posters. This is apples and oranges. It is a new medium that will requires stories to be told and enjoyed in a new way. The ones I've seen so far in novels take you out of the story and just become annoying. There are some cool uses in children's books I've seen, but that's how you read to children anyway. You stop and talk about the book and the pictures as you go.
I'd have to say no. People will choose how they want to enjoy a story. A lot of the multimedia and interactive books are overdone and many 'readers' have commented on how it's distracting. I've billed my memoir as a multimedia experience with two dozen videos that readers can view if they want to. Many readers have told me that they didn't check out the videos until the end or they never bothered at all. If it's labeled a "book" then the written word should be the ultimate medium and the rest of the 'stuff' should be extras that add to the story. It's all about what you want. I find 3D movies to be too much sometimes and opt for the regular (and cheaper) version of the movie. Good ol book-books will always have a place. Plus...it's trendy to Unplug now. Pretty soon it'll be retro to read a hardcover. All the hipsters will be doing it.
...shameless plug. In honor of summer break and teachers (heavy teaching theme in the book), I've lowered the price of my multimedia ebook to 99 cents for the month of June. Amazon and B&N. iPad version coming soon!
Creative forms of story exist for a reason - they appeal to something innate about the reaction of people to the medium. So I agree with Peter and Michael - as the technology evolves, artists will find ways to use it. What becomes popular will depend on how well they use it, and if it can touch people.
I wouldn't be surprised if video replaces the now-boring "camera and microphone" style of fiction. But it can't replace writing that depicts all of the senses, and that gives us insight into what the PoV character is thinking and feeling.
I think there will be a wide range of what that means -- some will practically be half movie or half video game, others will be much tamer.
But I do think we're just a generation away from kids not understanding why, in a print book, they can't just touch a word and immediately get its definition or pronunciation.
Hi Nathan! Nah, I think it might work out kind of like the way they thought movies would make tv obsolete. There will be amazing innovations in digital reading but there will always be the physical book as well. If not I shall be very sad!!
I notice that when I'm immersed in things such as t.v., iPod, Kindle, internet, I have a horrible attention span. But when I sit down and clear my mind to start in on a real honest-to-goodness book, I feel much calmer and absorb the story on a deeper level. For me, having attachments imbedded in a book file would be a brain scattering experience.
I disagree with those who say interactive or multimedia elements makes it something other than a book. Think of it as the logical extension of illustrations. Before, illustrations added to the enjoyment of the text. Now imagine color illustrations. Now imagine moving color illustrations. Now imagine moving color illustrations that you can interact with.
As you follow that progression, it's still a book. They're just illustrating the story.
And that's just for a narrative. Maybe a fully multimedia product for nonfiction starts being something else entirely, but there are a lot of ways a novel could feature unique elements while essentially remaining a novel.
My client K.R. Sands has published her first book of short stories,Boy of Bone, beautifully illustrated by Jon Lezinski...the stories are inspired by exhibits at Philadelphia's Mutter Museum of medical oddities. An Ipad app version of the book is coming out this month. A character hums in her head; you'll be able to touch the text and the hymn will play. You'll be able to read about the original Mme Sunday who grew a horn out of her forehead. Everything that can be referenced, will be. How cool is that?
Anonymous said, on 6/19/2012 8:51:00 PM
I think I've said this before. A lot of the interactive fiction stuff has been heavily explored, especially back in the early 80's. I'm not sure why folks think interactive reading experiences are something new. Check out the Get Lamp documentary.
However, you walk the slippery slope of turning a book into a comic book, which isn't a bad idea. Adult fiction is way too long for the typical adult that only has a half hour to read at lunch time, which explains why I see so many adults reading shorter YA fiction.
I'm really surprised people think this won't happen! I respectfully disagree. I think whenever you offer possiblities for creativity, people will pick them up and go far with them.
And there are so many new possiblities here.
The interactivity possiblities for non-fiction are enormous. Links directly to source material, interactive Q and A, quizzes with immediate feedback, animated pictures, integrated videos.
With fiction, too. It will probably start with animated covers. Can you imagine the appeal of certain genre covers being animated? Romance, with animations? Sci Fi, with animations? People may start browsing just to watch the covers. People may buy the book because they like watching the animation on the cover.
There are also a number of possiblities before or after the book. Authors can add illustrations, animations, colored fonts, animated fonts all kinds of things. They can set up links to songs, videos, websites, games to enhance and continue the experience.
In terms of inside the fiction story, absolutely. One example: With a first person narrative, there is alot that could happen!! The narrator could directly interact with the reader. It's absolutely fascinating to think of the possiblilites.
I see this as an expanded art form. Books may come to vary based on how the story can best be told.
In addition, there may be financial charges for some of the interactions. Now THAT will be interesting to watch.
Think of all the extras that feed off of a kid's movie. Now, they could start right with the book. (Not advocating for that, but I'll eat my hat if it doesn't happen).
I predict: 25 years from now, a book without interactivity.....I agree that will be just like a black and white movie now. A specific and unusual choice of medium to fit the story.
I suspect a closer analogy than colour movies might be 3D movies - an add-on that works quite well for a while as a bit of a gimmick but never quite replaces what came before as it doesn't really deepen the storytelling
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Having just come back from the Wesleyan Writers Conference I'm thrilled to see this question.
It doesn't have to be dramatic to make a difference.
Reading on Kindle I can trivially get the definitions of words I don't really know the meaning of. That that make it not a book?
Some print books with many charactors include a list of charactors at the begining of the book to help you keep track. Imagine being able to click on a charactor name anywhere in the book and get that charactor's description...or a synopsis of what we know about that charactor at this point in the story!
I think little things like this can greatly enhance the reading experience of the "book"
I don't think e-books are imperfect translations of paper books at all. E-books serve the exact same purpose. It's not what the book looks like at all that matters, it's the content within. Words are words, regardless of where you get them.
I think it will depend on the genre. For example, a cookbook may be more amenable to "interaction" than a collection of poetry. As always, the market will determine the penetrance of this phenomena into the mainstream. Others, like JA Konrath, have talked about the possibilty of animated covers for ebooks. It is an evolving area, and potentially very cool.
I picture more of a dual future. For certain types of books, "interactive" elements will be beneficial in that they are interesting or increase functionality (as with cookbooks, for example). But for many types of books, the "interactive" element actually decreases interaction. In fiction, for example, the more the author provides in "interactive" elements, the less the reader's brain is doing, and the less the brain does, the lower the intellectual and imaginative interaction.
What you have then is TV. And while TV can be great, we already have TV. Making a book more like TV is more likely to make poor TV than a better book, as it weakens the very advantages that a book has over television or movies, namely the imaginative engagement, the role of the reader as a partial creator and interpreter of the story itself.
So I see both advancing. Increased "interactivity" where that is functionally relevant, but traditional text formats will always be popular, as they offer something that only they can provide.
There will likely, of course, be some artistic hybrids that do a bit of both, but I have a feeling these will be a minority, partly due to cost. Interactive media is cheaper than it once was, and will probably get more so, but high-end interactive content is always going to cost a lot more than simply creating text (with costs not just in terms of money, but in terms of time, knowledge, skills, and talent).
What a cool thought! That never occurred to me, but you may be right, Nathan! Looks like agents may be more necessary than ever if someone has to connect authors with talented graphic artists!
I've got an idea that's so beyond where mainstream is and this article made me think of it in a new way. What if books had sound tracks that went with them like movies? That's what I've thought of for years. But with tablet readers, the music could actually play at the appropriate spot without any prompting from the reader.
We expect workers and students will experience a massive dip in productivity next month… (Nope, not because of the March Madness tournament, but because of an all-new Angry Birds game. This time, the flustered fowl are flinging themselves... Read the rest of this post
Since I’m a night owl, I’m posting this during the midnight hour on a early Tuesday to alert someone about some good news!
First off, I would like to thank everyone for entering my Kindle Giveaway! I really enjoyed reading about your favorite books and I’ve added some of them to my to-be-read (TBR) list.
Considering the uh, “incident” — I must also say thanks to my fellow gym rat who replaced my Kindle Keyboard with a brand new Kindle 4. And for the record, I will never try that maneuver again on the treadmill.
The winner gets the Kindle 4 plus a $20 Amazon gift card. There were 30 entries — very good odds I must say — the entries were assigned by the order of first comment to last. What did the Random Number Generator pick?
Lucky number 13 of course.
The Kindle Giveaway winner is: Andrea
Andrea, I will be contacting you via email so that you can send you the Kindle and the gift card. I really hope that you enjoy your e-reader. :)
5 Comments on Kindle Giveaway Winner!, last added: 11/29/2011
Oh my goodness, what was this ‘incident’? You weren’t hurt were you?! Glad we could give you a bunch of new books to add to your to-read list. :)
BTW, congrats to Andrea!
Karen Strong said, on 11/28/2011 9:49:00 PM
LOL. So I was trying to do this sideways thing on the treadmill — yeah, I know so stupid but I thought it was a good idea at the time.
Needless to say, it didn’t end well. After landing on the floor, the only thing that I hurt was my pride. The Kindle Keyboard? It didn’t fare so well. A smashed screen. :(
Andrea said, on 11/29/2011 2:55:00 AM
Wow, wow, wow! This is so exciting!! Thank you so much. Karen, I’m so impressed by your generosity and glad I’ve gotten to know you through your blog!
You’ve put me in the giving spirit now, so today I’m going to make a donation to a children’s charity. Thank you so much for this big surprise!
Meredith said, on 11/29/2011 3:42:00 AM
Yay! Congrats, Andrea!
Karen Strong said, on 11/29/2011 7:40:00 AM
That is fabulous that you’re paying it forward. Love it! :) I’ll drop a note to let you when I drop it by the post office — probably later this week.
I was so happy that the Random Generator picked such a gracious winner.
The leaves are changing, Christmas music is in the air, and it's time for our annual e-book poll, which I have held every year since 2007.
Which means this is the FIFTH ANNUAL e-book poll. Wow. Thanks to everyone who has been around for all five.
Let's get the disclaimers out of the way: Yes, I'm aware this isn't the most scientific of polls. Yes, the sample has changed from year to year. Yes, there are two polls from 2009 because I forgot one at the end of '08. Entertainment purposes only!
And here is this year's poll. Do you think there will come a time when you buy mostly e-books? Do you already? Click through for the poll if you're reading via e-mail or in a feed reader:
74 Comments on Will You Ever Buy Mostly E-books?, last added: 11/30/2011
I'm pretty sure I've voted "cold dead hands" in the past, and today I'm an Absolutely. I still love, love, love real pages. But it's the desire to declutter that has gotten me. I love the idea of a magnificent virtual library taking up almost no space in my home. Certain faves will HAVE to be on the shelf, but yea, I've converted.
The thing is that I buy many books for my many e-readers and I also still buy many physical books. Reading a good book creates a memory for me and leaves an emotional tracer. Seeing those books on my shelf triggers those memories for me, like a song from the past. So for me, I think it comes down to a question of what books will I want to see on my shelf 10 years from now and what books do I just want to use. Yes, I do sometimes engage in a superficial relationship with books--it's all about having my way with them and then kicking them out. After all, there is only so much room on the shelf.
Abra said, on 11/28/2011 7:20:00 AM
I ALREADY buy more e-books than I do print books. I didn't mean to, but I have my Kindle with me more often than I'm in bookstores or even surfing Amazon. Consequently, I haven't read this many books in one year since college.
I already do. I actually prefer to read on my Kindle instead of reading paper books. Still not ready to part with the paper books I already have, though.
Scientific or not, it's fascinating to watch the "cold-dead-handers," as someone referred to them, decline from year to year.
I certainly don't want print books to become extinct, but I never bought them anyway - I'm a library girl. I have bought a few ebooks, though, and will no doubt continue.
Wendy said, on 11/28/2011 7:33:00 AM
Since I got my IPAD in Oct last year I have downloaded 57 books. I have 8 paid preorders pending. I love it.
My wife bought me a Kindle for Valentine's Day, when I had back to back trips to Europe scheduled. Since then I've bought and read a couple print books, but the vast majority of my reading has been on the Kindle and I LOVE it. It's much better than I thought it would be.
WORD VERIFICATION: pronei. A position in favor of neis.
Wow. That's a slanted poll. I would have answered "Absolutely" because I already do but the sentence after it implies things that I do not believe. Stuff changes. Ebooks may come or go but I'm embracing them now. I love (and publish my own books) as paper copies but I accomodate the technology as well.
Absolutely. I welcome our coming e-book overlords.
Reading is so much easier on the eyes, when you can adjust the magification by clicking the zoom button. I also like the convenience of sampling books before buying. Plus, there are so many wonderful free e-book promos. What's not to like, except the wonderful smell of paper books on shelves, lining the walls.
I think in 2008 pre-my Kindle, I may have sworn no. But I already buy more e-books. That's mostly because I live in Japan and don't have much access to English language books.
Still, I wonder if it will stay that way when I'm back in the West.
Maybe there should be a category "I already by mostly e-books"
Howard S. said, on 11/28/2011 8:04:00 AM
Right now, I am mostly interested in e-reading manuals, reference books and magazines. Manuals and reference books simply suit the format better (much like a website).
As for magazines, I prefer reading them on paper. However, I like to keep them and that creates problems with clutter and. More importantly, I hope e-magazines will allow me to search all of my issues for topics/articles that I want to refer back to. (For example, searching my virtual Writer's Digest library for articles on querying agents.)
Howard S. said, on 11/28/2011 8:14:00 AM
Just another thought....
I view books and magazines much like art. I appreciate a lot of art pieces, however, there are only going to be so many that I can decorate my home with.
E-readers allow me to collect books much like a table book of art allows me to "collect" paintings or sculptures. While it's not the same as satisfying as having the actual paintings, I can view them at my leisure and enjoy them still.
I prefer the paper books and enjoy seeing them on my bookshelf or tables (especially hardcovers). But I have had to leave too many behind when I moved and I want more than I'll ever have room for.
Like art, I will buy my favorite works in print. Right now, I am shopping for a hardcover 1st edition of my favorite book which was published in the mid 70s. I have a paperback version but hardcovers are just more appealing. No e-book will ever truly capture the feeling of a hardcover book.
I moved into Absolutely as well. For travel, it is the lightest option, and I stopped buying a lot of books in recent years to support public libraries and because our house isn't getting any bigger.
I already read mostly e-books and find that when someone gives me a hard copy of a book, it sits unread much longer than my e-books. I'm even tempted to re-buy them in e-book form, so I can read them in the dark in bed.
Novels, novellas, and short stories: all e-book for the past year and a half. For entertainment reading, e-books win on just about every practical aspect except ownership rights.
I've bought a couple of tech books in paper since then. For professional, technical, and reference books, e-books currently lose on just about every practical aspect except bulk.
I prefer reading the physical books. I do have an ereader and it is convenient for some purposes (travelling, commuting, etc) but ebooks aren't my first choice.
I've just set up two bookcases in my study full of the books hubby and I have collected. Some of these books will never be in ebook form unless libraries download them.
I consider ebooks an option, not the conquerer of the book world. As for the sensual satisfaction of the reading experience - meh.
Adie said, on 11/28/2011 9:54:00 AM
I like the convenience of reading e-books -- I make good use of my local library system and it's a lot easier, especially with new releases, to check out E-Pub versions. That said, I concur with Becky Taylor's comment. I find an emotional difference in reading physical books -- more than just words on paper. Also, I don't know about all e-books, but the autobiography I checked out this weekend didn't include the collection of photos -- so I'll still have to check out the paper version.
I agree with Doug about technical and reference books. I don't do a lot of research, but it's easier and more convenient when using multiple sources to have several physical books out that can be manipulated concurrently than flipping through my Kindle. So I guess until ereaders are as ubiquitous as PADDs, the real answer to this for me and my geeky family will be "depends".
I voted absolutely, because I already find myself passing over physical books in favour of the no-clutter e-book version.
But.
I recently upgraded my phone and somehow half my audiobooks were deleted. I then learned that Amazon limits the number of downloads on e and audiobooks. So, if I am to continue to embrace e-books, I want to ensure that once I buy it, it will be mine on whatever device I have. Kindles, phones, laptops - they all get upgraded every couple of years. If I can't transfer my library from one device to another, paper books may well become a bigger draw for me again.
I already buy mostly eBooks with my two Kindles. I can read while waiting for rare blood hand-offs. I'm a rare blood courier.
It saves space in my tiny apartment, too. I already have six bookcases jammed fulled!
I am also an eBook author. Have a great Holiday Season.
Eddie said, on 11/28/2011 11:15:00 AM
I have always voted "cold dead hands," and this time around is no different.
I got a Nook in November 2010. In the year since then, I've read 122 books. Only 5 of them were ebooks, and those were all read in the week following my purchase of the Nook.
Since I bought my Nook, I have purchased at least 100 books, and none of them have been ebooks.
eReaders are useful for trips, when I can't lug 4 or 5 big books with me, but otherwise, there is no reason to prefer them to print.
Since we purchased a Kindle and a Kobo this year I find I buy 95% of my books in e-format for both of us in the household. We are looking at a Kindle Fire. We are totally hooked on this technology. I am also reading books on my computer when I did not previously. This is working for my book research as well as my pleasure reading. WOW!
At this point, I wonder if "Do you buy mostly e-books" is more relevant. For me, personally, the better question is will I ever buy mostly print books again. The same is true for many of my friends.
I like the idea of all books (including kidlit) being introduced in e-book format first, and if they become popular, earning a print run as a collector edition. I'm seeing that idea bandied about more and more. Works for me.
Fascinating results! This is my first year voting. My vote was 'absolutely' though like many others it wouldn't have been in years past. I had to vote that way since I currently do buy more e-books than bound books these days, and that's despite not having an e-reader. (Santa, are you listening?) I still love books, and own probably thousands, but it's more convenient to read on my phone or laptop. So bring on those techie Kings!
I have to say I'm pretty disappointed with the results thus far. This is the first time I've taken your poll- maybe my vote will change, but I hope not. I love my paper books with a passion that no fancy coding can compare to.
This is an unfairly worded poll! I buy more e-books because there are so many books I can't get at the bookstore (or, um, cause I'm ashamed of the covers!). But I don't welcome the change. I'd rather buy paperbacks, and there are certain books I will only purchase in that format. Books I plan to re-read a million times, for instance.
Thanks for sharing the results of past polls with us. It's amazing how much things have changed in just five years. It seems there are a lot of trees being saved! lol
I already buy more e-books than paper. I read a lot (for my own pleasure + two different book clubs) so I generally borrow books from the library. But now that I have a Kindle (and the Kindle app on my laptop and phone), I buy 2-3 books per month at the 99 cents to $5.00 mark and if it's an author I love, I'll spend the $8-$10 for the e-book and have the instant gratification of instant delivery! I've purchased more books since I got my Kindle for Mother's Day this year than I purchased the past two years combined.
Last year I took between 60 and 70 boxes of books to the local Friends of the Library. I still have my bookshelves filled with beloved books but the overflow is no longer taking over my house. I only buy e-books for my own reading on my Kindle, yet still purchase picture books for my grandchildren in hardback.
Well, I'm an e-book formatter, so I hope people accept this technology more and more. I know the look of e-books is getting better all the time. I know I'm trying new things with every book I format. The future price of e-books as well as e-readers is the unknown.
For me, it TOTALLY depends on whether the e-book is cheaper than the actual book. I would rather have the ebook, but if I can get the actual book for less cost than the ebook, I can't justify paying more for the ebook.
Already am. There has to be a compelling reason now for me to consider print (unless I'm getting the book through the library; then I get whatever they have).
The progression is pretty interesting across the years.
This, by the way, is the first year I changed my answer from "Depends on the price/technology" to "Absolutely." The $99 Kindle Touch has a lot to do with that.
Wow, this poll is interesting! That's so cool that you do this annually, Nathan. The change in results is pretty dramatic.
I only read e-books now. I refuse to buy print, it takes up too much space and I prefer the ease of a reader to holding a book up. Even when a book isn't available as a e-book, I wait.
Although I own a Kindle, which I love, my preference is to read on my phone, because it's back-lit and fits in my palm and pocket. So, I can read anytime, anywhere. And I use it as a handy flashlight when the power goes out. :)
I do agree with some commentors that research is tricky to do on an e-reader. It's not as mobile as print yet. But I imagine that will change soon, someone will figure out a new app or something. Matter of time, especially with the demand of the student market.
As a student, I see a lot of potential in e-books. (If you've ever gone to your local state college bookstore, and have seen how much schools ream out of students, then--like me--you'd see potential as well). However the number of textbooks in e-book format are limited, if not 0--and would end up costing students extra anyway. I've never had a professor offer an online textbook without requiring the physical book as well --which, if you ask me, defeats the purpose of an online textbook (I've never had a professor assign an e-book textbook ever, so I'm basing my opinion off my experience with online textbooks.)
If you consider all that you have to pay for in order to buy e-books, then they're obscenely overpriced. You may save a few bucks off the price of the hardcover. However, you have to pay anywhere between $80 and $200 bucks, if not more, in order to be able to even read an e-book. E-book readers are being gouged. Yeah, some books can be read for free on e-book readers. However, you can read books for free on any computer legally at, for instance, Project Gutenberg (http://www.gutenberg.org/). At this point, I feel like e-books are just a toy that is fun to have as opposed to a need that would actually help.
Also, I shop at used book stores a lot. I can find used paperback novels from my favorite authors for 50 cents each at my local Friends of the Library Used Book Store. At that same store, I can find hardbacks for $1.50 and all recent novels (which are classified as novels published in the last 3 years) for $3.00 each. There's no such thing as a "used e-book" that customers could buy to save money. And from what I've heard, most e-book technology even limits who you can lend e-books, that you have purchased, out to.
As a student and as someone who loves reading, I'm not going to shell out the money in order to own something that is a want and not a need. However, if the prices dropped significantly and made it actually save readers money, then I would jump ship in a heartbeat.
Obviously the times they are a changin', but I wonder how the dramatic change in the poll this year reflects your change in career, Nathan.
As a literary agent, your audience was book people who would be more inclined toward paper books. But now that you work for CNet, I'm sure your audience also includes many tech people who probably embrace e-books more easily.
Jillian - I was recently a student, I had a different experience. I saw alot of advantages of e-books, and bought some of my textbooks that way.
For one thing, just not having to cart all those heavy books to and from class - well, that was a HUGE advantage.
Maybe it helped that I didn't also have to buy the hard copy. One professor recommended the e-book, and another couple of them complimented me when they saw I had the e-book rather than the hard copy.
I used my cell phone in school, not an e-reader.
I actually think the student market is completely primed for e-books. As soon as they come up with a better way to mark and flip through pages quickly, students and professors (who have to research and might prefer to carry all their books with them in e-format) will switch over.
One more comment - watching these polls, well it's like watching history in action. We seeing a massive technology change right in front of us.
