We’re told that eBooks are going to render the “real” version obsolete before too much longer. Amazon is already selling slightly more eBooks than paperbacks. The same, however, is not true in Australia.
I wonder about that. Could it be more about “horses for courses”? Perhaps whether a reader opts for a material book or an eBook depends on the content. In any event, there is no appreciable drop-off in regular book sales in this country.
Maybe we’ll see the printed book and the eBook comfortably selling side by side for some time yet – at least for as long as I still have enough eyesight left to be able to read.
The genuine article has plenty to recommend it.
The physical presence of the book is often a conversation starter. I’d like a dollar for every time I’ve been on a plane or some other form of mass transport when what I’m reading (or what someone else is reading) becomes exactly that.
Perhaps I’m weird, but the smell, the weight, the cover art and the physical presence of the book matter to me. One of my preferred activities (less so at this time of the year) is browsing in bookstores.
These days, of course, bookstores are a threatened species. Having said that, both Mary Ryan and the ABC locally seem to be doing well.
As I read somewhere the other day, instant coffee didn’t mark the end of brewed coffee.
I think the same will happen with books and e-books.
Whatever, I’ve decided to investigate having my offering sold in e-book mode, mainly to sell in the USA and UK. By the time I’ve shipped copies overseas it doesn’t pay – either the reader or the vendor.
Maybe I should have it translated into Russian. According to my blog stats I have a strong following there. That’s a bit weird.
2 comments:
I love to read my eBooks downloaded from All You Can Books on my Ipad, but I love to buy printed books as well, because it's my passion to have a big library. I own many books from all over the world, even if I don't know all the languages...but if they have great covers, I need to get them :D It's doesn't matter the way you read, as long as you enjoy them!
I bought my wife a Kindle for Christmas and she has already read two books I downloaded for about $10 each as they are new books. Some books from Amazon cost 99 cents - maybe I'll look for "Jelly Beans in the Jungle" there? ;-)
I am so impressed with the Kindle that I bought one for myself. I got the $135 one as I'll download books through this computer so I didn't need the keyboard to download direct to the Kindle.
The books are downloaded in less than a minute!
In addition you can read parts of the book before buying. They also have a return policy but I dunno how that works.
I think you should try one of those Kindles
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