Friday 25 February 2011

E-Readers

Good morning Novel Racers. I'd love to say I've been to La Baguette Chaude (a wonderful patisserie in St Helier) and bought you plates of delicious temptations, but all I can offer you is a very unexciting choice of chocolate digestives and Rich Tea biscuits to go with the instant coffee and tea that I have on offer.

A few months ago - maybe only four/five - my husband asked if I'd like him to buy me an e-reader. I shook my head, without giving it any thought at all and told him that I couldn't imagine ever reading anything other than a paper book. Hark at me! Now, though, I'm the proud owner of a Kindle and not only can I not imagine ever being without the little treasure again, but I'm also going to visit my step-mother and sister this afternoon and will be showing both of them how convenient it is, not to mention easy to use.

I still have a passion for paper books - you only have to see my teetering tbr pile/s and the receipts from this weeks visit to town to know that - but I'm a definite convert to the e-reader and love to have the choice.

So, my question today, Novel Racers, is do you have an e-reader, or are you strictly a paper book reader? Also, would you submit your manuscript to a publisher that only publishes e-books, or would you prefer to have your book published in paper form? Personally, being a tad greedy, I'd like both...

12 comments:

andewallscametumblindown said...

I've just been licking the leftovers from the banana cake my daughter made, so I'll pass on the biscuits. Coffee would be lovely, thanks.

I've heard only good things from e-reader owners. Just yesterday, waiting for the start of an author interview at the book fair, the woman next to me really enthused about her new Kindle. "And do you know that books from before 1923 are free?" I didn't. So now I'm seriously thinking about getting one. My birthday is in six months...

My aim is to be read by a large number of people. If I thought that could happen by having my book published only electronically, I think I'd go for it. Both would be even better, of course... ~Miriam

Jenny Beattie said...

Yes, honestly, I'd like both too Debs.

However that said I have an ipad and I read on it and my iphone. It's incredibly convenient (I always have my phone with me) and I don't have to pay postage on something I can't buy in Bangkok! However, those books I love, I really want in paper form.

Graeme K Talboys said...

I am not yet convinced. Because some of my books go out in electronic versions as well as paper, I've looked at various readers. Until they can offer the same experience as a book (page numbers, indexing, high quality illustration, accurate transposition in the case of older texts, accurate information about edition, and so on) I won't be saving up. There is also the issue of ownership. A paper book is yours to do with as you wish. Some electronic transactions mean you don't actually own that copy of the text. Again, until that is resolved, I doubt if I'll be tempted.

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

Miriam - I didn't know that the books before 1923 were free, although I have downloaded some free books. Good to know though, thanks.

jenny - The screen on my phone is too small to read and I don't have an ipad (yet), but I do like them.

graeme - Much food for thought there. I know very little about how it all works, so it's interesting to find out about these things.

sheepish said...

This interests me enormously. I thought I would never want an e-reader but we are going to America for 3 weeks and I shall need lots of reading matter, but obviously can't take loads of books. So an e-reader seems the answer, unfortunately because of some problem with publishing I can only download books from America so I am having second thoughts.I think i will probably get one and try and download lots of books when I am in England. I still prefer the real thing and will still buy books.

Cathy said...

Both types of book for me too.

I love my Kindle, but like Jenny I have found myself turning to paperbacks for books I am sure I am going to keep, like the latest by Maggie O'Farrell and Kate Atkinson.

But the Kindle wins out for convenience, ability to put my own documents on it for portability, the chance to try books for free, space saving etc. Apparently page numbers to match hard copies are now being introduced on at least some Kindle books, though I haven't seen that yet. Illustations and tables are, however a minus point so the Kindle is best suited to novels or nonfiction books which are mainly text.

Rachel Green said...

If and when I can afford a kindle I shall get one. I've tried it and I like it. A better voice would make me want one more, mind, to have my first drafts read back to me.

Karen said...

I bought an e-reader last year and sold it a few weeks later on ebay as I knew I'd never use it.

Personally I prefer paper books, though I wouldn't mind at all being published in both formats!

Denise said...

E-readers hold mixed emotions for me. I now have a kindle that I love, but I knew I'd never want a Sony e-reader because I hated the screen. One of the reasons the Kindle is great for me is because my house is groaning with books and I can't house many more!

Yet when I think about a book of mine being published, it is very much the paper copy that I dream about. The effect that ebooks will have on book shops also troubles me. Waterstones has gone from being the enemy taking over other (better) bookshops to somwhere I now buy books, because I'm scared they'll go under and leave most towns with no bookshop at all. A bookshop to drift around, reading the back of books, is a haven for me and with every ebook I buy I wonder if I'm helping to destroy them.

Kate Lord Brown said...

Interesting topic - I had avoided ereaders (just can't get over love affair with Proper Books). DH bought me a Pandigital reader in the States (it looks a bit like an ipad but is linked to Barnes & Noble) because I can't buy books here. I can download free stuff, but can I buy books I really want. No. Don't know if it is because we don't have a US bank account or what? V frustrating. Shall stick with Proper Books for now :)

Talli Roland said...

I've got an e-reader and I LOVE it!

Anonymous said...

I can see that the technology has improved greatly over the last few year, but I feel that DRM is something of a minefield, so I'm reluctant to buy an e-reader until such things have settled down.

As for publishing, it's just another medium so I'd love to hit that market as well.