E-book sales were up 116% in August, while everything else was in the negative except audiobooks.
Anonymous said, on 11/28/2011 7:33:00 PM
It's interesting. If you plot the "Absolutely" votes on a plot, it's an exponential growth curve, which hits 100% late in 2012. While I don't expect readers to totally convert by 2013, it looks like the amount of time publishers have to reinvent themselves as digital book sellers is very short.
It's interesting how we change...when the Kindle first came out I swore I'd never leave my paper books. Now, as my eyesight gets worse and large print editions are generally my book of choice, I've come to appreciate reading off my backlit tablet using a kindle app.
E-books are great if it's impractical to have a large physical library. I lived in Korea for the last four years, and every purchase was made with the understanding that it would have to be mailed home or gotten rid of at the end of my stay. Now that I'm home, however, it's solid books all the way-- if I'm not sure if I want a physical copy, I check it out of the library first. My Kindle is still convenient for trips, though!
Two main things switched me from the Cold Dead Hands category to the Absolutely... In a year. I got a kindle for winter holidays last year, and I traveled a lot this year. Having the ability to not pack my carry on with a minimum of 1 book per every 2 hours of flight actually got me to the point where if I pack correctly, a week out of town no longer requires me to check any bags. Plus, I tend to overbuy on books, so I always have something to read, regardless of what I'm in the mood for. And 2. I no longer have to worry about where I'm going to put yet another box of books (Used book store habit routinely resulted in my coming home with ~50 books every couple of months... I'm a sucker for cheap). I still by paper copies (along with E copies) for certain authors, but that has more to do with wanting their numbers to look good, and wanting something for them to sign next time I run into them, than actually reading them in paper format.
I could not decide with choosing between Ebook and a paperback books. For someone like me who loves books, of course I will choose the real one, but having an Ebook is much easier because you can bring it anytime. However, I still go for the real book because staring at the screen will only get my eyes go a little sore.
I already do buy more ebooks than print. In fact I get all huffy if I can't get the book I want in ebook format, and reconsider getting it at all. I've already filled the house with print books. I have no more room for them.
I voted "maybe," but your criteria are not the same as mine. What might force me to buy more ebooks is the fact that my house cannot hold any more print books. I still prefer print books in every other way.
One thing I miss when I read an ebook is good design. Of course, not all print books are well designed, but very few ebooks are--it's nearly impossible given the constraints of the medium.
Anonymous said, on 11/29/2011 8:51:00 AM
In the past year I've accumulated two e-readers and a tablet. I haven't read a print book in a year and don't want to go back to reading them. I only buy e-books now.
I've voted in all of the past polls and until this year I was a maybe. Today I voted absolutely. I still love print books but adore my kindle.
Daniel McNeet said, on 11/29/2011 9:36:00 AM
Nathan,
Another good post. I buy non-fiction books if I am going to use them for research. I buy fiction books also which are historical novels. My light reading I enjoy reading on my Kindle. The political thriller, "Operation Downfall" and other genre are on my kindle. E-readers are winning. Hope you had a good Thanksgiving.
Anonymous said, on 11/29/2011 10:35:00 AM
Daniel McNeet,
Way to plug your own book in an inappropriate way. Seemed off so I searched it. Shameless. So not buying it now.
I don't even own an e-Reader or an iPhone, but I still think it is something I might consider. I love the idea of having all my favorite books with me when I travel.
I agree that e-books could be a huge advantage for students--cut back on the books you have to lug into class, help you stay organized. I see a lot of potential in it. However, e-book forms of textbooks have never been offered in any class I've ever taken. If they were offered, I would buy one in a heartbeat. However I don't have a cell phone that would read ebooks, and there aren't that many options at my school (or maybe it's just my major) to get my textbooks via e-book--even if I had an e-book reader.
I think e-books will play a huge part on college campuses someday, but in my experience they haven't yet, unless you're an English major and the majority of the books you have to buy are works of literature. I'm going to school to be a teacher, so none of my linguistics, history, or childhood development textbooks are in e-book form.
Until there are e-book versions of textbooks available in a wide variety of subjects, I don't think e-books can be used in the classroom on a big scale. Though I'm sure that during my lifetime, I could very well see that transition occur. I bet some public schools will eventually experiment with the technology. There is a lot of buzz in the educational community about using technology in the classroom right now (at least in my area). However for either of those to occur, a wider variety of e-books have to be available and the prices of e-book readers have to go down.
I already buy mostly e-books. Keeping paper books around is nearly impossible with three small children running around - actually reading them is even harder.
My Kindle is the only thing that's enabled me to actually read anything in the last five years, since my first was born. I'll be forever grateful, and I only break the e-reading pattern for ARCs (which I'm grateful to have a good handful of.)
W H Smith has trained 6,000 staff, installed working units into stores and readied television and press advertising following its new "long-term" partnership with Kobo.
Huge day today for the e-book world as Amazon has announced three new Kindles (links are to CNET I work at CNET, all opinions are my own):
- A $79 Kindle with Special Offers (and keyboard) - A $99 Kindle Touch with WiFi - A $149 Kindle Touch with 3G
And a tablet:
The Kindle Fire for $199, featuring a 7" display, Amazon's own Silk web brower, and wireless syncing of books and movies -- you can pause a movie on your TV and start watching on your Kindle Fire.
Huge implications: B&N is going to be feeling the heat as these are compelling e-ink reader prices (per Mashable their stock dropped 9% after Amazon's announcement), Apple is going to be feeling some pressure as there is finally a viable device that undercuts the iPad on price, and having now crossed that magical sub-$100 price point, methinks this is going to be a huge holiday season for e-readers.
Four new devices, one big day. E-readers and tablets are getting more affordable, and it's going to open up e-readers to new audiences.
What do you think of the new Kindles and the new Kindle Fire? Are you going to get one? (Or more?!)
41 Comments on Amazon Kindles an E-book Fire, last added: 9/29/2011
I'm happy with my iPad. I love that I can read eGalleys on it, plus have Kindle and Nook. And iBooks, but I don't normally buy books from Apple. Plus I use it for my writing. So no, I won't be buying a Kindle anything.
Truthfuly, my vote is that ebooks become obsolete. I like sitting here with my paperback, flipping through pages, smelling it all. Technology ruins everything!
Maya said, on 9/28/2011 9:55:00 AM
Amazon is like the Borg and they are slowly but surely taking over!
I have an older 3G Kindle (the last light-colored one they made) and it still works great, so I haven't had much incentive to replace my e-ink ereader. The new Kindle Fire would fill a niche in my gadget collection. At that price, I think I'm going to have to get one. :)
I probably won't get one, as I'm still very satisfied with the Kindle 3 I got last Christmas. It'll probably last a while, too, as I'm slow to replace unbroken technology. (I still have a 2GB Ipod Nano from when those were new!) However, these look really cool, especially the Touch features. The Fire would be a definite consideration if I were looking to get a tablet, although I would miss the e-ink of my current Kindle. Thanks for sharing.
I already have and love my Kindle Keyboard (as they're calling it now), but the sexy new silver Kindles look sweet.
Seriously considering picking up a Kindle Fire this Christmas. Tablets are finally dropping to a reasonable price range. My phone already does everything a tablet can do--it'd just be nice to have a bigger screen. For $200, plus possibly dropping my Netflix/Hulu subs to pick up Amazon Prime, I can almost justify that.
Kindle prices are becoming more reasonable, attracting the second wave of purchasers, including late adopters and schools with reading programs, etc. It should be interesting to see how the state of the economy will affect purchasing as everyone begins to vie for those holiday dollars.
I might buy the $99 or $149 model for a gift. Anyone traveling a lot can use a distraction to avoid staring at their fellow travelers. That's daily for commuters.
Very good timing by Amazon as we watch the ereader guys battle it our for supremacy. Will we as consumers benefit?
Perhaps.
I'll most likely be checking out the indie stores for my books. It's more fun.
Anonymous said, on 9/28/2011 11:20:00 AM
I think it's interesting that they keep coming out with new devices when the old ones we have aren't even old yet.
I also think it's interesting these devices are selling, too.
But what I find truly amazing is that we're supposedly in a depressed economy and people still find ways to buy these toys. Credit card debt? Mortgage default? Student loans? I could go on...
If I didn't have two e-readers and a tablet, I think I would buy one. But there comes a point where enough is enough already.
We're already a two Kindle (3) family--my 11 year old daughter and I both use ours for most of the books we read. I'm buying the $79 model today, in hopes my husband will join in, or at least I'll be able to read on mine when he takes forever on his Kindle Scrabble turn.
I will be asking for a Kindle Fire for Christmas...
I have a K3 3G(guess it's now a Kindle Keyboard?) but I just pre-ordered a Kindle Touch 3G (having a 3G ereader is like having an ice maker; it's hard to go backwards). My excuse is that my husband can use whichever one I like least. The touch navigation looks really nice, but on the other hand, I really like being able to read one-handed.
I still have my old second gen kindle, and it still works so I've been having trouble justifying buying a new one, but that kindle fire for $199 might just break me. I've been wanting a tablet, and being able to watch movies from my instant video library on it would be so cool. And I can give my old kindle to my sister and pretend it's justified that way.
I've got the old 2nd Gen Kindle and a newer iPad2. Won't be needing anything new in that department, but I admit I'm suggestible. But I've gotten a lot better when it comes to not feeling the need for new technology.
I love the Kindle Fire, and I know a ton of trees who love all of the new Kindles! This is pretty exciting and I'm so glad I began epubbing back in March. These affordable options would not only make sitting around waiting for illusive agent responses unbearable, but futile as well. Even my mom, who swore you'd have to pry her DTBs from her cold dead hands, is coming around and wants to check them out!
Here's the problem with the speed at which they keep rolling out new devices. I won't get one because I know the newer better cheaper one will be coming along in a few months. I hate getting stuck with obsolete electronics.
Pre-ordered mine today (and with my Amazon credit card too!). Already have a Kindle 3 and an iPad 2, but have held off on purchasing a ColorNook due to concerns about B&N future viability as a business. Amazon is in it to win it, going nowhere but up, and offering the moon with tickets to get there. I'm on board.
I pre-ordered the Kindle Fire today. I'd been waiting and waiting on buying a tablet. I use an Android phone and Amazon Prime, so - easy sell.
Anonymous said, on 9/28/2011 6:18:00 PM
Considering how fast technology is changing, the kindles released today were obsolete yesterday. It seems a waste of money to purchase something that is obsolete. I'm so glad that I haven't bought an iphone, ipad, kindle, or any of the other must have little devices that I seem to do just fine without.
The Kindle Fire is the first one that has even tempted me. I'll have to look into that.
Anonymous said, on 9/28/2011 7:12:00 PM
Would totally get a kindle fire, if only it (and the services offered on it) were available on the colder side of the 49th...
AM Riley said, on 9/28/2011 7:36:00 PM
I resisted the Kindle Fire for about ten minutes and then pre-ordered. I have an old Kindle and like it enough but I'm always wishing I could browse and email and see things in color. I've had ipad envy for those options, but the price and the monthly cost of the service was appalling.
The colors look brilliant and the ability to access Amazon's vast content is a plus. Is the black and white reader still the same? It's feature that my friends' enjoy on theirs.
Kaitlyne said, on 9/28/2011 9:39:00 PM
I won't buy it because it's Amazon and I'm afraid of the whole taking over the world thing. If it wasn't for that I'd consider it, though.
If it were a 10", I would probably buy one. I already have a 10" Android and can watch movies and have the Kindle Ap on it. Its problem is you can't do the NYT crossword on it. If you can on the Fire I might consider it for Christmas.
Alas, Kindle still doesn't allow downloading from libraries in Canada, so it's no Kindle eReader for me, though it would definitely have been my first choice.
And the Kindle Fire isn't available outside the U.S., so that settles that for me too.
BUT! Here's hoping this drives down the prices of the competition. Just in time for Christmas.
Anonymous said, on 9/29/2011 7:25:00 AM
I thought so, then I discovered I can't buy most of the English novels I want to buy from France. (geographical restrictions) They sell you the Kindle here, but won't sell the books that go with it. And they don't dwell on how bad it is too much in the advertisement.
So I really don't see the point in getting one if I can't buy books.
It's sad, because I'd have loved to have a kindle, really.
So: to be reserved to English speaking countries who only want to buy in their own country.
I just bought the $79 Kindle five minutes ago! I tell ya, I've been resisting and resisting, fearing the downfall of traditional.....you know the drill. Then the price came down. Figured, for $79, I might as well try it and see for myself. After all, people are e-reading, and I'm an author. This is the way publishing is going. And I'm excited and can't wait for it to arrive!
There's no way I'll ever get a Kindle but I'm glad I didn't buy my Nook Color yet. I bet the price drops after this!! Though if Barnes & Noble really comes out with a Nook 2 like rumors are speculating, we'll see...
Want to know which YouTube videos teens like the best (and their reactions to pop culture? Well now you can in the upcoming YouTube show aptly called “Teens React.” The Fine Brothers have been creating the web show “Kids React,” for years... Read the rest of this post
Another day, another ebooks-BAD-because-you-can’t-dogear-the-pages screed. As astute commenter Kate points out in a recent thread at Mental Multivitamin, articles like this L.A. Times piece often make a faulty assumption that it’s an either/or situation: that once you’ve gone Kindle you’ll never pick up a codex again. Which is just silly—a narrow vision of the reading life. I didn’t ditch my oven just because my microwave does some things better. Sometimes I want to bake a cake. Sometimes I want to curl up with a couple of kids on each side and pore over the pictures in a book made of paper.
But…sometimes I want to read the new Connie Willis novel without getting a squint-headache from the small print.
Sometimes I want to bring a half-dozen books with me on a trip, but I’d rather not weigh down my shoulder bag.
Sometimes I want to read in the dark without disturbing my husband. (For this, my phone is better than my Kindle.)
Sometimes I want to fall asleep reading without smacking myself awake when a big fat book falls on my face at the moment I drift off. (This has happened more times than I can count.)
Sometimes I want to sit down in a chair, which is a lot easier when it isn’t full of advanced review copies awaiting my attention. (NetGalley, you are a revelation.)
But also? Sometimes I want to read Elizabeth Bishop and see the notes I wrote in the margins in grad school.
Sometimes I want to walk through the house grabbing picture books off a shelf, building a pile with which to delight a small child at what she calls “quiet reading time,” which means “time ALONE with Mom and a mountain of books.” (Ain’t nothing quiet about it.)
Sometimes I want to flip back and forth in the pages of a nonfiction text, filling the pages with flags and sticky notes.
Sometimes I want to follow a cookbook recipe, and you just know I’m going to splatter something.
Sometimes I want to leave a book in the path of a person I suspect is going to be swept away by its charms.
I know I'm not normal. I know that. I am inordinately obsessed with the weather, I get giddy every time I see L'Oreal spokesman Collier Strong appear on a reality television show, and I watch this video every time I need a laugh.
And lately I've been doing something else that may be a tad out of the ordinary.
Booksellers, please cover your eyes...
I have gotten rather obsessed with reading on my iPad. I love reading e-books on my iPad. At night. On the train. At lunch. Upside down. In space. YOU DON'T KNOW.
I genuinely feel like reading on an iPad is a superior experience to reading on paper. There. I said it.
Reasons: No nightlights or bookmarks needed. I can instantly buy new books. I can highlight passages without breaking out a pen and look up words without grabbing a dictionary. I can set it down on the table while I'm eating lunch without the pages going crazy. It doesn't take up much space. Yes, I can't read as easily in the sun, but have you been to San Francisco? We do fog and rain, not sun.
I don't know if I can go back to paper.
Okay, booksellers, you can open your eyes now.
I still buy print books because they are beautiful and permanent! I love bookstores and buy from them accordingly. I do.
But when I wanted to read INTO THE WILD... I paid for the e-book. A PAPER COPY IS SITTING ON MY SHELF. I bought the e-book anyway. I'm that attached to reading on my iPad.
Now, like I said, I'm not normal. As an author and former publishing employee I have no qualms about sending my hard-earned money back over to the publishing industry and to authors no matter what's in my bank account. Jon Krakauer deserves every penny I'm sending his way and then some. I know this isn't a situation for everyone.
But the movie industry reaped huge rewards when everyone replaced their movie collection with DVDs. The music industry had a boom when people switched over to CDs.
Could something similar happen to the book world? Could people grow attached enough to their devices that they might replace their book collections? Could planned obsolescence come to the publishing world?
31 Comments on Could Publishers Experience an E-Book Replacement Boom?, last added: 3/12/2011
Books are permanent, yes, unless you live in Hawaii or Mexico where the mold and book worms slowly turn them into masses of powdery mildew. I'm seriously considering having a special bookshelf, a la humidor, made to house the books I am particularly attached to. Would such a device be called a secador? Do they already exist? Alternatively, I could turn my office into a mini climate-controlled vault...maybe I've found the fountain of youth as well!
I feel the same way. I'm piloting an iPad program right now for the resource center I am going to direct next year. I've been using it to see how e-textbooks work for both students and teachers (I teach college English while I'm working on my Ph.D., so I get both sides in one semester).
I have to say that even though I have been a huge Kindle fan for almost 2 years now, I am just as big a fan of the iPad. It's a superior experience as a teacher because I don't have to wag along an inordinate amount of books every day. I can just bring one device that has everything on it, from the novels to the actual anthologies. It's really nice to have in my hand in class, too, as I don't lose my page, and I can have my notes typed up with it.
As a student, it's equally useful because, like you said, I'm never without a way to highlight or annotate the text. It's been wonderful to be able to sync between devices, so even if I forget something at home, I always have a copy of it on my iPhone.
But for personal reading? I still prefer the regular Kindle. I love my desktop apps, my iPhone, and my iPad, but when it comes to reading for pleasure, the e-ink Kindle is a better experience. Sure, I can't get online like I can with the iPad, but when I'm settling in for some personal reading time, I'm not worried about my RSS feeds, Twitter, or email. It's more comfortable when I'm lying around, and while it's not as easy to annotate, I can read for much longer periods because it's so much easier on my eyes then the backlit screens are.
I love books, and I always will. I still buy my favorite authors in hardcopy for collections and decoration. But just for passing the time or for work/school? Ebooks from this point on.
Yes, yes, a million times yes. I am a Kindle loyalist, but last night, I finished a whole book on the iPad without disturbing my sound-sensitive partner in bed. I started with my Kindle, but my clicking the Kindle's "Next Page" button kept him up.
I'm actually thinking of selling/donating most of my print books (I have moved whole libraries across three continents - NO MORE.), but I'm not quitting print entirely. Just going to be very, very select about what goes on the shelves. E-books have changed my reading habits in two fundamental ways - one, I read far more non-fiction as the fiction selection is still somewhat abysmal even on Amazon; two, I buy more print books from indie and niche publishers/imprints - great design, back-in-print "forgotten" novels.
I don't have an e-reader, but I often read on the kindle app on my iphone. There are a few books I've purchased on a whim on my phone, and then fallen inlove with them and purchased a print version.
I'm a HS teacher and I like to keep my classroom library stocked, so if I read something on my phone that I want to share with my students, then I'll buy a print version for my classroom.
I think there's a lot of potential for the double-buying of books. My husband reads exclusively on his iphone and he's accidentally purchased e-versions of books we have on our living room shelf.
You know, I have gone back and forth on this whole e-book/ kindle thing and I think that I am starting to buy into it. Granted, I love having the physical copies of my books but perhaps I should consider building up an e-book collection. Besides, I have often wonder what I would ever do with all my books once me and husband decide to relocate to Africa in the next 5-10 years. Carrying my whole library probably is not the most realistic thing in the world. But an ipad or a kindle. Now that's genius!
This is more than possible. Though my brain is still not quite absorbing the words in e-format as it does in print, with time it will be as meaningful. The convenience is just too damn good.
I might do this for a few books, the ones I read over and over and would have to replace eventually. I simply do not have the funds to replace my entire library, though, despite my love for my Kindle.
Ahhhh....I'm still on the fence on the eReader, and it's not because I don't love gadgets. I LOVE my Mac Air! LOVE my iPhone! And I really do want a portable device to read on for when I travel. But I am concerned about reading on screens. For example, my Mac Air, which I'm on all day, has an awesome bright screen -- so much so that I notice when I go to my older Mac Book, that screen seems dim by comparison. The iPhone, love it too, but if I read for a long time on it, my eyes have a hard time adjusting to, you know, real life.
I know this isn't exactly on topic, apologies for that! Just wondering if anyone has had the same experiences and what device they recommend.
(and I still feel like, from my limited eReader experiences, I focus better on a paper book. This in spite of the fact that I am perfectly happy to write and edit on a screen).
Several readers, including me, have proposed that publishers consider bundling paper and e-versions of books -- I think this makes good sense.
Personally, I don't think I'd replace that many of my paper books. I'd probably go the other way -- buy a paper book of an ebook that I particularly liked.
Anonymous said, on 3/9/2011 4:33:00 PM
you're really into the "Into the Wild" book. what is it about again?
seriously, the iPad love is probably deserved, and I'm a late adaptor (or, mentally handicapped, an idiot savant who can only ... read) but - or, however comma - I'm still loving books, and do foresee staring at a screen as bliss.
currently, I'm reading a Tin House book w/ those uneven pages. it's part of a their debut series, pub'ed in 2006. the story's hard-core, the cover's sublime and I will say, my experience of reading the story in the form of the physical book is intertwined, magnified in a way that screentime just wouldn't. Contempt prior to investigation? Possibly, but the material is so challenging, my visceral response is bound to the book, inexplicably so.
Another book - a mass trade paper, semi-literary - would probably be equally served by an iPad platform.
Maybe I'm deluded, or this is all imaginary until I get an iPad or equivilant, but I do believe there's a connection between form and content. When I read, for example, Kathryn Harrison's "Exposure," I squirmed, & was made incredibly uncomfortable (psychically) by the material in a way I cannot imagine pixels on a screen.
Anonymous said, on 3/9/2011 4:34:00 PM
^^^ I made the previous comment, and meant to write, "and do NOT foresee staring at a screen as bliss."
Anonymous said, on 3/9/2011 4:41:00 PM
What always surprises me is that there's even a debate. A book is a book, digital or print. You get the same experience because of the content, not the way the content is produced.
My house is overflowing with books. There is no room for more shelves, and all the shelves have books stacked on top of and in front of the books that are properly shelved. For that reason, if for no other, I would love to be able to replace a lot of my beloved, often-read paperbacks with ebooks. BUT. A lot of these books are not available as ebooks. They fall in that no-man's-land between the must-read classics and the hot new hits. A lot of them are probably out of print in paper editions, and the publishers have not made the effort to digitize them. In addition to that, my book budget is too small, and therefore I am not rushing out to replace my paper books with ebooks. Only the free ones.
It's interesting that you bring this up, since I was just talking with my husband about this last night.
