I have been astounded by the number of comments regarding yesterday’s post about books and ebooks. It certainly is a topic that has a number of factors at work and isn’t as simple as a preference for one or the other.
In particular, I was most interested in the range of opinions, reasons and practicalities noted by readers in my original blog post and then reading the comments from the feed I have on Goodreads. Seemingly a different demographic on each site that gives a terrific insight into the sudden upsurge in ebook use.
One comment from Elizabeth really caught my attention. She said:
‘And a sign of how fast this whole field is changing: I wrote that paper in early March. I skimmed it as I was writing this reply, and I can see parts of it that are already out-of-date.’
I think her words sum up the situation perfectly.
If you are interested in reading the two sets of comments, here are the links. They make very interesting reading.
As an aside, I just received my first copy of my latest book in paperback. Should I bother releasing it?
I think there will always be a place for paper books. I own a Kindle, and I love it, but I wouldn't give up my paper copy of "Catcher in the Rye" for anything in the world. I suspect that many folks are like that. For your everyday fiction that you read just to enjoy, an e-reader is fine. But for books that one holds close to the heart, the paper version can never be replaced. I can't imagine reading Hemingway on an electronic device. I have to smell the pages.
Jay Krow
http://jaykrow.blogspot.com/
If I am being honest a lot of my purchases come down to cost. For instance, I am not going to buy a $9 e-book when I can spend one more dollar to get the actual paper version. I understand what the publishing houses are doing and why the prices are so close, but I also see them steadily raising prices on digital books, neddlessly. This is why I feel many Indie authors are doing so well. Times are tough. People can deal with a few grammar and spelling errors from the Indie books that don't get the publisher polish while they are entertained for less money!
Also, I agree with Jay Krow. I originally purchased The Hunger Games as an e-book, but quickly realized this was a series I had to have in print. People will always want to be able to hold their favorites.
I agree with Jay Krow. Certain books I will always want a paperback copy of (Catch-22, The Long Goodbye, Fiesta, to name a few), but there are other books (the type I know I will read once, enjoy (or not), but never read again) that I will happily buy on Kindle, as long as the price is right. Price is a big factor in this. People will pay more than $2.99/£2.99 for the right eBook, but it is a rarity and more and more people see value-for-money as King in this new publishing phenomenon.