Last year for my birthday he bought me a Nook, hoping that I would start buying more ebooks than physical books, since I prefer the pricier hardbacks and quite frankly we're running out of space for all my books. It was a beautiful and thoughtful gift, but unfortunately it backfired on him.
You see, I do buy ebooks - lots of them. But if I end up LOVING the book, I will go out and buy a hardback copy - especially if I'm in love with the cover. (Like Andrea Cremer's Nightshade - GORGEOUS! The cover and the ragged pages make for a beautiful book.) Or, on the other hand, I have physical books that I love so much that I want the ebook as well so that I have it wherever I go. (I have the Nook app on my iphone as well.) So, while it has helped save precious space on my bookshelves, I end up spending more by buying a fair amount of books twice.
I think print books and ebooks can live harmoniously together - there's really no reason to choose. For people like me, we like the best of both worlds. And until I'm forced to choose - by the publishing world or my slightly annoyed husband - I'll continue to do so.
Anonymous said, on 3/9/2011 5:01:00 PM
Even people who go hard over to eBooks will probably not replace any significant number of books they now own in paper form. CDs and DVDs are used differently than books. I would never consider buying a CD or DVD that I intended listening to, or watching, only once. Yet, as much as I love to read, I have to admit that most of my books have been read only once and that condition will persist.
e-Readers don't fit in with my lifestyle. I look at the specific places that I read. Hanging out in or by the pool. While sailing or boating, or in a kayak or canoe. Lounging around on a "floatie" in Barton Springs. Oh, and in the bathtub. Most of my paperbacks have serious watermarks, and several have been dropped in the pool and air-dried. And one thing I learned, having had several cell phones and two laptops stolen during the course of travel, is to never take these on any kind of public transportation. I can easily replace a paperback (and a piece of luggage). I can't afford to buy a new Kindle every couple of weeks.
But in reality, I love reading on my Kindle, iPad and iPhone and being able to seamlessly switch between devices. I posted this under Monday's post (which was more about self-publishing but sort of kind of talked about e-publishing, so I got excited and posted about my use of e-reading devices...here). The only time I buy a hard copy now is for books that I know I'm going to need to give to someone else to read.
I have a kindle which is not backlit but I'm right there with you.
I like reading on my kindle. I like it better than a normal book. I like how I can hold it with one hand, turn the pages with the click and its so lightweight. I like the fact I don't have to search and work to buy the book.
I'm just glad to hear that I'm not alone. Because even other people with e-readers will talk about how nothing replaces the book experience. My kindle I feel like improves the experience.
Another pro: Some books have horribly trashy covers. Now I can buy them and feel no shame. And these are even trashy books--but I can't carry around a picture of a half-naked women on an urban fantasy cover. But I can carry a kindle.
Really? That's the funny video? This is the one I watch when I'm not reading a book, or on my kindle, or online, and I really need a laugh: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=po1BDk2lxhA
I LOVE reading on my Kindle app. and I will never, ever go back. It is just too convienent, and it feel sort of weird now to read on a book - alittle awkward somehow.
And of the last five books I've purchased, only one of them was new. The rest are old favorites that I wanted in the e-reader format.
So, I completely agree. Books that have been around for awhile may start earning money again because people are replacing their collection.
Personally, I have never read (bought / finished) an ebook in my life, do not own an iPad/iPhone/iPod etc., find paper much easier on my eyes (I stare at a screen too much anyway), can never find ebooks that I like, and find ebook stores, unlike book stores and libraries, a pain to browse through.
You have good points though Nathan, and I haven't had much experience with ebooks anyway. But for now I'm going to stick with physical, paper books.
I think it's very possible, and the fact that publishers aren't all over this shows how fear of change is freezing an industry that should be looking for ways to capitalize on new opportunities. For example, what about introducing new "e-only" imprints to introduce new writers? The successful ones could be reissued in hard copy, with an emphasis on an appealing physical look. In short, I'd like to see them think outside the box the way that you are. Bottom line is that people are still reading. As long as that's true, there's hope.
I prefer the books, such as e-books. I have e-books is unusual, there are hands. The book is good to the touch and smell. It may be useful for the Kindle and IPAD, but in everyday life, what breaks when you use this? Anyway, this is just a fashion wave. At first it was the iPod. Decreased subsequently in a few months. Today we hardly hear about it. In addition, many books can be downloaded as PDF or DjVu format. One of them is completely free and legal. Why pay when a free download from somewhere? Rárakomthe the PDA or on my mobile and I can just read . Those who are interested in classic books on the Hungarian-www.konyv konyvek.hu page you will find a lot. Free and genuine.
I'm there with you, Nate. I have a Kindle and I've replaced so many books that I initially bought in print that it's not even funny. I will usually do that if the book is less than $10 bucks without even thinking twice. Or if it's something I really really want to read. Otherwise, I'll just read the print copy. But my Kindle books get read first.
Ah, now I want an iPad more than ever! The reason I haven't bought one is fear of eyestrain. I spend most of my work day on a computer, and I don't know if several hours of reading another screen would bother my eyes. Have you had any problems with that? (I've noticed commuters reading iPads on the train, but I imagine they only read for 20 or 40 minutes at a time.)
I hope not!! I will never get an e-reader. First off think of all the e-books you have to buy to compensate for the up-front cost of the e-reader, plus the yearly cost for batteries. I never saw an issue with normal ole books...not sure why we had to change it...DVD's are different, they are better quantity for both picture and sound and you can watch them more times with the quality staying the same. Additionally DVD's are not "eaten" by the DVD player ;)
Mara said, on 3/12/2011 1:11:00 PM
I'm not replacing my beloved books, more augmenting. Soon I shall own two copies of all of my face works.
1 for my bookself, so I can touch it, feel it, see it, smell it. And 1 for my iPad so I can have it with me wherever I go.
Anonymous said, on 3/12/2011 8:31:00 PM
"I genuinely feel like reading on an iPad is a superior experience to reading on paper."
And this is why I'm glad you're out of agenting.
One down.
About one thousand left to go.
And, yes, I'm posting this anonymously, Mr. Social Media Expert, as is my right to do so. Clearly, that's what internet forums (and indeed comments sections) are all about. That I can post whatever the hell I feel like, anonymously, without any consequence of reprisal, is a beautiful thing.
Also where's the post regarding piracy?
Piracy took down the music industry, and at present it's having a dramatic impact on the gaming industry - isn't piracy going to be the death of the novelist? You bet it is. When a person can torrent an entire novel in literally a half a second, why would they pay for the novel? Only the most naive person would believe that the honor system will function. It won't. This is the end.
When Gutenberg invented the printing press, it was a beautiful thing, for the very reason that a book is itself a physical artifact, and therefore its own form of DRM. How in the name of Socrates is the royalty system going to function now that books can be passed so freely and so easily? Answer me this, Mr. Social Media Expert.
Some big news in the book world as Random House, the lone holdout among the six major publishers, has agreed to Apple's terms and will be moving over to the agency model. What is the agency model? Well, this post of yore provides some background, but for readers this means that over 17,000 Random House titles will now be available through iBooks, and will also means that the price you pay for Random House books will probably be a few dollars higher (Amazon likes the $9.99 e-book price point. Publishers, who set the price with the agency model: not so much).
Mike Shatzkin and Eric from Pimp My Novel offer some more background on the publishing implications, which are many. Shatzkin notes that this is a sign that the agency model has helped cracked Amazon's hegemony, and Eric wonders what effect this will have in iBooks sales.
And speaking of lots of e-books sold, my colleague and fellow author David Carnoy had a great article this week on the rise of the 99 cent e-book and what this might mean for publishers, and Mathew Ingram at GigaOM writes that with the success Amanda Hocking and J.A. Konrath are enjoying, publishers need to "wake up and smell the disruption." Quite a few people have been asking me lately to weigh in on self-publishing and the new 99 cent/$2.99 Kindle bestsellers, and I shall do so soonest.
But meanwhile we have more links!
HarperCollins took the controversial/ingenious (depending where one sits) step of limiting library lending of e-books at 26 lends per library e-book purchase, rather than allowing libraries to loan e-books infinitely. Presumably 26 was arrived at as comparable to the number of times a print book could be lent before it wore out. What say you as author and reader on this one?
In rather hilarious news, Victoria Strauss at Writer Beware noticed an eBay listing for a story idea that the author claims "can be compared to stories like Star Wars, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Matrix, Indiana Jones and other titles in those categories..." Starting bid the author set? $3 million!
In case you want a sense o
60 Comments on This Week in Books 3/4/11, last added: 3/7/2011
I hear that author with the $3 million starting bid will also consider interesting trades for her/his idea, such as a Subway $5 footlong or a functioning hoverboard.
I just don't get the Agency model. It's sole purpose seems to be to hold on the print sales. I have a series (Area 51) with RH and the difference in ebook sales under their model and the books I control is staggering. In print Area 51 sold over a million, far outstripping my Atlantis series. But in ebook, leading with .99 for first Atlantis book and $2.99 for following books, that series is selling 20x what Area 51 is doing under RH's control. As Tom Hanks said in Big: I don't get it. The Big 6 are still too focused on selling to retailers rather than readers.
I am MOST looking forward to your post on the Kindle "bestseller" phenomenon. I've noticed how it displaces the NYT bestsellers and brings precious Kindle real estate to strange and not always mouth watering books. I've long suspected that one could find a way to keep purchasing their own book at .99 and thus climb the Amazon trail rather unfairly. I CANNOT wait to read your post!! Have a great weekend, Nathan!
What a perfect video to say "Happy World Book Day" this week too everyone! (In the UK and Ireland World Book Day is on Thursday 3rd March 2011.) Ad World Book Night is being celebrated tomorrow in London and across the nation, so I'm looking forward to taking part giving out 48 copies of 'Love in a Time of Cholera'.
26 times? If we're only lending out to 3 year-olds maybe. I get most of my books from the library and have to wait for newer, in-demand titles. Right now I'm #39 for one copy of a particular new YA title. I'll let you know ;)
I could spend all weekend on those great links! I read the eBay one and laughed at the 10 million "buy it now" offer...watch out, Rowling, I'm scraping together my change.
Thanks for the FB information. I'm going to check that out.
As for Border's 20% off not even touching Amazon's prices...wow.
Yesterday on Galley Cat there was a post with a YouTube video from some librarians who analyzed several books in their library and how often they'd been checked out. They showed the wear and tear on the book and how much it would have cost them. The books, especially the hard backs, were in fine shape, particularly the kids books, and had been checked out more than 26 times, one had been checked out 120 times which is the one with some damage which the librarian said could be mended. It was interesting, though a fairly limited sample.
J. T. Shea said, on 3/4/2011 12:10:00 PM
So, if you lend out an e-book 26 times, it gets worn out? Pity those poor little hardworking electrons...
That E-bay story idea is well worth $3 million, Nathan! I'm going to bid right away...(CHECKS POCKET)... not quite enough loose change there...(CHECKS OTHER POCKET)...maybe later.
I love MacGuffins! With cheese and fries, of course.
The Rejectionist is talking nonsense, adverbially. Anyway, she isn't even the Rejectionist anymore, just a poor writer like the rest of us. So, who's afraid of the big bad wolf now? Take that, Ex-Rejectionist! (POKES FORKED STICK THROUGH BARS OF CAGE.) You too, ex-agent Bransford! MMMWWWAAAHHHAAAHHHAAA! Oh, wait...
Ted, I haven't got a Subway $5 Footlong, but I could offer the corndog I got from Jacob Wonderbar for my old wreck of a spaceship (though it was kind of sassy). I already swapped the hoverboard for the time-traveling De Lorean.
Anonymous said, on 3/4/2011 12:24:00 PM
Have you read Amanda Hocking's books, Nathan? She breaks every rule you've ever talked about on your Blog. The grammar and spelling in her books are atrocious (and I mean LOTS of spelling errors, not a typo or two), the stories plod along, and her first book in a series starts with a character waking up. I thought TWILIGHT was bad; but, as I started reading Amanda Hocking's book, I thought how much better TWILIGHT was written. Everyone in the writing world seems to be talking about Amanda Hocking these days AND a top literary agent signed her. This all leaves me very sad and confused. All the old rules about writing seem to have been thrown out the window.
I'm thinking about trying the 99 cents publishing program at Amazon, beginning with short stories. I'm thinking about hiring an artist to design covers or designing my own covers with photographs I've taken. My short stories have won quite a few awards and some have been published online, including on Sarah LaPolla's Blog, and I'd like to see if I can sell some short stories through the 99 cents model. If that works, I may try selling the novels I'm currently writing that way.
Samantha G said, on 3/4/2011 12:44:00 PM
I have absolutely nothing to add on a post full of great links! (Although it would be nice if you could post something showing something more positive going on in the writing world."
In reply to:
Anon 12.54,
There are some really badly written books out there (I know Nathan will be frowning and/or shaking his fist at the screen depending on the largeness of his anger issues - if any do/don't exist.) But the thing is, sometimes it's not all about the writing. I know that sounds insanely stupid, but as a teenage girl, I have read the twilight series and I know that they aren't at all "well written" (depending on what your defenition of well written is.) I never read them however, for the quality of the writing- I read for the quality of the idea, for the hook of the first book that meant I would keep on reading despite the fact the writing wasn't up to a world class standard. Whilst I have never head of Amanda Hopkins, I am sure that is what people are liking so much about her books- the ability of the plot to draw the reader in and keep them enthralled no matter how good/bad the writing is. We can all agree that Charles Dickens is an amazing writer, but personally I have never been able to finish a single one of his books (I tried reading Great Expectations and after figuring out absolutely nothing would go right for the poor boy I gave up before I got too overtly depressed.)
So, I hope I stopped you from getting too worried about the fact that there are some authors out there whose grammer e.t.c. may be appalling, because, at the end of the day, they must have done something right to be doing so well.
And as to your final point: "All the old rules about writing seem to have been thrown out the window," at the end of the day, in the downright evil world that is the writing business, the only REAL rule is writing something that sells.
HarperCollins makes me sad. It just means most libraries won't pick up their e-books now. Cause as someone who works in a library... I can't think of many books that have fallen apart after only 26 checkouts... The ones that fall apart at those low numbers are pop-up books or books that have flaps, or pockets with items.
And with Overdrive, unlike paper copies, you can't renew the books so if you can't finish the book in the time you have you'll end up wasting several of the "loans" that the library is now allowed to have. :(
The more and more I read about these kind of things and what publishers are doing, the more and more I think about self-publishing my own writing. They say they are helping out their authors... but if they really wanted to, they'd increase the royalties their authors received from e-books.
I haven't read Amanda Hocking, but regardless of what you think of her and the whole ePub and the 99 cent ePub in particular, she's written a post about it all that I think is pretty worthwhile, and very even-handed. Check it out!
Thanks for the mention, Nathan! I'm dying to see The King's Speech, and I'm anxious to hear your take on the .99c e-books, too. It's about time Random House caved because, despite 100 million books sold, I've had to purchase most of mine through Amazon even though I read them on my iPad. Happy weekend!
I wonder how readers will react to the slightly more expensive e-books. Will they stop buying them? Will they wait for sales? Is it possible the publishers will end up lowering their prices back down in order to get people to purchase their titles?
The idea behind the HarperCollins 26-use clause is that with two-week loan periods in many titles, a typical book would circulate 26 times in one year. However, as a library worker myself, I can tell you that many books circulate more than this before they need to be replaced (thus being lendable for more than a year), and libraries will buy multiple copies of popular titles in order to meet demand. I understand authors are worried about their royalties being hurt if a library can purchase one copy and circulate it indefinitely, but libraries also cannot afford to buy the same books over and over. I think a compromise could be reached. HarperCollins could lease the books for a certain amount of time (several years), or better, could increase the number of uses before requiring the library to repurchase. Most popular books are only in heavy demand for about two years, so perhaps HarperCollins could offer 45-50 uses before requiring a new purchase. Then perhaps, the libraries could buy another copy of the popular titles they predict will continue to circulate, while letting the less popular titles run their course and only repurchasing if a patron requests it. Even better, it'd be ideal if the second purchase carried perpetual rights, but that's probably asking for too much. (I saw similar proposals being voiced in the comments at HarperCollins' blog as well, with no response from the blog maintainers, and know there will be ongoing discussions about this at ALA, which I'm unfortunately not going to be able to attend this year.)
That eBay auction has been my favorite joke all week!
Anonymous said, on 3/4/2011 2:21:00 PM
Samantha G., I totally understand why poorly written YA books are selling, the same way I understand why people are obsessed with Charlie Sheen and Snooki. What disheartens me is that the literary/publishing world is enthralled with most of the same things and embraces and talks about them practically at the exclusion of all things literary. It's one thing for teenage girls to want to buy something. It's quite different for the literary establishment to embrace and talk endlessly about everything a teenager recommends. Just sayin'.
John's video was superb - did anyone else spend most of their time watching his clock? ;)
Happy World Book Day or Night, depending on where you live. I have to go, I have a lot of reading to do: I've missed 22 of the best 25 books.
J. T. Shea said, on 3/4/2011 3:07:00 PM
I've been unfollowing trends all my life. Even though I'm writing a YA Steampunk Trilogy. But there was no such thing as a YA Steampunk Trilogy when I started writing it.
I'm feeling a little breathless! Now I'll get to clickin' . . .
Anonymous said, on 3/4/2011 6:02:00 PM
I hope Random House understands that people who read e-books aren't going to submit to their pricing. Readers will either fight back by pirating the e-books, or they will go to amazon and buy used copies.
These large publishers better realize people who read e-books are voracious, but they have limits and they aren't stupid.
This has got to stop. What started as the rambling thoughts of a twisted and ignorant new writer has been lent far too much legitimacy by mentions on your blog.
Interesting that you picked the Macguffin one too, because personally I thought the day-oos eks makeena post was better. Subjective business we've got here, isn't it?
Anyway, self deprecating silliness aside, this sounds mostly like good news to me. I don't have an iPad YET, but I'm a long time Apple and Macintosh fan and I know how much you tout them, so when I can, I will.
The one really terrible thing here, IMHO, is that item about the Borders Fire Sale. I'm from Seattle, and used to be able to see Amazon HQ from my window, so I do have love for them, but it's pretty sad what they did to the brick and mortar bookstore industry.
And I have to ask Bob Mayer: You have an e-book that sold a million copies? My god man, I've never heard of such a thing, but CONGRATULATIONS!
Anonymous said, on 3/4/2011 8:52:00 PM
There are a couple of things that trouble me about some of those links. Amanda Hocking does many things in her writing for which a number of agents felt it was absolutely fine to mock other writers in their blogs and tweets just a few short months ago. Even though they kept the writers' names confidential, it was pretty hurtful for writers who found their writing quoted and mocked. But, as soon as someone sells a million books with even worse writing flaws, a top agent signs them and agents start blogging about her like she's Cormac McCarthy. Second link is to an article by The Rejectionist (who is actually an Anon on the Internet!) in which she rather harshly criticizes teachers for giving her students a creative writing challenge. The students are elementary school students, not professional writers, for goodness sakes, and they are learning how to develop basic writing skills. Why, I bet that teacher even makes her students write in complete sentences in order to learn basic grammar. I bet she doesn't let them use phrases as if they were complete sentences, like grown-up writers do in real novels, so that the students can learn correct grammar structure. Gasp! Annnnnd, then, commenters on The Rejectionist's Blog proceed to mock the teacher in the same way that agents mocked writers with Amanda Hocking type writing flaws just a few short months ago. Now, I bet if some writer sells a million books using all kinds of non-said tags, non-said tags will be the new craze in the publishing industry and it will be time to mock those writers who use said tags. I think mocking allows people to feel better about themselves and to establish themselves as being "in the know". Is that really the best we can do to deal with our own anxieties about our chances of succeeding within the publishing world?
Anonymous said, on 3/4/2011 9:01:00 PM
It turns out that the writer selling their idea on eBay has a bid of $32.99 already. This is for an IDEA, not a script. If they jotted down thousands of ideas and put them all up on eBay ... well, they could make a lot of money.
So..... you're criticizing the Rejectionist for being anonymous... anonymously?
Anonymous said, on 3/4/2011 11:44:00 PM
So I have a Kindle, and the pricing still makes no sense to me for most books.
I went to amazon to grab a copy of The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test. This book came out a long time ago, so I expected an eBook price of a couple of dollars. But thanks to the brilliant publisher, the eBook sells for more than the print copy. Really, how much was editing back in the day?
I'm sticking to the free classics until I see some reasonable pricing. It still makes more sense for me to buy used paperbacks than eBooks.
Dilemma: My students want to read my un-pubbed novels, but I still totally want to pursue traditional pub route.
Is it okay for me to Kindle them so my students can read them?
Will agents not like this? Could this possible shoot myself in the foot?
_____
As to that 26 rule for eBooks...can we Gorilla Glue the binding or packing tape the cover so we can read it another 10 more?
Anonymous said, on 3/5/2011 1:46:00 AM
Nathan, I wasn't criticizing The Rejectionist for being anonymous. I was criticizing her for mocking people while hiding behind an Anonymous label. It struck me as funny that she's an Anon, no better than any other Anon on the Internet.
- Anon @8:52 PM
Anonymous said, on 3/5/2011 1:55:00 AM
By the way, I'm saying that it might be nice if people like The Rejectionist stopped mocking people, perhaps in order to make themselves feel better. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with being anonymous. If a person's going to start mocking teachers, they probably ought to at least have some relevant credentials - maybe a Masters degree in Education, something like that. Not sure how The Rejectionist would feel if people started making fun of her.
Anon, I agree with you about the publishing industry mocking writers - there are few things that make me angrier, so I think it's cool that you're speaking up when you see mocking on the web.
I'm afraid, however, that I disagree with you about the Rejectionist post - I went there after reading your comments and I think you may be mistaking the tone of the blog and comments for mocking. That blog tends to have a sharp, witty, almost caustic, New Yorky type of humor, which can look like mocking, and may even cross the line at times, but I don't think it did here....
The question on the blog was: what do I do if my teacher is teaching my child writing habits I don't agree with? It's a legit question and I thought the tone of the questioner was more worried and frustrated than mocking.
I thought the Rejectionist handled it carefully and there was a defense of that particular teacher's method as well as of teachers in general in the comments section. I thought the discussion was interesting and pretty funny, but was not mocking teachers at all - I seriously doubt this particular group of Rejectionist commenters would mock teachers. Everyone knows teachers are underpaid and underappreciated.
Okay, so that's my opinion, for what it's worth - and it's also okay with me if we disagree.
Nathan, I want to thank you for the incredible plethora of links = thank you!!! - but I probably won't be back to comment. It's finals week, and my evil and maniacal teachers - I mean my underpaid and underappreciated teachers - have loaded me with so much work I may not come up for air again until June.
Okay, off to work. Hope everyone is having a nice weekend!
The audacity of some writers continues to amaze me. BUT - there may be someone who has that kind of $$$ to throw her way. These types of stunts are counter-productive to the industry but they may give her a few minutes of fame.
We writers have to be cautious these days as well, as Victoria (on Writer Beware) has a post today regarding a lawsuit about THE HELP.
Thanks for the links. Will check out the forum this weekend.
Correction to 1st comment - referencing the $3 million dollar bid for the story idea - forgot to engage finger editor first.
Also wanted to agree with the 'Anon' who commented about put-downs. Everyone deserves basic respect, not smart ass backtalk and certainly not public ridicule. Wasn't that one of the main points that Anon was making?
Amanda Hocking actually had some interesting things to say about the "wake up" style comments directed at publishers.
From her blog:
Here's another thing I don't understand: The way people keep throwing my name around and saying publishers are "terrified" of me and that I really showed them.
First of all, no publisher is afraid of me. That's just silly. I'm one girl who wrote a couple books that are selling well. That doesn't scare them - they just want to be a part of it, the same way they want to be a part of any best seller.
D.G. Hudson said, "Also wanted to agree with the 'Anon' who commented about put-downs. Everyone deserves basic respect, not smart ass backtalk and certainly not public ridicule. Wasn't that one of the main points that Anon was making?"
Thank you, thank you, thank you! That was the main point I was trying to make. I think you said it better than I did.
Anonymous said, on 3/5/2011 1:56:00 PM
I posted a long comment in defense of teachers, and it has disappeared after being posted for a few seconds. I think maybe Blogger malfunctioned.
Anon - I'm sorry if you felt unsupported by my comment. That truly wasn't my intention. I think it's great you stood up for respectful communication.
I just interpreted the Rejectionist's post differently.
So, that's all.
Anonymous said, on 3/5/2011 3:28:00 PM
Mira, I didn't feel unsupported by you at all. I definitely thought you interpreted The Rejectionist's statements differently than I did, that's all. I always enjoy your opinions, and I thought our discussion was really interesting. I wrote a long response back; but, unfortunately, it's disappeared from the comments section. :(
You know, you could post your comment about teachers at the Rejectionist's site, add your perspective to the mix. Why not?
Okay, I feel the need to comment on something about the post now, though. Just to get back to all the wonderful links.....
I want to announce I have an idea for a book story that can be compared to Twilight. It's called 'Sun's Going Down Time' and it's about a girl who moves to a town and meets two astoundingly attractive hunks of manliness only one is a fish-boy and the other is a Martian. From outer space. They both fall madly in love with her. It will sell millions, but I'll give it the first bidder for 29.99. And if I don't get a bidder, I might give it away, or possibly even pay someone to take it off my hands.
Thank you so much for the link to Jim Duncan’s Blog post about writer’s burnout and "butt in chair". After reading his post, I left a long comment over there. For months, I’ve been suffering from writer’s burnout, and ended up slowing down on my writing and barely participating in writers’ groups. Then, all of a sudden, this past week, I’ve found myself writing like crazy and wandering back into writers’ groups which I missed immensely. I’ve come to the conclusion that "butt in chair" helps to develop and expand writing skills, but that doesn’t work when you’re burned out and writers need to replenish themselves.
I’m just catching up on reading links and comments. Whoa, Bob Mayer, I checked out your Blog and your pages over on Amazon. Congratulations on selling millions of copies of your books by self-publishing on Kindle! Your sales ranks and reviews over on Amazon are impressive. The science fiction novel I’m currently rewriting with the guidance and suggestions of Alan Rinzler has a similar theme to your ATLANTIS series – green humanoid creatures arriving through the gates, although, in my book, the aliens aren’t who we always thought they were. If I can’t get an agent for this book, I’ve made up my mind: I am self-publishing it on Kindle. I have a writer friend who’s been experimenting with self-publishing on Amazon, and she’s doing as well as she did with indie press.
Hey guys. I'm giving away free books on my new blog, Breadline Books, and trying to spread the news. Please check it out and tell anybody you know who could use a free book!
It’s tough to follow the news these days - and I’m talking the popular press, not just the news media such as Publishers Weekly that appeals to writers - without hearing about how much profit is being driven by e-book sales. BUT, here’s the recent headline posted today at Publishers Weekly: Barnes & Noble Sales Jump Led by Digital Products.
Another from the Wall Street Journal reads: Retailers Struggle in Amazon’s Jungle.
We all know that the fuel in the Digital Products jump is e-books and we all know that Amazon was one of the early platforms to fuel the e-book revolution. So, when will this ride end?
No time soon, in my opinion. I could be wrong, but I don’t think that I am. What does this mean for writers? Should you rush to get in on the e-book band wagon as fast as possible. Should that be the publish-it-yourself band wagon, or the go-through-an-established-e-publisher band wagon? Well, that depends.
Don’t overlook the options to publish straight to the internet but don’t overlook the value of an established e-publishing house that can provide editorial services that just might improve your book and improve your sales. In fact, I would suggest that authors pursue both avenues of approach.
If you receive rejections from e-publishers and strongly believe that your book is worthy of an audience than the good news is that you now have lots of choices on how to get your book in front of an audience and by doing so you might just generate enough readership that will catch the attention of an established publisher - if that’s what you want. It’s been done many times before.
BUT, if you do go the route of the publish-it-yourself band wagon, don’t be lulled into a sense of laziness that once you put your book up for sale that it will fly off the e-shelves like pancakes from a hot griddle. You still have to get the word out that your book is available and you still have to connect with readers.
Now, it is much easier with the internet but it’s not so easy that you don’t have to make some sort of investment of at least time. Rob Walker has posted about the tips and tricks that have worked for him and then of course there is Joe Konrath and his stellar success. AND then there is Amanda Hocking. If you don’t know who these folks are - and if you’re reading this blog you have to know who Rob Walker is - then Google their names, follow their blogs and do your homework.
So, at least one thing about being a published author has not changed - you always have to do your homework regardless of the medium by which you publish your books.
1 Comments on Ripped from the e-headlines!, last added: 2/23/2011
Gone are the days when authors sat back and let someone else promote. Every author with any brains is out in the trenches these days, even the bestselling ones with established careers.
Very very very sad news this week as, after several years of speculation, Borders has finally succumbed and filed for bankruptcy. It was Chapter 11 bankruptcy (re-org) and not Chapter 7 (Eric from Pimp My Novel had a roundup of the potential difference there), but even still 200 stores will close, and my heart goes out to all those affected. Eric from PMN has an indispensable take on what this means for authors. In the short term, at least, it seems as if this is going to put further pressure on publishers and on the midlist.
Meanwhile, there was an interesting CNET article (disclosure: I work at CNET) asking a very important question and poll: what would you pay for an e-book? The agency model publishers are seeking to hold the line between $10.99 - $14.99 for new release e-books, and it will be interesting to see if consumers will go along with that. Is the perception of value going to be there for an e-book?
And along those lines, I thought Mike Shatzkin had a really interesting take on consumer complaints about DRM, which is that they're not totally valid. His point, in a nutshell: Yes, you can't re-sell your e-books and it's more of a license than true ownership. But when you sell a paperbook you lose ownership of your book, whereas when you send someone a copy of your e-book you still possess it. So why are people insisting on treating them identically? Doesn't the digital model necessitate a new way of thinking about and selling content?
And prospective author J.J. Madden has a great roundup of the recent Digital Book World, and video of some of the people creating the future of publishing.
Now, I did not represent picture books when I was an agent and thus will tell you quite honestly that I know extremely little about them, but someone who does know a thing or two about them is my former colleague Tracy Marchini, who has a really good post on what makes picture books successful.
In contest news, lots percolating around the blogosphere! Blog friends Hannah Moskowitz/Suzanne Young and Kiersten White are hosting contests, and the Texas Observer reached out to let me know about a short story contest guest judged by none other than Larry McMurtry. So be sure and check that out.
Lots and lots of people have reached out to me about this post by Ta-Nehisi Coates about a new documentary on Bad Writing. Which makes me wonder if they're trying to tell me something. Haha. No, and I don't need a breath mint, thank you very much!
In seriously important news, the ship that inspired MOBY-DICK was discovered at the bottom of Davy Jones' Locker!!! No word on Ahab's ivory leg.
Scott (and the other blog) make a good point: To do a blog right, you have to devote significant time to it while knowing in the end, it will probably never be THE way you make a living as a writer. That's why I've been exploring ways to update my content more regularly (now MWF) while keeping it funny and yet not driving myself insane. The answer seems to be making fake greeting cards and web-diary-type movies I don't have to spend as much time thinking about.
Woah, thanks Nathan -- comment of the week! I think my commenting career just peaked. It's all downhill from here...
That's an interesting piece about the Bad Writing documentary. Think I want to see that. And actually there's some serious truth in Ta-Nehisi's introductory paragraph: "I think the main reason more people don't write is the sheer terror of confronting yourself on the page." Too true. And that terror never goes away, even as you keep writing: it just keeps evolving into a more sophisticated type of terror.
RE: Blogging... I can understand what he's trying to say. Like social media, it can be a time-suck and feel like a waste. However, I also think that if you're mindful about why you're either blogging or tweeting or posting, it makes a difference. Otherwise, I think that novelists especially will think "it doesn't pay me -- if I'm going to write, I'll work on my novel" to the exclusion of promotion. Especially now, I'd say that's a mistake. You don't need to post a 1k blog daily to promote -- but consistent effort is necessary.
I don't read ebooks, but I don't see why they should cost more than a mass market paperback. Understandably, you're buying the story not the packaging, but even with traditional print books there is a difference in price between hardback, trade paperback, and mass market paperback. As a reader and a purchaser of books, I see ebooks as being the electronic equivalent to the mass market paperback book. But, Maybe I'm missing something...
Cathy, you bring up a great point that's very relevant to this blog: can active blogging be valuable for novelists?
The post I linked to was about technical writing. I would imagine that an active blog from a domain expert could be instrumental for his/her nonfiction sales, e.g. a fitness guru blogging about fitness will probably help sell his fitness book). But for a fiction author, is blogging worthwhile?
Last I checked (a couple years back), the jury was still out on how much online self-promotion really helps novelists. Is a professional novelist's time better spent maintaining an online presence, or hiding in a cave writing his/her next book?
Anonymous said, on 2/18/2011 8:37:00 AM
the PMNovel link (second, affect on authors) is broken
I agree with Diana and Swampf - I mean, Mr.D, ebooks should be way cheaper. They don't accrue packaging, shipping and storage expenses. So why shouldn't that benefit be passed down to everyone?
Holy crap, I just looked down and my word verification is "greed". No joke.
I want to weigh in here, but I can't without being snarky...so I'll bite back the George Costanza comment (the internet is a fad)...
When editors and agents are demanding an online presence for new fiction authors, it's pretty tough to set it aside, whether it's peaked or not. I think until the publishing community defines "platform" and what an online presence needs to look like, authors are going to keep throwing crap against the wall.
and yes...too many cheesburgers isn't good for you either. It's called moderation people. As long as the children are fed, and mostly clean, and you're still finding time to write, I think you MUST also be online...
Scott: personally, I think blogging can be helpful, if not necessarily crucial.
Personally, I've subscribed to the concept of tribe, rather than platform. If you've got thirty minutes to spend on promo per day, rather than creating "push" information (like a blog) it's more important to connect. Commenting on reader blogs or review sites, participating on a forum, or asking questions/sending direct messages to target readership seems like a better use of time. If you've got a blog that speaks to your readership, then it'll give them a place to go to learn more about you, and hopefully draw them to your books pages while giving them stuff to read while waiting for your next release.
Just honing your craft and pumping out draft at the expense of promotion seems like career suicide these days. Like Survival Mama said, if "you're still finding time to write, I think you MUST also be online..."
That trailer is awesome. As a mom of two toddlers, all I hear is panic about pediatricians and milestones. Finally a book that exposes the crisis of parenthood.
I've said it many times before: if I can get an $8 mass market paperback, I'll be a little annoyed at the prospect of paying $10-14 for an electronic version. So far I haven't seen too many instances where that's the case, but there are a couple of forthcoming books I had planned to pre-order for my Kindle whose prices made me raise an eyebrow for that reason.
Scott's point about the cost vs. benefits of blogging is great from an economics standpoint. In many cases, yes, it will take time to build an audience and thus "profit" from blogging, but if you keep throwing time and energy in (the "cost") and aren't seeing any returns, and re-evaluate your strategy and still don't see any changes...at what point do you begin directing your attention elsewhere.
I also agree that we'll start to see more balanced usage of social media. Eventually it won't be novel anymore, just a normal part of everyday life and marketing, incorporated with everything else we do and not new or exciting or needing to be done 24/7. It'll just happen.
Too bad about Borders, but at least they have a fighting chance. (never say die) I hate to see a bookstore go under the hatchet.
Most of us already agree about the state of blogs, but in my mind they have much more staying power than Twitter & FB. Some people just want to connect socially, not necessarily to learn, or listen to others' opinions.
Blogger satisfies that writer urge to say something that others might hear and to practice being concise. (one just has to avoid rants). Know your purpose before you start blogging.
Eric's posts were great explaining the difference between the types of bankruptcy.
Ebook prices - 10.99 seems fair from a buyer's perspective, but most of us would prefer cheaper rates since we don't actually 'own the book'. More ebooks are bought when the rates are less, according to the post I read on J. Konrath's Newbie's Guide to publishing (one author's story this past week).
I'll probably be back, because I haven't even read them, but I did read your post and the comments and have thoughts I want to quickly share.
The first is about needing an on-line presence. I'm afraid I disagree. I think what you need is a good book. Once you have the book published, it might be good to go to some sites and directly market.
But basically, a good book will sell itself. That's especailly true nowadays with word of mouth on the internet being such a powerful force. As for what publishers want - well, frankly, I'm not sure why anyone cares nowadays what publishers want but that's a different dicussion.
What any author needs, and needs to be very honest with themselves about, is a book that people want to read. Shakespeare didn't have a blog, and he did just fine for himself.
On the other hand, a blog for writers can be a fun writing experience, so that's something else altogether.
Actually, I'll be back later for other stuff. So many fun things to have OPINIONS about. And only a small paper this weekend, so I have time to have OPINIONS. Yay!
Okay, that book trailer isn't very useful because I still know nothing about the book, BUT IT WAS FREAKIN' HYSTERICALLY FUNNY!!!! Filmstrips!! Oh my heart. I haven't seen a filmstrip in decades! Oh my. Thanks, Nathan.
I'm not clear on the value of that poll today. It's over a year old, and predates the Agency Model.
The Agency Five seem to have pretty much settled in to pricing the e-books for most Big Name novels at $14.99 for new releases, $12.99 when the e-book falls out of the Top 50 or so, and $9.99 when sales really drop off.
It certainly seems that the consumers are paying those prices. The poster child is probably Ken Follett's Fall of Giants. The e-book version has been priced at $19.99 since it was released last September 28th. Almost five months later, it's still #115 on Amazon's best-selling e-books list.
As a separate matter there's the e-book-ifying [look that up in your Funk & Wagnalls] of backlist titles. A number of consumers think that this should be instantaneous and zero-cost, and complain if a backlist title isn't available as e-book or if it costs more than the used paperback. Then they buy the e-book and it's rife with OCR or de-hyphenation errors which would have taken more time and money to find and remove, and the consumers complain about that, too.
I love the cover of Let's panic, funny and oh so accurate.
About blogging, it's sort of like we're all at some open-all-night writers convention. If everyone stopped blogging it would be akin to everyone leaving the room and the lights being turned out. I think message boards, twitter, facebook all have their place, and I think I prefer twitter above all, but I don't think I'm ready to see blogs go just yet.
I'm one of those people who seems to be behind on trends. I LOVE blogs, and blogging! I am having so much fun with it, and recently launched another one!
As a writer, it's helped me work, by meeting self-imposed deadlines. I also keep connected by reading what other writers have to say. I don't think I would read as many blogs if I wasn't into it myself. And I learn so much, the more I read. (Like here, on Nathan's blog.)
And I think I'm WAY behind on the ebook trend. It just has no appeal to me. I love books. Regular old books. Sorry, trees. But I am an avid recycler, so I hope that makes up for some of my lovely, pages flipping back and forth, paper books!
You know that smell? As soon as you walk into the library? Mmmmm...ahhhhh...BOOKS. I just don't think a Kindle smells like that.
Anonymous said, on 2/19/2011 10:37:00 AM
Wow, that's really sad about Border's closing. I remember feeling the same way when my local livery stable went under and the mule skinner's all lost their jobs as well.
That book trailer is the funniest thing ever. I especially like how it describes taking care of a baby as "horrifying monotony". Ha, ha, ha. That's hilarious. I want to read that book, even sans baby. Kudos to them.
I also thought the 'Bad Writing' trailer was funny, but I'm alittle tenative about giving my approval to the whole thing. I really, really, really hope it ends on a hopeful note, and not a discouraging one.
Because discouraging someone who wants to write from writing, well...frankly, interfering with anyone's creative expression is evil. There's no other way to say it. So tenative kudos to that documentary, I'm sure it's funny, but I hope it's not evil.
And I'm truly sorry to hear about Borders. My heart goes out to everyone affected as well. It's heartbreaking. As much as I welcome the technocological change, it's impossible not to be very sad for the losses.
Samantha G said, on 2/19/2011 2:40:00 PM
I like the idea of e-books going for so much- the average joe writer (pretty much everyone if you're not someone like Stephen King, J.K.Rowling e.t.c.) gets more out of it then.
I have to admit- no idea who or what Borders is- I'm based in the UK. I'm guessing a major bookstore, which in that case, that is extremly sad news indeed.
Publishing is HARD- why couldn't it all be millions of pounds, awards, and a book deal lasting the rest of your life, which guarenteed success no matter what happens? It would be so much easier for everyone like that.
Food for thought hey Nate? (Can I call you Nate- it has a certain ring to it.)
Anonymous said, on 2/20/2011 10:52:00 AM
eBooks are not print books. I cannot lend out an eBook. I cannot resell an eBook. And I cannot return an eBook.
The one big positive is that I can buy the eBook now, assuming the publisher has made the book available as an eBook.
All these things mixed together have me pricing an eBook at about $1.99. Around the same price as a iPhone app.
With Borders shrinking in my area, and with good used bookstores, I'll stick to free eBooks (I have a Kindle) and used books. I think $10 for an electronic book is pretty crazy.
I have grown quite fond of my kindle because I feel like I can read more and faster. I don't pay over $9.99 for a book, however, and there's is no way I'd pay $15 when I can get the hardcover on Amazon for under $12 most of the time! The only reason I got an e-reader in the first place was to save space in my small apartment so I'd definitely go back to print if they raised prices that much. Great blog!
I very much doubt anyone is going to want to pay that much money for an ebook unless the author is Stephen King. Most people seem to want cheap ebooks (less than a couple dollars) or ones that are entirely free. On another note: Go Rock!
Light news this week! It's This Week in Books on a diet. We're keeping our New Year's Resolutions after all.
Let's see what have we here. The good people at NPR are launching a new short fiction contest, but SPEAKING OF CONTESTS, I know those NPR people are great and all that with their insightful commentary and amazing radio programs, but WE ARE HAVING A CONTEST NEXT WEEK RIGHT HERE! Prizes and riches beyond compare (not really) hang in the balance!! Fun beyond compare (really)!! An ARC of a certain space adventure involving universe breaking will be given away! There will be more prizes than that!
This blog. Monday. Be there. Er. Here.
(Don't worry, there are more links.)
In e-book news, writing for my employer CNET, David Katzmaier talked about how he borrowed a Kindle and was completely sold that e-readers are an improvement over paper. Only there was one problem with the Kindle: it's not easy to borrow e-books from libraries (as it is with the Sony Reader). So he's not buying a Kindle.
Could one of the perennial debates in writing circles be settled at long last? Slate's Farhad Manjoo launched an impassioned broadside against the wasteful, malicious scourge of the writing world: two spaces after a period. I used to be a two-space sinner, but I have repented and seen the light, hallelujah.
Now, I didn't read the Babysitter's Club books as I was busy at the time playing baseball and watching Star Wars (not at the same time, though that would be awesome). Where were we? Oh. Babysitter's Club. I'm told that this is a hilarious post if you were a fan. (via my friend Holly Burns)
Comment! of! the! Week! there were tons of great Twitter tips in yesterday's post about how to use Twitter and I'd hate to single out just one, so I'm going with a collective comment of the week for that thread. Thanks everyone!
And finally, via Sommer Leigh in the Forums, Ira Glass and the radio program This American Life is one of the great treasure
34 Comments on This Week in Books 1/21/11, last added: 1/24/2011
I appreciate the link to Janet Reid's post on the difference between a pitch and a query. I plan to attend my first sci-fi convention in March because it includes a writer's workshop and the possibilty of pitching my WIP is a real possibility.
Lol, I always give my wife crap for the double space. She even does it when texting. I'm gonna send her that link for sure!
And that article about the internet is interesting. Do you think its because a lot of writers seem to skip out on the pop culture of the times as to not date their book? I had so many of my beta readers ask me that - if I was worried that my book was too specific in time and place - because the first few drafts of my WIP made a LOT of references to popular media of a certain time (namely, my lifespan.) (I've since toned it down.) Frame of reference is good and you don't wanna confuse people with vague reference, but are we too concerned with keeping a book "timeless"? I'm reading China Mieville's Kraken and I LOVE how "in the now" it is, with talk of texting, social media, punk music, chat rooms and networking. Its specific to a generation really, but is that a bad thing?
Just some thoughts. Anyway, I'm rambling all over your blog so I will stop now. Sorry about the mess. I'm a terrible house guest.
I, too, was a bit irritated at the tone of the two-space article. I am 40 years old and learned to type as a teenager. Of all the nasty habits I've acquired over the years, THAT'S the one he wants me to worry about??
I was going to at least try to drop the 2nd space, but now I think not. The way I see it, I'm doing these people a favor. How else are they going to look down their noses at the rest of us if we take this away from them?
Kathryn, the bookstore segment on The Office last night was hilarious!
And since e-readers are taking over, I guess we don't have to worry about saving paper anymore with just one space after a period. Personally, I like two spaces from a period. I also like two spaces from a stranger in a movie theater, especially when they're on their phone.
I'm a trained two-spacer, but now I have another copy of my ms that uses the one space rule. Had to. Just signed a contract with a publisher who required it. That was a convincer.
Weird word verification: skinglu. Self-defined.
Cindy Noble said, on 1/21/2011 9:32:00 AM
According to Manjoo's article, the two space after a period "rule" came about because it made things typed with monospaced fonts more readable. So now that everyone can use fancy proportional fonts in their word processors, their manuscripts (or emails, or whatever) should use only one space after a period.
But, what if one is still using a monospaced font, such as Courier? Would two spaces after a period still be correct in this case?
And how much would a space-after-sentence faux pas hurt a manuscript's chance during submissions?
Inquiring minds want to know. Really.
*I'm a two-spacer by feel. It's just what the fingers do. Curse you, 9th grade typing class!
I'm not a huge ereader, but I love my Sony pocket ereader...so don't necessarily go for a Kindle or Nook without first checking out the Sony. The online bookstore isn't as extensive as Amazon, but it's good for an occasional eread. Being able to borrow books from the library is a plus, too.
Thanks for the spacing article. I remember someone teaching me to use two spaces. It was my high school typing teacher. We learned on IBM Selectrics. Nathan, you have saved me countless keystrokes. My bones and tendons thank you.
As a librarian-in-training, I'm really hoping Amazon will make it easier for libraries to lend ebooks onto Kindle devices sometime soon. I know there are "talks" about it, but it would be a great way of promoting reading and libraries. I love my Kindle, but still love print books, so it hasn't been a big issue for me yet, but I know it will be for many people in the future.
I had no idea there was still so much contention about spacing! I do two spaces because that is how I learned (and I'm 27, so it wasn't all that long ago). The article reeks of arrogance and is whiny, though. Consistency is all that matters for me. Plus, I figure it's easier to do a find-and-replace to change all the two-spaced areas to one space than to do the reverse, if anybody really cared about it (and so far, nobody has).
I used to be suuuuch a huge fan of the Baby-Sitters Club. I'm looking forward to ending this comment by going to read that post now!
Ha ha, you're so funny, Nathan. I enjoyed this post. :)
So, first, the controversial "two spaces" article - I could be wrong, but I think the Slate guy is trying to be funny/ironic/tongue in cheek. He's too subtle, which means he can be misunderstood, but I think that's his intent....
Anyway, after reading the article and the posts, I have no idea what to do, but since following rules of grammar is my mission in life, I've decided to start a new paragraph after every sentence. That way I won't be breaking any spacing rules.
So, the links are very interesting. I'm going to respond to them all now, because the post is on a diet (ha, ha!) and there's only a few of them.
A CONTEST!!! Yipee!! Yay!!! So, what kind of contest? Is it a writing contest? Can I enter the contest? Can I be the only entrant? Then I'd win. What are the prizes? Are they money? I need money. Oh boy, I can't wait. Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!! Hurry up Monday, there's a contest coming!
I'm also thinking of entering the NPR short fiction contest. The guy said he is looking for pieces that are emotional and have character, so I'm thinking of entering this blog post I'm typing right now. It doesn't get much more emotional than this blog post.
I'm not sure what all the issues are around library lending for e-books, so it's a very interesting topic. I bet it's complicated.
In terms of literature not mentioning the internet, I really like what Geoff said. I agree.
I don't know what to say about the query/pitch thing, although I liked Janet Reid's post. But I have nothing to say, and certainly don't feel emotional about it. Hope this doesn't lose me the NPR contest.
You know, some of the forum threads are really funny. And I think Sommer is terrific. That video is also terrific - very informative!!
I was surprised to hear that you didn't read the Babysitter's Club because you were playing baseball and watching Star Wars, though, Nathan. I figured it was because you were a BOY and wouldn't be caught dead with that book in your hands. This, by the way, is another hidden benefit of e-readers. Now boys can read the Babysitter's club without fear. No one will know. I guess other people can secretly read some other books, too, but I can't think of other secret books right now.
Okay, that's it. Fun links, fun post, and fun contest coming up!! Does it get any better than this?
Another comment - the one or two space disagreement. I prefer two spaces, which is a pause. One space is hardly a breath. I can see the point when a manuscript is sent via email, but how crushed up do we want our print to be?
Reading is supposed to be a pleasure, not a sprint to the finish line.
However, for submitting purposes, I follow guidelines. It just seems very inconsequential to our real life to discuss the bloody space between sentences.
Contest! I heart contests! I can't wait for Monday now and boy, I can pretty much count on one hand how many times I've ever said THAT.
I am a two-space-terrorist. When I'm editing documents for the people I support at work I regularly go through and delete all their extra spaces. VIVA LA REVOLUTION!
Mira - you are terrific too and I so miss your posts! Also, your one sentence paragraphs are a lovely compromise.
I have to tell you, I clicked over to check out "This Week in Books," and my three-year-old happened to be standing right here. As soon as the page came up, he said, "What's that?!"
He was pointing, of course, to the cover of JACOB WONDERBAR AND THE COSMIC SPACE KAPOW.
So my three-year-old and I are eagerly awaiting JACOB WONDERBAR together:)
So happy to read that article about the absence of the Internet in modern fiction. The science fiction novel I'm working on right now includes a future, more evolved version of the Internet. :)
My daughters read the Babysitter's Club and enjoyed them (*she said, showing her age*). They liked Animorphs better though, which I actually read, and we enjoyed the TV series too. Good times!
And TWO spaces after a period--ugghers. I grew up with using one (*she said, showing her age*) and two looks really odd to me. I went to a temp agency once and did the typing test with only one space, and got points knocked off for it. The lady there wasn't sympathetic, saying EVERYONE did two spaces, and it was NEVER one space. Um, excuse me?
The Internet is not widely mentioned in contemp literature, how interesting. Well, in my YA light sci-fi (circa 2033) they've switched to the Grid. Ten thousand times faster, people! (and it's real too, cutting edge now, so could be in universal usage by 2033)
With regards to the Internet in novels - I think Geoff's point about dating one's work is valid, but I think another part of it is that the act of using the Internet is passive and undramatic. Do we really want to read a scene about someone researching something by typing it into a search engine and reading back the response, even if it's 10x more logical then having them break into their neighbor's house to snoop around for the same answer?
It's like in movies these days - so many sequences suspend disbelief and make you think "you know, all this sillyness could be avoided if she just picked up her cell phone and called xyz!" But screenwriters go out of there way to write something dramatic, with action, because someone talking on the cell phone seems easy, and boring.
@D.G. - yes, you can use your Kobo with library e-books.
@John Kurt - Library e-books don't support the use of Calibre. You can try it, but we (librarians) don't recommend it. David's post was needed. The point is that Amazon needs to get on board with libraries. I'm a writer, too, so I understand the need to keep the publishing industry alive. But libraries are needed, too, so much.
I guess I had more time in my childhood--I managed to read The Babysitter's Club, play baseball, and watch Star Wars.
It must have been a time management issue, right? Because I'm sure you were not implying that girls were reading the Babysitter's Club while you boys were playing baseball and watching Star Wars. That would be sexist and presumptive, and I'm sure you're smarter than that.
When I talk to members of the publishing community about all the changes that are happening in publishing these days, I think one of the biggest concerns everyone has is for the bookstore. None of us can imagine life without a bookstore. I’ll admit, I love shopping online almost more than the next person. It’s quick, it’s easy, and it fits into my lifestyle. But it’s not shopping. In my opinion, it’s almost impossible to make an amazing discovery online. I can’t just go to the mystery section because that’s what my brother likes to read and discover something fun and exciting that I know he’s never read before.
I do think bookstores will make it, but I think to do so they need to stop fighting each other, stop worrying about their individual electronic devices, and start coming together as a community. In other words, they need to work together. Do you know what I would like?
I would like to be able to go into a bookstore and browse books, admire covers, read the back blurbs, and buy the book in whatever format I have available to me. I would like to be able to browse the bookstore and enjoy the experience. I would like to have a coffee from the coffee shop while I’m doing this and maybe even drop the kids off for a reading hour so I can shop unencumbered.
How will this work? I’m not sure, primarily because you can simply download the book on your own device and the store gets no credit, but it seems there has to be a way for bookstores to get some sort of credit for whatever books are downloaded from their store, even if it’s for a device that’s different from the one they make themselves.
Jessica
16 Comments on My Thoughts on the Brave New World: Bookstores, last added: 1/19/2011
This is going to be an important task for the authors too. If authors will stand behind the stores and make themselves more availble for book signings then it will hopefully draw in more crowds. People are always drawn in when there is a line of people, we are too nosy not to look.
I agree with you, there is a definate advantage to sitting in the coffee shop, inside the store and losing an hour or so.
I'd love to see bookstores become vital parts of their communities again. Look at Book Passage out in California. There's ALWAYS stuff going on. It's a dynamic place and heck, I'd move out that way just for access to the store.
Once stores are a fun place to hang, business will pick up. And I bet print copies will sell more, too, just because of proximity -- and like MA says, autographs. It's hard to sign an e-reader. They only have so much space and are YOU going to sign on top of JK Rowling and obliterate her?
And I'd like to add a slight reinforcement to the problem with browsing in an electronic bookstore (which I do all the time), which is that, yes, I know that even brick-and-mortar bookstores frontload bestsellers, but getting past those bestseller pages and search results on Amazon or bn.com et al., can be dispiritingly difficult.
I'm heartsick that my local Borders might be in danger of closing. There are few things in life I like better than browsing the bargain tables at Borders, and following that up with a cup of coffee. I've brought my kids there, I've worked on my novels there, and I've learned a lot about the publishing business just by wandering the aisles there.
One of my favorite chain bookstores has changed so much, I rarely go in there anymore and when I do, I don't browse the way I used to. A large chunk of the store has been given over to selling toys and games and another large section is devoted to e-readers. It doesn't even feel much like a bookstore anymore and I miss it.
I'm grateful/lucky to have two other chains' stores I can go to, plus an independent store I love.
I just LOVE the SMELL of the bookstore. Try as I might, I can never find that same scent from my computer screen. There is definitely something genuine about browsing the bookstore, coffee in hand, breathing the newly-printed fumes, feeling the pages. I wouldn't trade it for the world. Long live the bookstore. Amen to that!
There's an old indie bookstore in Philadelphia that is trying to do just what you described in this post, Giovanni's Room. I'm making it a point to go whenever I'm in Philly to support them.
While we might lose some of the "big" stores, I think you might just see the resurgence of the mom and pop bookstore.
As to physical stores handling ebooks. That's going to be tough. Right now they are very reasonably priced. If you can download them from and somehow give credit to the bookstores, the price with go up and that means that all e-prices will go up because you can't have a book cost "a" over here and "b" over there or someone won't be happy.
As a writer who is not yet published, this is a terrifying time. It's never been harder to get an agent and or get published. We are also in the middle of what I call a "genre stale" time. Why are we so afraid to let the lines blur? If you don't put such ridgid requirements on writers, the writing will only flourish, that's what imagination is - no boundries. What's that you say? Where will the bookstore file it? It doesn't matter, most bookstores don't have the space to devote to strict genre filing now. I always have to ask someone for help because the books are never where you think they are.
I love my local Borders (Canberra, Australia) because the staff know their novels and are friendly; the store is well stocked and laid out, and I can buy other little bits in their as well as have a hot chocolate!
Compare that to another book store on the lower level which looks like a bomb site. I wouldn't go in there for fear of catching something.
According to "ShelfAwareness," an email newsletter for indie booksellers, the small local bookstore is rebounding as more people focus on shopping locally.
The indies are also in the process of creating their own ebook stores on their websites so they can get a cut of the ebook pie.
The subscription to this magazine is free, and I always recommend it to other authors who want to keep up with what's going on with the indies.
If authors will stand behind the stores and make themselves more available for book signings then it will hopefully draw in more crowds.
Heck, part of the reason they're dying is they shunned so many local authors en masse after the POD issues of the last decade. In fact, you now have indie stores who are charging a minimum of $50 to hold a signing for POD titles, while some chains won't even bring them in on a consignment basis (which has never made sense to me...you'd think that a store would climb on-board making 40% without any up-front cost in terms of stocking copies, each and every time).
That's not even counting all the sales lost from their friends and family who come in to buy copies, and then spend their money on other items in the store.
Authors are readers, and authors in general will buy as many, if not more books than non-writer readers. When you shove them out the door and tell them they're not wanted as authors, you just lost readers willing to spend money in your store.
I just wrote a similar blog on my own site. I love the idea of the return of the indie bookstore. The large chains are so focused on numbers in a dying model that they may have lost the ability to adapt. If I had the capital I would be right there with some of you opening a bookstore with a cafe with a liquor license. I have no doubt that there is a technological solution to getting stores credit for e-sales as long the publishers can see a benefit. Perhaps focusing on incremental sales for the new author or smaller houses. It would host book-signings, writers groups and workshops from agents, editors, etc. A hub for the reader and the writer.
I think your thoughts on this are right on the mark. Yes indeed and I agree that your vision of this revolution makes sense.
Furthermore, I'm not saying this to just butter you up, which I've been accused of, here, on your blog. You don't even represent the type of manuscript I have. I'm a fan of your writing and ideas. Personally I think you'll dent history with your theories.
Thank you Jessica.
Michelle Miller said, on 1/19/2011 12:49:00 PM
The thing I don't get is when the chains charge significantly less for titles on-line than they do in their stores. It's as though they'd rather us shop on-line than in their stores. I know I'd rather shop locally, even if it is a chain store, because the people who work there are my friends and neighbors and heaven knows we need the jobs.
Also, it couldn't be too hard to set up a kiosk or come up with an app that would allow us to scan a book's barcode and buy the ebook right there, in the store, as we browse the shelves.
We talked a little last year about “the brave new world” of publishing and how authors can take advantage of self-epublishing, the pros and the cons. I’ve been thinking a lot about epublishing and what it means for the publishing business, and I have a lot of opinions (surprise, surprise) on the topic. Now, I’m not in the know on what publishing execs are planning, but if they are not looking down the line and thinking in new directions, we’re all in a lot of trouble.
One of my thoughts is about nonfiction, specifically self-help nonfiction. You know, things like parenting books, business books, do-it-yourself type of books. In my opinion, these subject areas are going to be some of the hardest hit in the years to come, primarily because authors with platforms might find that they can do it on their own, or keep their audiences better updated through the Internet and their own sources. Seth Godin and his decision to dump his publisher and do it himself is a perfect example of this.
So what do I think publishers need to do to keep updated and what do I think they should do to keep readers happy. It’s really simple if you ask me (or one of my ideas is simple). When a business author comes to you with his amazing new idea, you publish the book as you normally do through normal channels. You issue a print version, an epub version, and any other versions the market can support. And then, when an update occurs, let’s say it’s an update to chapter 10 on tax laws for the small business owner, instead of updating the entire book and selling it again for $9.99 (and incurring all the production costs of doing so), you update only chapter 10 and sell it for $1.99. When buyers of the original book want an update, they can simply buy that chapter, which should (tech guys, pay attention) automatically update and replace the chapter of the book they already have in their ereader.
Let’s use a popular pregnancy book as another example. Every woman buys this book when she first learns she’s pregnant and then uses it with each subsequent pregnancy. But let’s say her pregnancies are five years apart. A lot can change in five years. Sure, the core information is still there, but the book has had some updates, maybe a new edition, but mom-to-be doesn’t feel like shelling out another $9.99 for the book. She’ll just use what she has and read the Internet for the rest. On the other hand, she would consider shelling out $2.99 for an update to the book she’s already using, something that would give her all the new information without costing her nearly as much. Think software update.
Sounds simple in theory anyway, and, if you ask me, it’s a win-win for everyone. Readers will have an easy way to always keep the information in their ereader current, publishers and authors can continually make money on the same book and keep that book current, and it’s a great way to use this new technology in a way that makes sense.
Jessica
14 Comments on My Thoughts on the Brave New World: Nonfiction, last added: 1/18/2011
I have the Kindle app on my iPhone and I still have trouble with the price of e-books. I've never been a hardback buyer...I always waited for paperback. The prices are cheaper than hardbacks but more expensive than paperbacks. I just can't afford $9-$10 for a book I could get for $6 in paperback. I have a feeling I'm not the only one who feels that way. I'd embrace the technology if it were cheaper than paperback (which it should be, considering there are no paper costs). Personally, I prefer to listen to self-help books on audio.
Just a thought. As the glut of the boomer-bunch moves through our population like a goat through an anaconda I’m wondering if they, the older buying public, will, as you young-uns do, actually embrace the whole e-reader thing. The assumption that e-readers will be the norm I’m thinking might not be the given it is professed to be. (Updates taken into account.) Once we’re all gone to that great library in the sky, who knows, but for the present aren’t we kind of jumping on a bandwagon with a squeaky wheel.
Now...this is from a person who thought VCR’s were a stupid waste of money, a Sony-walkman would never replace transistor radios, home-computers were lunacy and cell phones were the stupidest device devised by man. I have an HD-DVR TV, two desk-tops a lap-top and four cell phones, (family plan). I’m still holding out on the e-reader. Call me old fashioned...go ahead...I’m okay with that...but there’s something about turning a page and the smell of a new book. I’m holding out folks.
Personally I tend to agree with wry wryter. I love the feel and smell of a new book. I do believe that younger generations might move towards the ebooks more, but I am a firm believer is paper back books. I just can't see myself sitting at the beach or the pool reading my ereader. What if someone steals it? Paper back though, I don't think I have to worry about someone stealing.
As for only changing the chapter and updating it on the ebook? Great idea Jessica, I hope the tech people are listening.
Sounds like a good idea. I've already seen many comments on fiction review blogs where voracious readers are not looking forward to paying 9.99 for backlisted e-book releases. They think of them as paperbacks and expect to pay less.
O'Reilly, who does non-fiction, has done a great job of experimenting with a number of models, including a print/digital model, and digital/print pricing experimentation, and they publish DRM-free. They've been good about publicly sharing their findings on their different experiments with the industry.
But the reason I mention them is because they offer free updates to anyone who's purchased the digital book. You don't have to re-purchase it, you just download the new version. I've heard a number of customers speak very positively of this experience.
Very clever idea but I run along the same planes as Wry Wryter & what Cynthia said about sitting poolside & fearing her e-reader might be stolen...I never even thought of that. So true. Add that to my many reasons why I likely will never buy one.
This is a similar approach used by the creators of technical manuals. When information changes or is updated, subscribers to the manual are given either amendments or replacement chapters. I can see it working for strictly non-fiction work. It's a great idea.
I've been considering doing this with my Demo Tapes short story anthologies. I'm thinking of issuing free coupons via Smashwords each time I update a version that would include all the stories. It won't be automatic, but it WILL be free.
I don't know how well it would work to have the updated chapter tack itself on to an already existing document, but I can see how that would be on the horizon. That could open up some fun promo possibilities for people like me, whose updated content would be spread throughout the book.
And, of course, there ARE authors who currently do update their books. E-publishing makes it so easy to do.
And, of course, there ARE authors who currently do update their books. E-publishing makes it so easy to do.
This is not exactly true. In fact, because of the production, formatting and conversion steps involved, as well as the necessity of reuploading to each place the book is sold, the process of changing and updating can be quite time consuming and costly. Yes, it's easier than print, but it's not easy!
Anonymous said, on 1/17/2011 5:25:00 PM
"And, of course, there ARE authors who currently do update their books. E-publishing makes it so easy to do."
I do actually do this with older short stories that were out in print a while back. I update, revise, and release each one as a short story e-book with one particular e-publisher. But the prices are always kept low.
You're spot-on. While hard copy books will never disappear, the transition to "green" e-books is well on its way to eclipse the hard copy versions. Your thought on updating only a chapter vice reprint a whole book will demonstrate a level of prescience on your part. All the best, Christopher
Interesting point of view Jessica. As a user of a lot of software updates (I'm a software engineer) my only concern is that if I have a current book, and I buy the update, I want to know what was updated. I don't want to have to re-read the entire new edition and try to find it.
I can imagine on an e-reader having the ability to mark the new content with a bold font, or larger font, or in some other way to show what was updated. I would find that very useful.
All the best stories and links for your reading perusal! These go back a few weeks since the holidays and CES put a wrench in my normal blogging schedule.
First up, I often receive questions about who I'd recommend for book publicity and marketing, and you're in luck. One of my friends, and a wildly talented PR and marketing expert, Maria Menenses Gutierrez, has started up a marketing company called Milesmaria (Facebook page here). In their words, "Buzz around a new book, a media plan for your new indie film, helping to build and brand your company, our plan of action will work towards making sure your audience knows about your story." So if you have a book and need some help with buzz, check them out.
Also this week in plugs, Will Entrekin is one of the very first people I knew who really mastered social media and was a large help when I was building my Myspace blog (oh, 2006!). He and Australian co-author Simon Smithson have made waves with their short story collection SPARKS. So please do check that out as well.
The links!
One of the major news stories of the last month has been the ongoing Wikileaks saga, and it's something I've watched with complete fascination because it so starkly illustrates the effect the Internet is having on society. In one of the best and most fascinating blog posts I've ever read, science fiction author and futurist Bruce Sterling tackles his thoughts on Wikileaks, which he actually feels quite ambivalent about despite his long fascination with hackers and his sense of Wikileaks' inevitability. Definitely worth a read in full despite the post's length. (via io9)
And speaking of the future, on Friday I mentioned just how many tablets were debuted at CES, and wondered about the implications the tablet explosion would have on the world of books. Well, PWxyz is wondering the same thing. In a post called, Where Are All the Publishers?, Calvin Reid tracked down a few of the publishing types at CES, but was left wondering why publishers weren't more fully engaging with the show.
Borders could very well be on the ropes as they have suspended some payments to publishers, and at least one of the Big Six publishers have stopped sending them books. Yikes.
2011 marks the sesquicentennial of the start of the Civil War, and there's surely going to be quite a lot of attention and renewed interest in it. Salon rounded up their picks for the Top 12 books about the Civil War, including my favorite, BATTLE CRY OF FREEDOM.
Mashable had a post by the president of McGraw-Hill Professional about five e-book trends to watch in 2011, including that prices will have to stay above $9.99 and that publishers will be more important than ever. On the flipside you have Smashwords CEO Mark Coker, who offered up his own five predictions for 2011, which
20 Comments on The Last Few Weeks in Books 1/10/11, last added: 1/11/2011
That "predictions for 2011" article by Mark Coker is veeery intriguing. Not sure I can fully get behind every point, but it'll be interesting to see how his predictions shake out. Oh, and read the comments section on that article too -- a good debate is going on.
I'm excited to look into a few of the books on the Civil War list. One of my most vivid memories is of being made to climb Little Round Top because I was part of the "Confederacy" during fifth grade camp. There is nothing little about Little Round Top's sheer rock surfaces. It surprises me to this day that anyone survived that attack.
Still the Civil War gave us some interesting real life characters! :)
That Motrola Xoom seems very good. Thanks for the video, Nathan. The dual touchscreen also seems interesting which is presented after this video. But it's virtual keyboard maybe not the best idea.
Good list of links! Civil War books = brain candy.
Did you hear about Key Porter Books? It looks like they're done; sad news for the Canadian publishing industry. More here: http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20110107/key-porter-books-out-of-business-110106/
I was interested in the "best comment" and the Tablet winner. The Motorola looks great. I love the ipad as a reader tool and am wondering if the Motorola will have the same features, (ie taking the reader to a dictionary if the reader wishes to look up a word.) As an author, I have a preference for the pad over Kindle since it is a better medium for children's picture books. They work beautifully with apps such as BeThereForBedtime http://www.betherebedtimestories.com/
Anthony Bourdain is a natural at writing pithy entertaining books, and he offers humorous commentary regarding society on occasion. But I can't understand why someone would ask him about blogging. (??)
It will be interesting to see how the Civil War sesquicentennial pans out. Civil war is never a happy memory, and the American one is no exception. Honour those who died, rejoice in those who were freed, but war itself sucks.
I dislike Mondays, but a Friday post by Nathan B. makes it a little better.
Bruce Sterling was missing the point. Badly, in my opinion Glenn Greenwald in Salon does a much better job: http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2010/12/24/wikileaks
To wit: US forces killing Reuters journalists and US helicopters gunning down Iraqi civilians; logs of unlisted civilian deaths; US govt working to kill the Bush torture probe, and pressuring Germany not to prosecute CIA officials for torture; how the US underreports civilian deaths in Afghanistan, Taliban attacks in Afghanistan, and how Nato commanders fear that Pakistan and Iraq are fueling the insurgency; the US role in a Honduran coup -- in 2009.
The issue is not the wikileaks organization, as they're merely providing a bit of back-channel intelligence. The larger issue is transparency.
If our government is indeed of, by and for the people, the people have a right to know what its government is doing, and what it's trying to keep secret.
Monday's my toughest day in terms of my schedule, but I'll enjoy reading through the links during my breaks. They look really interesting. I have a few quick thoughts that I'll share.
I did read the comment of the week, and I found that interesting as well. I'd like to discuss it more. It's true that the individual is very important for free thinking. But the group is also important - in other ways. Be really interesting to discuss the impact of both within the internet sphere on our society.
I think it's sad that Borders is struggling, and frankly wonder why any publisher would pull their support. I'm sure I don't know the whole story, though.
Finally, your argument, Nathan, that either the guy from Mashable or the guy from Smashwords is right - well, I find that argument to be highly compelling. You've pursuaded me; I find myself in complete agreement.
:)
Thanks so much for everything you do here, Nathan!
JohnO, I have to respectfully disagree. Should the government be torturing people behind our backs? No. But what do they do with terrorists who have information that they would rather die than hand over?
Should the government be underreporting deaths in war zones? Not in the long term, but in the moment, possibly. I think we need to bear in mind that if American citizens can access the information, so can the people we're fighting against. Do you really want your enemy in a war to know exactly how many people your side has killed, exactly how many deaths you have suffered, and exactly what you're planning next? I'm not a war analyst, nor have I ever served, but my guess is, probably not.
These are very thorny, very complicated issues. The average American will never, ever have to face these issues personally, and it is neither the job nor the place of the average American to make decisions about these things.
In my opinion, transparency is important when it comes to matters of funding, of finance, of government officials breaking the laws of our country. I don't think it should apply to matters of military strategy, or to matters of national security, or to matters of personal relations (in the sense of friendships, co-operativeness or lack thereof, etc.) between diplomats, or to matters of opinion in relation to foreign diplomats and leaders.
In other words: we elected these people to do a job that we can't. I think we should leave them alone and let them get on with it.
Anonymous said, on 1/10/2011 3:00:00 PM
It's turning out Wikileaks is a gossip monger spreading confindential correspondence between State Department gossipers.
Who cares if some Russian is considered a drunk by another drunk? Who cares if some Saudi prince is a stick in the mud for some other stick in the mud? People who care already know, people who have to know that and more. People who want others to do their thinking for them couldn't care less and don't want to be bothered.
There may be intelligence nuggets in the morass, but they're methods and sources nuggets for how gossip propagates from disgruntled sources. No surprises there.
Julian Assange is a shrill spectacle of an underloved son churlishly substituting public approval for motherly love any way he can. Damn the metaphorical torpedoes, reckless full speed ahead into 'em.
Pitiable at least, a pitiful waste. One that will lead to ever more restrictions on free speech for the greater good's sake. And ever more imaginative ways to circumvent prohibitions and restrictions. And an ever progressing cycle of technologically innovative cops and robbers and cowboys and indians games at the public's expense.
Anonymous said, on 1/10/2011 3:42:00 PM
I don't get it...you also work at CNET? How do you have the time for another job? Even if it's very part time. I hope you and your gene pool spawn someday soon. We need more of that gene type around this world.
I didn't know you were a MySpace blogger. That was around the time I was blogging on there...I probably read your blog. I was reading quite a few of them from 2006-2008. I was a top ten blogger over there from 2007-2008, which means absolutely nothing except (I think) it strengthened my writing and gave me an outlet during a time I needed it.
I would have loved a historian's pick for both non-fiction and fiction Civil War titles. How could he not put Geraldine Brooks' MARCH on a list?
Or even Abraham Lincoln-Vampire Hunter? ; )
Seriously, a great and varied post, I look forward to your recap every week.
Anonymous said, on 1/10/2011 11:51:00 PM
So cool! I made Comment of the Weeks! I'm kind of bummed, though, that I posted as Anonymous for that one. :(
I love Anthony Bourdain's travel show, No Reservations. I find it ironic that even though he recommends not expressing anger on blogs, he definitely doesn't refrain from criticizing people in his field, often angering his colleagues. Interesting article about him on Book Beast, America's Bad Boy Chef - the stories about the people he's criticized are incredible. Bourdain's not overly polite, that's for sure. Here's a brief excerpt from the article:
And yet here he is—one of the brashest, most incisive commentators in the food business—sitting in the outdoor garden of Esca on West 43d Street, promoting a piece of work that comes with a chapter called “Alan Richman Is a Douche Bag,” about GQ’s well-known food critic. Elsewhere in the book, Bourdain, 53 years old, disses almost all of his former colleagues from the Food Network, and hurls enough insults toward the various stars of his profession to keep gossip columnists busy for weeks. (And indeed, they have been.)
His problem with Sandra Lee, the Food Network star who makes barbecue pizza from Pillsbury dough, and chicken potpie with frozen mixed vegetables, is that she has helped dumb down the entire profession of being a chef. Not to mention that Bourdain finds her personally terrifying.
Like Will, I also wanted to say thank you for the mention - a great round-up, as well. I was especially interested in the concept of the voice of the crowd; those are thought I had had but had been unable to express to myself so well.
Nathan, thank you for the mention of milesmaria, and also for citing Bruce Sterling's measured response to Wikileaks. I caught this a few weeks ago and thought he did a fine job of giving the debate some much-needed texture.
I'm in Las Vegas this week at the International Consumer Electronics Show, aka CES, and if there's one hot device out there this year it's the tablet. Tablet tablet tablet.
People have been joking that it's raining tablets in the desert. Seemingly every company even tangentially related to creating consumer electronics is debuting their own tablet, and that's on top of the iPad, which some people think could sell as many as 65 million units worldwide this year. (Disclosure: links are to CNET, I work at CNET, and the views expressed herein are solely my own).
What does this tablet explosion mean for books? Well, more and more and more people out there in the coming year are going to own devices that they can read e-books on. All of that competition will inevitably drive down prices. And even if someone buys a tablet for gaming or to watch movies, they still will own an e-reader and will easily be able to download and read books should one strike their fancy.
It's funny to look back on my original Kindle post way back in November 2007, when the e-book future was still very murky. Here's an excerpt:
In my opinion there will never be a widely used iPod of books, a device that people buy specifically for books -- e-books will take off when they can be easily downloaded and easily read on a device like a larger iPhone-of-the-future, something people already have, which evens out the economics since you don't have to plop down a significant chunk of money before you even buy a book. This would give e-books the decisive edge in economics, which might just tip the world of books toward e-books. Until then? Printed page for most of us.
Those larger-iPhones-of-the-future are here, and the economics are a-changing. The future is still unknown, but looking around at all these tablets at CES, I have to say, the future is coming very very quickly. And with e-ink readers starting to hover around $100, it's not as significant an investment for a device that does one thing very well.
Do you think the tipping point has arrived? Are you planning on getting a tablet this year?
If you're interested in the latest from CES be sure and follow CNET on Twitter and Facebook! I'll be back here on Monday with Last Week in Books.
53 Comments on The Tablets Are Coming, The Tablets are Coming, last added: 1/9/2011
The sky is falling! Good or bad for publishers? Could go either way. But it's all happening so fast! This reminds me of when digital cameras came out people switched to digital much faster than Kodak anticipated. It's really a good time for EVERYONE in the industry to be watching carefully...
I guess my tipping point came last year. I remember reading some tech site's live blogging of Apple's iPad announcement, and like so many others at that time, I remember thinking, Neat, but I don't need that. By the next day, I'd completely changed my mind. So someone who just has an old iPod and never even coveted anyone's smart phone was preordering the biggest iPad I could afford. And I have been very, very happy with my purchase.
iBooks is my favorite reading app, but I still tend to read just samples (I LOVE that feature) and classics as ebooks. I love being able to use the in-app dictionaries, which I need more often in a classic. For now, I still prefer regular books, but it's just me. My husband prefers ebooks.
For what it's worth - my husband and I are both 40 and we don't have any issues with the backlighting when reading! :-) In general, I suspect that if you use a computer regularly and don't have troubles with eyestrain, you're probably going to be fine. If you do have troubles, take a pass on the iPad and Nook Color. For me, I only have problems when my computer is the primary light source in the room.
I have a Nook. It was a gift. I still prefer to read manually. However, I was taken immediately by the lure of the device, and found myself reading on it. And then I found myself browsing the web on it, and not reading. Part of the joy of reading is the immersion, and an electronic device doesn't allow that; there will always be distractions at hand.
Like 3D and CG in the movies, I believe this is the wave of the future, whether we like it or not. People still buy CD's, with the iTunes store there, because not everyone has or wants an iPod. Books will continue to have an audience, but I fear the smaller titles will be harder to find in physical form. I imagine publishers taking fewer risks.
Books may go the way of vinyl, and come back with a nostalgic resurgence, when we miss the feel of them, the art on the covers, and the ease of sharing them. I like reading books and donating them to the library or readers who can't afford them, so I'll always buy books.
I imagine, like music, the Smartphone Set will read by squinting at their little electronic zombifier, but I think physical media will be with us for at least another ten years. Music first, then movies, then books.
I think the future is here, Nathan, and the walls of the traditional publishing world are crashing down as we speak. I think you were wise to get out of the agent business, which I think is due of some correspondingly huge changes over the next few years. Authors, even big-timers, will soon be going it alone via e-publishing. I mean, why accept anythign less than the 70% royalty that you get via e-publishing?
Obviously nothing beats the iPad, but I'm curious to know if you think any of the others are decent as well. Like that Samsung one, or the Android based units.
I realize the CNET articles probably have some opinions on that, and I will go take a look, but I would like to know what you think Nathan.
Unfortunately I haven't had a chance to check them out yet. The CNET editors are the real experts, there are some incredible articles and videos from CES.
Vegas! Oh, I'm so jealous. I love Vegas - it's Disneyland for grown-ups. I hope you're having a chance to do the Vegas thing, Nathan, and not just work.
I don't need a tablet because I have the I-phone app. If I didn't have that app, would I buy a tablet?
Like Swampfox, I usually don't buy the shiny new toys until I'm sure the technology is standing still for awhile. But e-books are so unbelievably convienent, I might have bought a tablet.
I'm a student, and four of my 300+ textbooks are on my I-phone and weigh less than a pound. I can read them anywhere, anytime and they were delivered to me within seconds. And the tablet itself has a definite appeal for a student.
In terms of what's happening, the fact that Apple made a glorious product (per usual) that everyone wants and other companies will compete with is helping the process move along quickly.
But overall, technology is consolidating. Soon, we'll have something we wear all day that carries all forms of entertainment and work products combined so we have instant access 24-7 to everything!
Except a vacation in Vegas. Sigh. Clearly, someday soon, I'll need visit the Bellagiop! Have fun, Nathan. Have a good weekend, everyone!
Anonymous said, on 1/7/2011 10:01:00 AM
I don't know, I just can't get excited about the tablets. I mean, how many devices does a person need? I have the iphone and the MacBook already. I looked at the ipad at the store, had the cash to buy it, but thought, meh, what do I want it for? My other stuff does everything I need.
And just a quick question: Are you no longer doing the Page Critique Fridays?
I love e-reading. I read Franzen's Freedom in hardcover, and it felt so big and awkward to hold after using my kindle and phone to read on.
Oh, Nathan, my family went to the beach in Mexico over the holidays, and my husband put his Kindle in the ziplock bag I'd brought our sunblock in. I thought, hm, I seem to remember another smart man having this same idea.
Young MC said, on 1/7/2011 10:34:00 AM
Hi Nathan: super quick 2 questions, unrelated to this post's content (sorry about that, didn't know where else to ask). These are about agenting, and sorry if perhaps you've answered them elsewhere: 1. I know it's really hard to get an agent, but what would you say is the percentage of agented fiction writers that get book deals? Like, 25%? 10%? 2. Once you get an agent, on average, how much time does it take to get a deal? I know it's case by case, but what's a pretty standard window? Thanks a mil if you get the time to answer this....hope you enjoy the rest of CES... Mark
Due to economics for some people, saturation may take longer - after all, isn't it just a replacement for several of the single devices we already have?
When my laptop dies, I might consider one. I'd probably wait for the inevitable 'bugs' to be worked out.
Do they take trade-ins for tablets? That might stimulate more sales. I do like the idea of driving down prices for the masses (that includes me).
I'll wait and watch for a while to see what the track record will be. I'm sure some will perform better than others.
Anonymous said, on 1/7/2011 10:59:00 AM
I'm not there yet but I'm close. But my Droid has a kindle app so I've been experimenting.
I'm still on the fence with a tablet, but Notion Ink's Adam is really, really tempting, especially with the Pixel Qi display. Of course, I've been itching to get one of those displays in my netbook.
It will also be interesting to see what comes of Android's Honeycomb, which is being designed around tablet UIs.
I can understand why so many people want Kindles and iPads and e-readers, especially if they travel often for business. I recognize that the industry will probably tip further and further towards e-readers -- I used to teach high school, and I think the up-and-coming digital native generation will significantly increase the demand for tablets. That said, even though moving my physical library from apartment to apartment can be a pain in the butt, I'm a tactile person, and there are few things I love more than reading an actual "flesh and blood" book.
I got the new Mac Air, the 11". I couldn't justify the iPad either; I really needed something ultra-portable that I could write on.
This thing is perfect. Absolutely awesome. It's light enough that I can actually lie in bed and surf if I'm so inclined--it's not idea for that but it gives you some idea of how portable it is. It's a beautiful machine too. Flash memory like the iPad.
There's a bug in the firmware they are fixing where the screen goes unresponsive when you put it to sleep at odd times, but that's mostly fixed and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.
And yeah, if and when I get a tablet, I'll probably stick with Mac. Their stuff is just so...pretty. It's the computer equivalent of a fancy fountain pen.
Samantha G said, on 1/7/2011 11:38:00 AM
I don't think I'll be getting one. There is nothing, in my opinion, better than a real live book. But, some people love e-books and I have nothing against them. (And is it bad that I had never actually heard of a tablet before today's blog post?)
I have an iPad and I love it, too much in fact. Trouble is our family shares it. I'm sick of sharing LOL. I want my own. A tablet therefore, especially if it's a lot cheaper than the iPad, just may be in my future.
I'll wait to see how the competition shakes out with the slew of tablets coming out.
It sure is an exciting time. Can't wait to see how this market evolves.
I don't think I need a tablet or maybe I'm not sure what they are or can do. I agree with Dara above--a netbook is fine for me. I can write, check email, etc, and I read most of my books (usually almost brand new and FREE) from the library, or buy them at bookstores, or occasionally buy them for my ereader.
Only bad thing about the netbook is that it's sloooowww. But I bought the cheapest one.
Thanks! And I've heard great things about the Mac Air. My sister-in-law is looking to get one, so maybe I'll sneak off to a closet and give it a test run when nobody's looking.
I read books on my iPad, my iPhone, my e-ink nook, my laptop computer (all using the nook app), and of course p-books. My favorite medium for reading, hands-down, is the iPad. I would love it for reading even if it didn't do everything else I could possibly want.
I want one. I was just in Hawaii and did my own little survey of e-reader v. paper books. My sister had her Kindle, I had my paper books and it was divided about that way on the pool deck 50/50. I want the iPad, but waiting for the second generation. "Patience, Grasshopper," Mr. Miyagi says, "Patience."
I absolutely love my iPad. Studying English in college killed reading for me, and the iPad brought it back. It's that revolutionary.
Two of my coworkers received iPads as thank-you gifts from our company this year; when I asked them what they thought of iBooks, they told me they'd never abandon paper. Although one admits to reading children books to her nephew with the iPad to get him used to the technology.
So I think it's a mix. There are those that are going to love e-readers forever, but there's still so many that won't abandon paper. I think the change will come gradual, with the introduction [and loss] of generations.
I purchased an iPad the first day they came out and it rocks. It does 'almost' everything a netbook does and more. Read an article last week that stated 'readers-only' would be phased out in favor of tablets. I say smart move!
I have an iPod, and iPad, and a Kindle. Love them all for different reasons. And I still buy and read BOOKS. In fact, I'm reading more than ever. I have to believe all this availability has something to do with it. :) e
I'm not normally an early adopter but I bought an iPad before they even came out in my home country. I'd been hanging out for an e-reader, but I wanted one with a choice of stores. So when the iPad came out, I took the plunge, even though it was an extravagant purchase. It helps that my laptop is supplied by work, so I'm not paying for a computer and a tablet.
The backlit screen doesn't bother me, and in fact it's great when I'm reading in bed and my husband wants to switch out the light. I downloaded a lot of games and other apps when I first bought it, but the novelty of playing games on it has worn off, so I mostly use it now for its intended purpose - reading books - as well as browsing the internet. I bought it on holiday in the States, and was able to download several books for the rest of the trip. I was also stuck lugging around a p-book I'd borrowed from my sister. She wanted it back so once I'd finished it, the book became an annoying extra weight. I'm stoked that next time I go on holidays, I can take as many books as I like on one device.
Oh and I should add that I got 15 paper books for Christmas, so I'm not reading exclusively on the iPad yet! Part of the problem is I live in Australia, and publishers here have been slower to jump on the e-book wagon. There's a lot of books I'd love to buy electronically, but if I want them any time soon I'm going to have to buy in paper form.
Definitely getting an iPad when the new ones come out later this year. I plan to use it as a replacement for my laptop. I'm also considering the purchase of a Kindle for a dedicated reader. I have myasthenia gravis so lighter is just easier for me.
I love writing with my iPad and wireless keyboard in Peet's and Starbucks (not at the same time of course).
But I'm jealous you get to go to CES for work. I used to, many jobs ago, and it was a fun time. I'd have to work the booth, but I'd also get plenty of free time to browse.
The worst year was when we exhibited across from some hard disk company that had a looped video game running nonstop. This was in the days of 8-bit sound, and I think their volume control went to eleven.
The stupidest self-promotion I ever saw at CES was a guy who sold floppy disks. He was handing out business card fridge magnets. Hello? Floppy disks don't really like magnets much.
My "world has gone crazy" moment was when I walked past the WordPerfect booth (this may have been COMDEX, not CES), and forty people were barking like dogs so the presenter might throw the free WordPerfect tee shirt at them.
The market will continue to grow, at least for now. No clue how long it'll be before market starts to get saturated, but as long as the tech keeps advancing and prices keep coming down? I may actually end up buying one by next xmas. I suspect we'll see ipad knock-offs for $199 by next xmas. Ereaders will likely be going for about $89.
Sadly, I suspect the growing ebook market is going to bring the demise of Borders, because they seem to have failed on this transition. This is going to suck if it happens, at least for authors, of which I am one. I'll keep my fingers crossed for them.
I almost purchased a Nextbook3 on HSN Dec 22. Or was it a Coby, or a Samsung Galaxy, I don't remember, so you can see that I have not purchased a tablet YET. I did not buy one after reading discouraging reviews on at least four brands. I had decided to wait a few more months until the overriding problems of batteries not charging, slow access and inability of uploading apps from various sources had my head spinning like the Disneyland Wild Mouse ride. Maybe I'll give myself the gift of one on Valentine's Day.
Would love to be an early adopter, but I'll buy an iPad (we are an Apple household) when it is more internationally compatible - UK, US - both from a physical electrical pov and the software / bookstore / access side. We may be moving Stateside in the coming 2-5 years - I can wait that long, then get the next (plus a few) generation down the line. So any estimation when publishing rights will become global by language and not by physical territory? Music is still limited (on iTunes for example, can't buy certain items from international i-Stores) and it is very frustrating as a consumer.
I have been waiting for the prices to come down and the competition to heat up. I travel a LOT and, like Bron, got a large valise of books this Xmas, which I then had to lug back to one of three residences. I only brought "select" titles on with me to residence #2 due to weight considerations. My lifestyle is begging for a reader, but I've been dragging my technologically ignorant heels. This year is the year. (hear that family? You can buy me even MORE books next year!! and I won't even have to come home to freezing Canada to get them - huzzah!!)
I'll wait for next year's model--or maybe the several new models that will come out the following year.
Phoebe said, on 1/7/2011 6:51:00 PM
No, I won't be buying one. I enjoy reading an actual book way too much. Reading onscreen for too long is distracting and gives me a headache. Plus there's just something so tactile about a real book for me.
This is very cool - I'm writing a short piece on difference between selling and marketing for writers (okay, poets, I admit), and I think I'm going to quote your blog post here...or at least link to it.
Very cool to be quoting "The NB" in something I'm writing.
If it whirls or whistles, I want it and I don't even know why. I'm a marketers dream (or so my husband tells me). But, even I don't want an iPad or a tablet - not yet anyway.
I'm perfectly content with my laptop, phone and ofcourse my favorite Nook Color...LOVE IT.
Well, with yesterday's (interesting and challenging) post still fresh in my mind, I'm just going to say - without resort to acrobatic or hilarious hyperbole, too tired - that this really could be a tipping point towards ebooks for many. The new tablet with colour and wider screens (and touch screens?) at a more economical price and with ebooks pricer being cheaper than print books is, indeed, very enticing. And as your wife, Allison, pointed out in her blog, the space-saving benefits are huge. That's something I hadn't thought of but can relate to with my walls covered by a multitude of book shelves.
Thanks for this info, Nathan. Appreciate being kept update.
I love new technology as much as the next person, but this is my big objection to e-books and why I have not bought an e-reader yet. After I read a book, I like to either keep it on my shelf to lend or give to someone else, or else take it to the used book store. With an e-reader, it just sits there taking up space, and I probably won't reread it. The ability to share e-books is very limited. And the books are still expensive enough that I think they are too much for a one-time read. I read a lot. I averaged more than a book a week in the past year, and only one was an e-book, which I read on Kindle for PC.
I want one so bad. I couldn’t tell you which one. I want one that fits all my needs – something beyond the Kindle, I believe. I’ll definitely check out CNET. Thanks. Will I buy one this year? God, I hope so.
As for the tipping point, for me, it was nearly two years ago after I purchased my iPhone and downloaded all those book apps. Now, I won’t tell you how many books I own or how many apps I have. It’s pretty alarming. As for those that are reluctant to the technology, my only thought is they probably haven’t found a need/use for it yet.
As for e-books vs. paper books…I personally don’t care. I’ll take books new, used, paperback, hardcover, e-format – whatever – it doesn’t matter to me. E-readers are just more convenient giving an avid reader instant gratification.
I have no plans to buy an e-reader or a tablet. However, I would choose a tablet over the reader. A tablet is multi-purposed, has a long battery life, it's large enough that I can actually see the print, and it's lightweight. If someone wanted to give me one, I would gladly accept, but for the cost of the tablet, I can buy a lot of real books that I can actually touch while I read. I just can't afford or want to make that leap to a virtual life. Not yet.
I bought my husband, a constant business traveler, an iPad and he loves it. It's a lot easier to schlep in the briefcase than, say, "Under the Dome."
On the other hand, I wonder what these gadgets mean for my beloved beach read? Sand + iPad= $ down the drain. It will always be paper by the sea for me, I think.
Anonymous said, on 1/8/2011 5:00:00 PM
Does anyone actually read the terms of service for those devices and the ebooks? Here is some news: you don't buy the device or the ebooks, just a license to use them. The provider can cut you off and doe snot have to compensate you for the loss of your ebooks. Hello, is anyone awake?
If I didn't already have a Nook, a Droid X (which has a kindle and nook app), and a laptop that I take everywhere with me, I can definitely see myself owning an iPad. But as is, I don't need anymore gadgets on the go.
Anonymous said, on 1/9/2011 1:23:00 PM
Interesting piece in Publishers Weekly about lack of publishers in Vegas right now.
It’s a new year, and, now that I’m finally starting to settle down after my monster move, I’m back on Day By Day Writer. I’m excited and pledge that I’ll be with you at least three times a week.
So, with the new year comes good news and bad in the publishing industry: Borders is still in financial trouble and delaying payments to vendors in a short-term effort to fix things. But on the upside, both Amazon and Barnes & Noble reported strong sales of their ebook readers, the Kindle and Nook, respectively. Amazon says 2010 Kindle sales were at more than 8 million units, with B&N claiming “millions” of Nooks were sold.
I can attest to this, as I had a hard time finding one this Christmas.
Although a paper-book lover, I definitely see the benefits of going digital. Aside from the obvious benefit to trees, e-readers are great for avid readers who travel a lot. My father is one of those. He makes long trips a few times a year, and on those trips, he carries a good four or five, maybe more books. And I’m not talking about little thin books. When he left my house a couple days ago after the Christmas and New Year holidays, he left with me the James Bond Union Trilogy — a three-book pack — because it couldn’t fit in his suitcase. He had another three books already in there!
For people like my dad, an e-reader, at a little more than 8 pounds for the Kindle, is a great idea. And although we had had conversations about how we both preferred the feel of paper, I took a leap and bought an e-reader for my dad for Christmas. After much research, I chose the Kindle, but both Best Buy and Target — all my local stores — were completely sold out of the devices when I was shopping, proving their popularity. Amazon happily sent one my way, however, and my dad was surprised and pleased. A gadget lover, he quickly loaded it up with his favorite books, and I caught him reading his Kindle on the couch a few times before he left. Next time he flies across the world, his suitcase will be a lot lighter, but he’ll be able to carry with him many, many more books to enjoy.
The popularity of e-readers is great news for publishers and us writers. Book sales have been waning the last few years. But, if people like their e-readers, they’ll want books to read on them.
And good books are good stories no matter whether they’re printed on paper or e-ink.
So, this year, keep up the writing. E-reader lovers need more stories.
It’s quite a big decision – surprisingly so – to go digital, as you put it, because paperbacks are so endlessly charming. But I finally bought a Kindle a few months ago and I couldn’t help being quickly converted to the usefulness of it.
Travel is definitely one of the biggest advantages. I fly regularly myself, and it is wonderful to be able to keep space in my suitcase for actual clothes and still have plenty of reading with me.
It’s quite important to own one to keep up with the new trends in publishing, also. We’re now seeing publishers releasing books only in e-book format, for a start, along with a lot of short fiction mags for the same; and there’s a growing and pretty good crowd of authors essentially self-publishing for Kindle. I love the fact that I can browse these and pick up some good reads that publishers might not have looked twice at.
That opens up some interesting new possibilities for the writers among us, of course. It’s worth keeping an eye on how it all develops in the next few years.
daybydaywriter said, on 1/5/2011 2:30:00 PM
That’s interesting that you’re a Kindle convert too, Charlotte. I don’t travel much, but I told my husband I’m interesting in getting one partly so I can more easily read while I’m walking our dog. Books getting heavy walking that long!
And the self-publishing aspect is an interesting topic. It’ll be interesting to see how it all shakes out for writers and publishers. It is certainly changing the landscape of publishing.
Dr. Tom Bibey said, on 1/5/2011 3:18:00 PM
As a writer, I strongly recommend readers buy their books in both formats.
Dr. B, author, “The Mandolin Case”
daybydaywriter said, on 1/5/2011 3:54:00 PM
That would be good, Tom.
I just read in the Publishers Lunch enewsletter today that 19 of the top 50 USA Today bestsellers sold more ebooks than print versions, and apparantly, it’s the first time more than two books in the list have had that distinction.
Also, Half Price Books is going digital. My question about that is, will they be selling used e-books? And if not, will they be giving the authors royalties, like they’re supposed to? Hope so.
NaNoWriMo is over!! Congrats to all participants, and hope everyone is enjoying some non-writing activities. Would you believe that the event produced 2,799,449,947 words? That's two BILLION. Good work, people.
My former client Natalie Whipple has written one of the most beautifully honest posts I've read in an extremely long time. She dared to speak something that writers usually don't discuss: the agony of being on submission for fifteen months. A truly amazing post, and she followed it up with a post on what she learned.
But in actually-good book news, just in time for the holidays, my former colleague Sarah LaPolla has an amazing roundup of her favorite books of the year to help inspire your shopping list.
Simon & Schuster gave a book deal to God. Or at least God's Twitter account.
And e-book distributor Smashwords announced that it is ending discounting and is moving to a model where the author or publisher exclusively sets the retail price. CEO Mark Coker explains their reasoning behind the shift. Closely related to all of this, for all you publishing wonks out there, Mike Shatzkin reviews the biggest story in publishing in 2010: the shift to the agency model.
Interesting content on the Nixon-era childrens' books, although it's not really that "terrifying". I don't expect the vocabularies or social folkways from a few decades ago to match our own present ones. Heck, 20 years from now we might look at how badly men are treating in commercials with the same level of revulsion.
Those Nixon-era books should have been horror stories, yikes! I was a child in the 70s and yes, I suppose it was a scary time and on top of that we had to wear 70s outfits, enough said...
Loved the "So you want to write a novel" video. Hilarious, I was that deluded once actually, well, not as bad but close (at least I read Stephen King's On Writing)
@Nathan Natalie has inspired lots of posts with her amazing honest talk about her journey. It's hard not to get down about the industry, sometimes. Then I read about a friend's success, and it keeps me going.
And that was a very depressing book...but speaking of political correctness, the comedy stunt of signing God certainly doesn't care about it. That entire press release was pretty offensive if someone actually meant it.
Great posts by your former clients! Definitely great insights.
I read Natalie's post - so brave and heart-wrenching. She got an amazing response to it. Obviously, so many of us aspiring writers can identify. I was so touched by all the support and well-wishes she received! Such a FANTASTIC community of writers out here in the blogosphere. :)
Nano kicked my can a little. Didn't quite get to the 50K. But, my December is all about reading!! NeToReMo and 650k words read in a month!! Wish me luck!
Re - the children's books: The Nixon era was terrifying - period. Lies, belligerent police action, Intelligence faux pas, you name it. Trying to cut through the crap fostered in the fifties, meant saying bluntly what needed to be said - even in literature/books for kids.
Nathan - liked the commentary by your wife regarding the French language and Paris (on her blog). I can identify with that.
The presidency didn't become a cult of personality until 1960.
Since then liberals and conservatives have fought a daily battle to find the ultimate Fuhrer who can begin the Fourth Reich and eliminate the other side for all eternity.
Liberal fundamentalists and Conservative fundamentalists of atheism and theism are repulsive and in retreat as the middle way of civilizations truth arms itself to crush both camps. That is why everything is in flux, People see the lunatics are running the asylum and they have sealed the perimeter and are organizing S.W.A.T. teams to retake the institutions which protect our freedom, so we are safe from each other and safe from the crushing power of people who gather together to use the power of government as a tool of oppression.
Richard Nixon created SSDI to give money to the mentally ill who were left to sleep in the streets after the messianic fundamentalist social mindset decided to close the hospitals without creating an alternative leaving them to starve unmedicated in the streets.
Today is Friday the third of November 2010 it is not The Obama Era. The christian right wing was crushed mercilessly by the truthful middle. Now it's the liberal god doesn't exist because I am a true god cometh in the flesh as enlightened liberal judgement caster on the unwashed uneducated masses, who display the same filthy arrogance the right wing did before their justified demise in 1992.
Political historics as a savvy overview states unequivocally: Obama is a ringer to crush ivy league posers. "Give them what they want and it shall annihilate them." In the end Vonnegut attempted suicide in 1984. Abbey Hoffman and Hunter Thompson succeeded. Few people understand the idea that it takes one to no one as stated thusly: "Judge not lest ye be judged"
There are many political blogs to read I hope this doesn't become one.
J said, on 12/3/2010 1:08:00 PM
Nathan, your wife is so freaking adorable!
Reading her blog made me just feel happy for you guys.
So happy for you and your 'good news' but I will miss "seeing" you over here.
J. T. Shea said, on 12/3/2010 5:23:00 PM
I want to read about Natalie Whipple's Ninja and the hot cheerleader! And about the crime lord's invisible daughter! Both books! Right now! Bad publishing industry! Bad! Bad! Bad! WHAAAAA!!!
Rachelle Gardner versus comparing? How right she is! One of my worst faults, BTW.
Mrs. Nathan's Sweet Juniper link lists 'Terrifying Children's Books' only from the Nixon and Reagan and Eisenhower eras. Perhaps they'll list the 'Terrifying Children's Books' from the Kennedy and Johnson and Carter eras next week. But I'm not holding my breath...Though the site does have an interesting photo of President Gerald Ford as a kid.
I see God is now repped by the Levine Greenburg Literary Agency. I wonder did he have to query? Even with 5 billion sales, the last of his big three books was published thirteen hundred years ago. Maybe he might post his query and excerpts on the Forums?
Dwkazzie, you have a lot to answer for! Agents and publishers will soon be inundated by novels written by Teddy Bears!
dwkazzie - that was wonderful! Loved the deadpan. :)
This is alittle off topic, but boy the forums have been jumping this week, Nathan. I can barely keep up with the threads. Pretty fun.
So, wonderful links, as always, thank you. I am going to address half of the links now, and half later, because I am a graduate student and, as such, I am extremely organized and structured, even when there's no point to being organized and structured. Yes indeed. That's the way us students roll.
So, let's see. What's first? Well, super congrats to the NaNo people! All those wonderful words and writing. I admit I am jealous, I really wanted to do NaNo, but couldn't. So, next year, I'm going to complete NaNo and win. Then you get to lord it over everyone you know, right? Something to look forward to.
Natalie's article was vulnerable and heartbreaking. I so feel for her. I am also really surprised - she has such a wonderful voice, surely someone would be smart enough to snap her up! I also saw something scary in her article - she said that if no one picked her up she'd drop the book. !!!!!!! Let me say that again. !!!!!!! No offense, but that's just nuttso! First of all, Nathan offered representation on that book, and do you know how picky he is??? I mean, in a good way? Second, you cleary can build a following, Natalie. If no one is smart enough to pick you up, you might check out the Smashwords link on this thread. But don't drop your book! If only for the important reason that I want to read it! Okay, enough said. Your book will be in print one way or another and that's final.
Okay, moving on - I really liked Rachelle's article! Very affirming and practical, too.
I really enjoy your wife's blog, Nathan! She has a wonderful voice, the kind of voice where you re-read her articles, because they are fun. She can be very funny, too, especially when she's giving you a hard time. Ha, ha. I love those. I laughed at the Empire State building post, that was so funny.
I enjoyed the Nixon era book link. It was very interesting to see the seeds of our books now in the books then. Also, some were really funny and creepy which was fun.
Okay, so that's enough for now. I don't know if that's exactly half....but although I am an organized and structured grad student, let's not take it too far. No need to actually count the links.
So, hope everyone is all warm and cozy, and thanks so much again for the links, Nathan!
I hate, hate, hate agency model pricing. What it means for the reader (i.e. me) is that ebook prices end up being, in many cases, HIGHER than the paper book prices. Ridiculous. I am buying a lot fewer books now.
Thanks for the link to Natalie's post. Truly revealing and awesome. Thanks, Natalie.
And more thanks for linking to your wife. I was so curious about her. She sounds adorable from her words on the Locusts and Wild Honey website. I feel a kind of empathy and that I can relate to her, perhaps because she seems so original and sweet-natured. I'm kidding myself, of course. But I wish I knew her. Lucky you, Nathan!
First of all I can't discuss the Natalie posts. I mean I did comment there, and her courage is amazingly commendable, but I can't really talk about it without either tearing up or taking off.
Otherwise, AP sent you a creepy link? Dude. I'm so there!
And in other news a man married a dog, and a woman bought the rights to the sun. No, I'm not joking, Google those topics.
Thanks for allowing my post to stand Nathan. Maybe someday when the publishing industry is through this binge and purge insanity you'll go back in ten years and be the type of acquiring editor that makes sure important books receive the structural and line editing required and then are sold like crazy the old fashioned way, handshake to handshake. You made the right move to get out and your clients all report extremely ethical and inspired support from you through the ever increasing madness of a business that still has not faced the new "cultural" reality IE; people want information and heartfelt opinions from people they know have invested the time in their works arguments. Its younger people who are forcing this change and it's a change towards unfiltered truth and commentary labeled as commentary. Keep up the good work.
Okay, I'm ready for the second half, but the question is: is the second half ready for me? Well, ready or not, here I come!
Okay, so what's next? Sarah LaPolla's list. You know, she's got a nice voice, I like reading her writing. I liked her recommendations, too. But I don't think she should refer to you, Nathan, as our dearly departed. I think the reasons for that speak for themselves and since I assume you will be enjoying a very long, healthy and happy life, if only for the purposes of writing a blog I enjoy, then maybe we could rephrase that one.
I wish I'd thought of the God Twitter. It's a very clever idea. However, I don't like what they are doing with it. I was really hoping for some wisdom or thoughtful humor. Well, maybe it will find its stride over time.
Fascinating article by the Smashwords guy - he sounds intelligent and with his finger on the pulse of what's happening. I like Shatzkin's article for information. He is in favor of the agency model, though, and I'm not sure why.
Okay, I guess my splitting the links in half wasn't exactly even because I'm done! It was extremely organized, though, you can't argue with that. Thanks for the fun and informative links, Nathan! Hope everyone had a great weekend!
I love the God tweets. While I think religion is important, some people take it too seriously. It's nice to have a relaxing chuckle every now and then.
Finally!!! We're already there. 2 Sony readers and a Kindle in our house. Husband is reading the full Neal Stephenson series on his K so not to lug around the tomes. I'm reading Wuthering Heights in larger print, better for my dyslexic eyes. And the book's free.
It's the older generation I believe that is discovering the larger print payoff. Kids can't afford it much. Would love to see the breakdown on consumers.
I missed the poll, but I have ZERO interest in holding an e-book in my hand. While I both download music and still buy CD's, I've yet to live in both worlds on this front. Of course, as a writer who wouldn't mind being published on a larger scale down the road, I would not object to being included in an e-book roster. Just sayin'. Cheers, Michael
Yeah, that data makes sense to me. In years past, I was in the sect that said you'd have to pry my paper books out of my cold, dead hands. But I bought a Sony Reader this year, and there's no looking back for me. I love reading ebooks! They are, in my humble lil' opinion, so much easier and more convenient to read than paper books.
One day some teacher is going to make a comment about "throwing the book at someone" to which some 16 yr old will respond, "Dude, like, what is a book?" The world will end in that moment, whether it continues or not.
Also the word verification is "corkings." I don't know why it is funny, but I'm pretty sure it might be.
Nothing against ebooks. One day I may have a kindle or Sony Reader. It's still not my favorite way to read. I like holding the book, dog-earring it, highlighting if it's an especially interesting non-fiction, and sitting in my warm, comfy chair with a cup of tea next to me in my livingroom.
I just can't imagine an reading an ebook in the bathtub. No matter how careful I am a drop or two always manages to stain the pages.
I also don't think that paper or hard bound will ever go out of style. Ebooks are just another way to read.
Hmm. I wonder if oral storytellers had this same reaction when the printing press was first invented.
Me personally, I'm a pragmatist. I go with the technology. I'm still buying paper books at the moment, but as soon as e-readers get cool-looking and cheap enough, I'm on the bandwagon with no shame.
@Chris Phillips: Books will still exist. They will just be in different formats. And sadly, there are probably already 16-year-olds who would say that.
That said, I don't think physical books are likely to disappear any time soon. I work in a library, and even with the trend toward going e-only, we still buy a huge amount of physical books and work in consortia to keep at least one physical copy of any title in the system for back-up purposes. Considering the cost of e-readers (which are coming down, at least), there will still be many who can only afford to buy or borrow paper for quite a time to come.
It's Thursday, and there's a new post from Nathan!! Yay!
That makes me so happy. It's not that I don't want you to take care of yourself, Nathan, I really do - it's just everything together. You Know. So, it's very lovely to have an unexpected Nathan post! Yay!
So, I don't really have much to add to the actual post, except the results are very interesting! I'd expect the trend to continue, just because e-books are so much more accessible and convienent, on so many levels. I think you've said before, Nathan, that efficiency tends to win out, and I think that's very true.
Nikole, one of the great features of an e-reader is that it's easier to deal with in the bathtub. Just stick it in a Ziploc. Turning pages is no problem.
You can do all of the other things with an e-book, too. You hold the reader, you can bookmark pages, you can highlight passages, and you certainly can read it in your warm, comfy chair with your cup of tea.
Verification word: turcroci - a pet food made from turkey and crocodile meat.
I think this poll helped me realize something. There's a huge difference between what I WILL do and what I PREFER to do.
I WILL read books in any format, anywhere, at any time. If I see a story on an e-reader, my computer, my phone, finger-painted in wet concrete or projected onto the moon - I'll read it. The great thing about e-books is that they give more people more options like this.
However, I PREFER to do my reading with paper books. If I happen to read a brilliant story on my computer at work (while, um, working), I'll still buy the print version - probably at 5:01 p.m. If my favorite author is releasing a new book, I wouldn't waste my time purchasing an e-book because I know that's not my preference. I go right to the hardcover. And that's why I remain in the "cold dead hands" crowd.
But, what's really amazing is that the industry has (finally) moved to a place where it can cater to both (or all!) types of readers!
Lynne said, on 12/2/2010 11:07:00 AM
First I wondered . . . is the poll skewed b/c so many of your blog followers (like me) are at least somewhat techie, and have more igadgets than anyone needs?
Then I realized it doesn't matter. E-books are only going to grow in popularity; ditto for the devices to download & read them on. The convenience factor alone is wicked cool.
And with the explosion of e-books, the opportunity for new authors to publish electronically has never been greater. You can't go a day on the blogsphere without finding a post somewhere about the merits of self-publishing in the hot e-book market. I'm still going the traditional publishing route, but I'm curious: are e-books vetted like those through traditional publishing channels? I think the answer is -- it varies. As does the stigma of self-publishing, electronic or otherwise. And regardless of how you publish your book, you've still got to get people to read it, or more to the point of your post, buy it. And I don't know whether e-readers will pay to download self-published novels.
Sorry for the digression. The query process exacts quite a toll...
Fun post, Nathan. Oh, and my answer is maybe. I still love the feeling of curling up with a paper book.
Kristin's comment that in her library the trend is going towards e-only makes me sad. The library keeps a print copy for backup purposes? That's just sad. And the main reason people don't have e-readers is that they're too expensive? That doesn't apply to me. The main reason I don't have an e-reader is that my husband knows that if he bought me one, I'd burn it.
It is nice that the publishing industry is able to cater to all tastes with both print and e-books. But to assume that eventually, when e-readers are cheap enough for everyone, we will all welcome them, is a little presumptuous.
I personally don't need to jump to the e-reader yet...but I anticipate a Kindle purchase in 2011. It's just...I like both. Why can't the world have both? Print books aren't going away, not so long as many consumers and schools can't afford e-readers. My husband's high school isn't going to buy him 90 e-readers so his students can read Twisted or Lord of the Flies. I say, the more ways people have to read, the better. It's not like the value of the content changes with the vehicle of delivery.
I say it is time for paper traditionalists and the digital vanguard to set their differences aside and agree there are enough words in the world for everyone.
And if they can't, I call for a knock down, drag out cage match. Winner take all.
Interesting, but not surprising. The more affordable the readers become, the more people who will jump on the e-bandwagon.
@Rick Daley - Bob D. sure knew his stuff, and continues to impress on his Theme Time Radio Show on XM/Sirius satellite radio. The voice is now more gravelly, like most blues singers.
@ INK (Bryan) - yeah, where is that Che (or his modern equivalent) when you need him?
I'd like to see these trends split by demographics, so we could see where the push comes from.
As the proud owner of a Nook, I fully welcome the onslaught of new technologies for reading. For me, it made sense - I'm heading to college next year, and I simply can't bring my entire stock of real books with me. I just love the idea that I can carry around hundreds and hundreds of books in one tiny, pretty device that barely takes up any room in my purse.
The only downside, to me, is the price differential. I'm fairly certain that eBooks are damaging the publishing industry, right? (Not really sure, so feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.)
If this is the case, why don't publishers raise the eBook prices? I would imagine that even if you deducted the cost of the paper, ink, binding, and labor that goes into actually making a print book, you could still incorporate the slice of money that goes to the publishers.
I was totally opposed to ebooks; I sneered, scoffed, sniffed, and snarled. Then... Oh then... wow, pow, Bam! I've never become so enamored of any gadget, ever. First of all, my carpal tunnel irritates me when I hold the weight of a book for anytime and the Kindle is featherweight in comparison. I like to read in bed or on the couch and holding a paperback (forget hardcover) so I can read it comfortably soon becomes agony... then there's the problem about broken spines, smeared print, torn covers (yes,I'm rough on books) -- not to mention toting them everywhere (I usually take 3 or 4 books on trips, always have a book in my briefcase, tote or purse, and it gets kinda' old). There's the additional beauty of an immediate download. I live 40 mins from the nearest good bookstore and now I can lay in bed and get a book at midnight in about a minute. And the New York Times and even email... (I'm told; I haven't tried the email yet). I mean, honest to God, what's not to like? And I can change the print and a good Kindle cover has a fabulous little reading light that replaces those huge clunky things I had to clip on my books when I read in bed (and the book, unless it was a monster itself, could never bear the weight of the light anyway). So, yes, yes, yes, a thousand times yes: I am now totally hooked. Do I love print? Sure. There's a place for print books and always will be but from now on I'm buying books I want to keep forever and not shelling out $10 (minimum) for a paperback that leaves me unimpressed (I'm still seething about the $20+ I dropped on big name authors this summer; their latest works were a joke). I can read great books for free and well under $10 (and save gas and time!) and it's very easy to preview a book w/o drinking 5 gals of coffee in a bookstore. My Kindle is my new best friend. Believe it. You'd have to pry it out of my cold dead hands to take it away from me!
I second Maureen's comment! And there is nothing quite so magical as holding AN ENTIRE LIBRARY of books in your hand at one time! Except for maybe having all seven HARRY POTTER books in e-form...
That's quite a shift and in such a short time. I'd like to hope actual, hard-copy books will always be around for the die-hards (me included).
Anonymous said, on 12/2/2010 4:03:00 PM
I LOVE my nook. (And it seems like the redheaded stepchild of the ereading devices. People are always Sony this and Kindle that. I'm tellin' you, Nook is where it's at.) Since I got it, I haven't read a paper book. I've got a stack of them that I bought at the same; they're sitting untouched time sitting on the bedside table. I didn't think I'd love it so much.
I'm a little concerned about this "color" trend for ereaders though. The whole point in a dedicated device is that the e-ink display isn't backlit and doesn't flicker, so it's comfortable for reading. Once you add an LCD and wifi, what you've got is a tablet you're calling an ereader. Not that I've got anything against tablets, but lets be honest about what the device is. If I wanted to read on an LCD, I'd read on my netbook or my smartphone.
I guess I'm old school (sadly at 44). I love to curl up in bed or on the couch with a book and a blanket. I can't imagine snuggling up with a mini computer. I read manuscripts on my laptop and I carry it around with me everywhere, but when comes time to read for pleasure give me paper!
ElizaJane said, on 12/2/2010 4:50:00 PM
I'll say it again: I just cannot stand to be limited to one page at a time the way a reader makes you read. I like to jump around, back and forth, bottom of page and top; to see how far I have come and how far I have to go. I read very, very fast, sometimes skimming, sometimes rereading. Real, paper books offer this kind of flexibility, so that the reader can take charge of their reading experience. Anything else is bizarrely controlling--I mean, in the age of interactive media, how can you all stand the limitations of an electronic reader? They're awful!
I have an i-pad and I swear I will NEVER use it to read a book! It is good only for reading political blogs and checking traffic conditions--ie., for gathering information. But a book, a real thing, is not just about information or even about pleasure. It's something more important than that.
OK, now I'll stop raving.
Anonymous said, on 12/2/2010 5:26:00 PM
Extremely unscientific poll. Now that you're in the tech field, you've probably lost some writers but gained some tech people as followers on your Blog.
Unbelievable! :) I would have thought that old-timey analog books would be the last relic of the pre-technological revolution. Everything is changing, isn't it? An exciting time in which to live! Still, I choose both. No e-reader could ever take the place of my books. The feel, the smell, the character. But I wouldn't want to travel with my personal library.
Eden said, on 12/2/2010 9:34:00 PM
I've always voted "cold, dead hands," and I did so on this poll, in spite of the fact that I got a Nook about a month ago. Honestly, if you're someone who travels much AND reads quickly, an e-reader is invaluable. The tipping point for me was packing for a two-week trip to Hawaii and facing the prospect of having to lug 5+ books in my bag. I went out the day before I was supposed to leave and picked up a Nook. My carry-on was light, and I was still able to blaze through five or so books on the trip, with lots of options. Even if I never use the Nook when I'm not traveling, I think it's worth it.
But I have yet to buy an e-book, having rented those I read on the trip from the library. I can't imagine ever paying for an e-book, much less buying most of my books in e-form.
I love how one of the main reasons we "paper" lovers stick to print books is the SMELL. Likely someone will have an "olfactory app" for that someday.
That aside, I am happy that the world has broadened to make books available in alternate forms, but if e-books replace print completely, it may kill me.
Elie said, on 12/3/2010 12:40:00 AM
It's cold dead hands for me, I read like ElizaJane. I would have an e reader as a back up if I had some spare money though. Btw, when I clicked through to vote the poll wasn't there.
What an interesting trend! I'm one of those old fuddy-duddies that find reading lots of words on a screen a bit of a strain on the eyes. I still prefer my books in print form, snack stains, dog ears, ticket-stub bookmarks and all!
Nathan, I missed your poll because it wouldn't accept it every time I tried to enter it. Refreshing the page over and over can only do so much.
I am a book purist and I will always be one. End of story. If you take away my beautiful, tangible books with its beautiful tangible pages and if you take away my new-book smell, I will start an uprising if nobody else will. The end.
(I have strong feelings against e-books and Kindles.)
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You address something I've been wondering about and experiencing myself since the e-book price fixing suit/settlement went down and e-book prices went up.
E-books have a perceived value to me and I hesitate to pay more than that. A tighter budget compounds this issue and means my book purchases are more thoughtful and less impulsive now than they were six months ago.
And $11.99 for an e-book makes me pause and think, especially since I know that price will most likely drop when the paperback comes out in a year.
Hi Nathan,
I've often wondered the same thing. Personally I use e-books mostly for technical matters (I'm a web developer), content I send to my Kindle from the web, some magazines, and for travel (I do NOT miss having to cart around tons of books, either on the subway or plane/train) but I still prefer reading books.
However I do worry that it's not just competition with angry birds or any other time-wasters out there. Those have always been around to some extent. What I DO worry about, is the loss of a space to read, to write, to contemplate. Whether it be cell phones intruding on every single public space, video games or the relentless All-caps nature of the web, the space where writing, and reading, matters I fear is becoming less and less. Look at the decline of literature's influence in the last few years.
Maybe that's pollyanish of me, but it's what I see. Hopefully we'll reach some kind of balance in the years to come.
Best,
Tim
Good thoughts, I wonder the same.
I had an e-reader that went on the fritz and just upgraded to a tablet. I admit, I've mostly used the tablet for catching up with things like Top Chef's Last Chance Kitchen if I don't want to boot up my laptop. I check out ebooks from my library and load onto my device, but the selection is pretty small, and I usually have specific books I'm looking for. I hope that libraries get access to more ebooks, because I think that will help people convert to ebooks more. I use my library a lot; for the books I buy, I am usually buying print at a book event to support the author.
I love this discussion; very thought-provoking.
I don't think there's anything to be concerned about for readers or writers (unless your a print publishing company or investor by day!).
So what if ebooks become all the rage? Readers (vociferous readers) only care about two things: Quality and Accessibility of reading materials. We will read magazines and toothpaste bottles and classic novels so long as they either make for quality reading, accessible reading, or, ideally, both. It doesn't matter if the words are printed on plastic or a digital screen or paper (I mean, it does, but common, let's be honest, that is mostly nostalgic, and although I love the smell of paper books, I love accessible and/or quality reading even more).
If the concern is that ebooks will cheapen the reading experience by virtue of e-ink vs. print, alone, than I very much disagree. If the fear is that lack of 'gatekeeper' print publishing companies or the 'gatekeeper' of the labor-intensive process of printing physical books, in general, will keep the quality of reading low, I think we ought to expect more of ourselves.
Even before the printing press, good stories were told and thrived. Ever after, there may be MORE stories, and thus cheapened quality, but there are still good stories out there despite changing technology, and that's the only thing to be worried about, in my opinion.
I too have been thinking that books might just go the way of the record. Just as you can now easily download just a single, and therefore the concept of the album is suddenly losing meaning, I wonder if books will slowly be transformed into something else. My sister showed me a children's "e-book" of Winnie the Pooh on her iPad, but although there were words on the screen, it was really made to be more like a movie. And it made me incredibly sad for kids and their imagination. I think if we want long-form books to be passed down the generations, then it is up to us as parents to transfer our love of books to our children.
I just read that blog post yesterday. (So, speaking of futures and predictions...yeah...pretty sure I just changed the space-time continuum.)
E-book sells may be leveling off in the real world, but in the Education World it's the exact opposite. Most of my students now carry iPads and Kindles. My Outside Reading List is now emailed instead of handed out in class and contains links to purchase or download the books. Personally, I would much rather pay 9.99 and read a book on my Kindle than plop down $30-$40 for a hard copy. (But that's non-fiction. I feel rather wasteful paying for a fiction e-book I'm going to read in a couple hours. The library card is my friend.)
One of our major textbook suppliers announced at the beginning of this year that they would be phasing out their print department and instead would be encouraging all schools to buy their E-textbooks.
However, you are probably correct in that students would much rather be playing Angry Birds than reading about the First World War.
I don't think people read that much anyway, so that's why e-book sales are leveling off even though tablets continue to sell.
I doubt it's because people are reading less than they used to.
It's sad that books aren't as popular as movies or video games, but they're just not.
Just to add to your tracking data, we bought a Kindle Fire and returned it in favor a Kindle Touch. My wife uses that to read. I have an Asus Android Tablet (10") and I read on that. Hardly use the library any more ... especially after reading in the NYT that bedbugs are spreading via books. Eeek!
I have a kindle touch with several books on it, but I only pull it out and dust it off for one reason- traveling. Since traveling with a library is awkward and expensive (suitcases are $25 a pop now) I settle for an e-reader on trips. But at home I cannot replace the experience of a paper book. It is tactile and real and something I can hand to my children someday and say "these words meant a great deal to me." I can't imagine bequeathing them my kindle and telling them how much I love my books.
You can buy anything on this planet online, but our stores are still crowded. We can order all our books from Amazon, but our Barnes and Noble is always busy. Shopping and selection is a social experience that people enjoy.
You can't download the smell of baking bread and hot cocoa from the corner cafe or the way a book feels in your hand when you carry it to the cash register.
I am an e-book owner, but with few exceptions, I am not an e-book reader.
I think the problem is that people can't buy an ebook from any store, save it on any computer, and read it on any tablet. If that problem can be fixed, I think people will absolutely buy ebooks, and at $11.99. I guess it means open-source DRM that any ebook vendor can apply and a software program that works like iTunes but isn't only for one kind of file type.
I guess I'm not convinced that price point is the key factor in many people's Angry Birds vs. Book decisions. Sometimes, in the short term, sure ... but in establishing long-term habits I think other factors are at play. I'd venture that more people are liable to become addicted to Angry Birds (and similar entertainments) than they are liable to become addicted to long-form written work, whether non-fiction or novels. But hasn't interest in long-form work always been more rare than simpler distractions?
Will addiction to Angry Birds and the like crowd out attention paid to work that requires sustained attention? Maybe. Maybe for some. Maybe for most, but "most" still leaves a significant audience for books, and book-lovers will find price points they can afford, as we always have.
I like potato chips. I also like to eat meals. I'll pay more for a meal than I will for a bag of potato chips, even though the potato chips are, in and of themselves, probably the more addicting 'food' ... and I don't think I'm alone.
I think we have to wait a few more years to see what happens. I always look at kids and I see the future. And you don't see many kids embracing print books these days. They all have tablets.
And, tablets weren't designed for e-books. Tablets were designed for many things, from social media to getting information on line fast. So we're really going to wind up right back where we started. People who read will always read, and most likely they'll be doing iton tabelts. People who don't read will be using their tablets for other things.
In other words, I never thought technology would make more people read. I only thought it would change the way people read. And, I wouldn't be investing in a small e-press anytime soon :)
Yes! I love books, and I don't have e-readers (except for the Kindle app on my phone). I use my Kindle phone app all the time (so I don't have to tote a book with me on errands and such), but I notice other people playing games on their phones. I'm usually the only one reading. I have friends who have bought their kids Kindles (or Nooks or iPads), and I've *never* seen their kids reading on them -- they read print books; they play games on their devices (and they're usually playing games, not holding a book).
This same thorny little idea: my novel versus Angry Birds, has been chasing itself around in my head for months.
I'm going to go find a paper bag to breathe into now.
I think people will continue reading whether Angry Birds is around or not. There have been distractions from long form reading for much longer than there have been free smart phone game apps (case in point: crossword puzzles, newspapers, card games, etc.). But then again, I'm the type of person who reads books instead of watching TV (shocking, I know), so maybe my views are outside the norm.
I agree with Christi. Entertainment in the form of games and apps are on two seperate ends of the spectrum. I dont think people will stop reading all together simply because there are app out there. Interesting post though :)
In this digital world, I now buy more content than ever before. Take today for example, I bought one ebook to read on my iPhone. It is a business book. I bought one audiobook because I'm interested in the author but I know I won't have time to read the book. I would rather listen to it than miss the opportunity to enjoy a good story. Finally, I bought a print book to use for an important project because I want to mark it up for reference.
I love the digital world.
The best thing publishers can do is to negotiate distribution agreements as quickly as possible with tablet and mobile partners. This is how they will add more value to their relationships with authors.
The genie is out of the bottle. This reader is not looking back.
I think you make interesting points in this post given what I can say about my household.
My husband and I each own Kindle Fires. I download books on mine and the occasional game, though I buy at least as many print books as I do ebooks. However, my husband downloads movies, TV episodes, and tons of game apps on his, NOT ONE SINGLE BOOK.
The popularity of such devices does not necessarily equate to the popularity of ebooks. My sister has an iPad she likes to purchase a few books on, but anything she knows she loves and will want to reread, she prefers to purchase in print to keep on her bookshelf. Print books just feel cozier when there's an emotional attachment to them.
It is for that reason that none of my favored books are purchased in ebook format, and my Kindle Fire is full of random reads and guilty pleasures I don't necessarily want sitting out for anyone to see.
For me, I keep my silly app/game addiction on my iPhone... except for Angry Birds. They're easier to see on the Fire's screen. :)
I'd leave a long comment, but I need to go read a friend's manuscript on my Kindle Fire...
I love print books. A few years ago I would have sworn I would always prefer them to digital books. But I only average one print book a month now while I buy multiple digital books every month. My Kindle is such a clutter-reducer, space-saver and money-saver. Plus having a portable library with me is fabulous since I tend to be reading 2-3 non-fiction plus 1-2 fiction books at a time and I like to take them with me wherever I go. I used to lug all that around in a big tote or decide before leaving the house which book to take along. Now I can take them all in a slim lightweight device that fits in a my purse. I have a feeling the eBook revolution isn't going to slow down. It may plateau for a while, but it's going to continue to grow in the future. I feel torn about that. There is something lovely and old-fashioned about paper books, but digital books are just so darn convenient.
I still purchase print books for instructional manuals and books that I know I'm going to need to share with the faculty I work with. But all my fiction goes to my Kindle app on my iPad.
One of the frustration points for me is one you blogged about a few days ago and I missed commenting on...I think just as we resell our own used books, we should be able to purchase and resell previously read ebooks. I understand the issues surrounding this, but I always look in my library's ebooks to see if they have what I want to read for free before I consider purchasing. I'd love to be able to purchase an already read ebook.
I work at a new School of Medicine in charge of curriculum development and instructional technology. We will not have a physical book store on our new campus, nor will we sell physical textbooks. Everything will be eTextbook. The biggest question for me is which provider has the best eTextbook platform (note taking, anotations, both searchable and sharable, integrated media and quizzes, flashcards, etc). That company (not the publisher) will win the eTextbook race. It's no longer just the words on the 'page' that provide the experience, it is how the reader will interact with the functionality the ebook platform provides.
~Eli
As long as people keep writing great books, we'll keep reading them, right? My daughters and all their friends have iPods and/or tablets, phones, etc, but they still devour books and discuss them. I think the readers in each generation will continue to raise more readers. I can't imagine 6 straight hours to read... I'd be In Heaven!
So, first of all Nathan, you know I can't resist disagreeing that e-book sales are leveling off. I disagree for two reasons:
a. The WSJ article was based on research conducted in this link here:
http://libraries.pewinternet.org/2012/12/27/e-book-reading-jumps-print-book-reading-declines/
Yes, the original research was entitled:
"E-book reading jumps, print reading declines".
How the conservative WSJ got, from that research, the idea that e-book sales are leveling off is a mystery only they can answer. I think the game of Twister was involved.
b. The only one who can really tell us what is happening with e-book sales is Amazon. And they aren't sharing their data, so we just don't know.
People can reassure themselves that e-book sales are leveling all, but there is nothing to support that!
Second, you are absolutely right that there are dangers to Publishers in pricing e-books too high; they are losing customers and strengthening the competition. They are also, unfortunately, hurting the authors that publish with them.
I admit I had steam coming out of my ears when I saw how high your books were priced, Nathan. Not on my account, of course I'm going to buy your book, but because it prices your book too high for MG, imho. That could potentially hurt your sales, and it makes me really mad, because your books are very good and deserve to be given the absolutely best chance in the marketplace.
And by not supporting you, Publishers are weakening themselves. They are under-cutting their asset, and the costs of that will move into the future.
So, for a number of reasons, pricing too high is just a really dangerous move on their part. It weakens their position - with authors, in the marketplace and against competitors.
I agree with you 100%, Mr. Former Agent Man.
It's as I've pointed out as well: the major traditional publishers scoffed at ebooks and Amazon because, despite the really low cost to producing a book digitally these days technology being what it is, they missed the appeal of the Kindle revolution.
Kindles, and ebook reading, didn't necessarily explode because people love to read on a screen instead of turning pages!
It exploded because suddenly there was a way to carry large tomes, the newspaper, and magazines and Sudoku or whatever people used to entertain themselves with during long waits or just relaxing--and all in a lightweight package.
But it wasn't even or only convenience that launched the ereader revolution.
It was cost. There are books--you may not like them, they may in your opinion not be very good--you can download for free or 99c?
How much did Amanda Hocking charge?
If you could get Angry Birds for 99c, and a good novel, say, Pride and Prejudice, for 99c to $3, it would be a tougher choice than your $11 example.
Now, that's what Amazon figured out. And what the "major" publishers tried to stop. It's called "undercutting the competition." It's also called attracting cost-conscious consumers in an economic crisis.
I've mentioned before it's similar to the paperback revolution of the start of the last century.
Do you want to spread literature, and human understanding, to as many as possible? Or do you want to keep readinng, as a form of entertainment as well as education, for only those elites who can afford it?
The paperback revolution coincided with the spread of education beyond elites. A coal miner could and might have read War and Peace.
Not everyone in every country has access to the technological infrastructure that has made ereaders so popular in the U.S.
Until they do, likely paperbacks will out-sell ereaders.
But once they do?
If you offer it at a price they can afford, they will kill those Angry Birds...
Tablets are outgrowing books, that's for sure, but will books go away?
Tough to tell. Streaming and kiosks killed Blockbuster, but people still watch movies. There is hope. I hope.
I didn't read all the other comments due to limitations on the use of my eyes, so forgive me if I'm repeating what someone else has said already.
This made me think that apps like Wattpad, which offer readers instant, global access to more content than one could possibly read in a lifetime, are going to have an impact on eBook sales too.
Now eBooks are not just competing with games and other forms of tablet entertainment but also other books available for free, right now, anywhere readers have access to the internet...
~bru
A thought: No matter how common they become, e-readers will still mostly be for the well-off in society, whereas books--used and from the library--are what is more likely to land in the hands of the less fortunate, particularly children.
There was a time when books were for only the elite, and then they became more accessible. I worry that in an e-book world--where libraries would struggle to be relevant--that we would return to something mirroring that time. I may be jumping the gun here, but I recently interviewed an author who was writing a book that would only be digital, and that was his concern, that poor kids would not be able to read it. I'm curious what others have to say about this.
Scott
The problem has nothing to do with e-books, tablets, or publishing. It has to do with this, and this alone: what is the value of reading over playing "Angry Birds" for 99 cents, or even for free?
Anyone can entertain themselves for six hours, if the sole goal of life and growing up, and becoming an adult is merely to entertain oneself. So, I ask again: what is the value of reading, over everything else that can temporarily distract our minds and emotions from the burden of living, and the joy of finding purpose in this world?
The problem has nothing to do with e-books, tablets, or publishing. It has to do with this, and this alone: what is the value of reading over playing "Angry Birds" for 99 cents, or even for free?
Anyone can entertain themselves for six hours, if the sole goal of life and growing up, and becoming an adult is merely to entertain oneself. So, I ask again: what is the value of reading, over everything else that can temporarily distract our minds and emotions from the burden of living, and the joy of finding purpose in this world?
Sorry about the double post. I thought captcha had done the usual thing it does when I type it incorrectly, and that it had wiped out the comment.
@ Scott.
You know, I had the same concern. I was worried digital technology could be very dangerous, making reading a class issue even more than it is, because of the expense of buying the e-reader.
But I recently read some articles about what is happening globally (I'm so sorry I don't remember where they are, so I can't link them), and what they've found is that in some cultures - Africa, for instance - e-books are actually easier and more accessible. That's because alot of Africans, even the impoverished, have cell phones. And you can download apps and free books on cell phones.
In addition, there are some libaries being built that allow people to come in and read on digital technology. I think the first all digital library just opened in some little town in Texas. And everyone still will (hopefully) have access to libraries.
Digital technology for libaries makes sense because of storage, accessibility, even dusting. :)
Also, I predict that e-readers will keep getting cheaper and cheaper, until you can pick one up for 10 bucks at the drug store - or even get one for free from some site doing a promotion.
So, I could be wrong, it still might be something to worry about, but I was reassured by these things. I think it is a very valid concern, though!
When thinking about the future of ebooks, I can't help but look to my kids. Although I readily download books at midnight, just because I can, my 8 and 14 year-olds have not made the switch. I've nudged. We have multiple tablets in the house as well as a Kindle, and still, they choose paper. My personal reason for switching had to do with clutter, but if you look around their rooms, it's clear that they are not of that mindset.
We drove an hour to Barnes and Noble two days ago as a treat. The Borders in town closed and nothing came along to replace it. We used to make a weekly ritual of shopping there with the kids. But now when we make the trip to Portland, it's not the same. They only seem to carry the best sellers and the offerings change very little even when it's been a month or two since we made the trip. Both of my kids are becoming Amazon converts and ask me to look things up for them that friends had or that they saw in the library.
My gut tells me they'll eventually switch only because it's so hard to find what they want in paper without ordering it online and having to wait.