.jpg)
Sometimes when I come up to a green light in a congested area, I'll think that I have more room than I do. I'll pull up and unknowingly block the intersection. Then, the light turns red. I tap my fingers on the steering wheel and pretend I can't see the driver in the car to my right glaring at me through their windshield. All I can at that moment is, "dang it. I'm that person."
Well today, I'm that person for a different reason. I'm here to play devil's advocate for the eBook / print book debate. It's blasphemous. It's controversial. It's on.
PRINT BOOKS
Let's start off with the paperbacks and hardcovers of the world. It seems as if we've always had these. They've been around for millennia. Once status symbols reserved for those who could read, they've become a prime option for entertainment for anyone who has an imagination. In this heavily technological world, they don't need batteries. They never run out of juice. If you're accident-prone like me or your dog chews through your copy of Switched, you can buy another one. It's only $15, which is nothing compared to what an eReader or tablet would cost to replace. There's no DRM on a paperback, and you can throw that book at whatever friend will take it once you're done. You can host a giveaway to drive readers to your blog. It's tangible. It's real. And boy don't pages just smell nice?
EBOOKS
On the other hand, you can't deny that eBooks are easier to store. And by easier, I mean exponentially so. Bookshelves become unnecessary when you can host hundreds of books on a small memory card. You have your entire library with you - including the digital notes you added to any books you've read - and you can take all of that data with you anywhere. If you get bored of a story while waiting at the DMV, you can switch to another one in a second. No going out to your car and possibly missing your number being called. No wishing you'd brought more than one book with you. It's all just there.
THE DEBATE
Now, no one answer is going to be best for everyone. We humans are far too complicated for that! But it is important to sit back and look at our options. For some people, reading on a screen is too jarring. For them paper might be better, but it's also important to remember that the Kindle's screen is designed to look like paper. I didn't believe this until I saw one. Even I had to admit it was impressively close.
There are hundreds (if not thousands) of posts on this debate. A twitter thread with this topic is going to spiral into oblivion. EReaders have been popular for awhile, and yet they still spark controversy in the book world. Despite it all, though, I don't think the debates really matter in the end.
The world is shifting towards digitizing everything, true, but that doesn't mean paperbacks are going away. They won't ! Too many people love the feel of a print edition. I own 200 eBooks, and even I still have paperbacks. Ultimately, you're going to buy what you want to buy, and none of the countless debates or arguments will really sway you one way or the other. It was crucial that my novel be available in both formats for exactly this reason.
Lichgates, my young adult fantasy novel, is available in any medium available - eBook or otherwise - because it doesn't matter what the more popular means of purchasing may be. All that matters is that anyone can buy it if the book sounds like it's up their alley. That's what this digital revolution is really about: making novels more available to readers.
Personally, I think my book reading system has the best of both worlds. I read all new books on my Nook unless it's a print edition ARC (even though I like my Nook, I'm probably going to get a tablet soon so that I can get the apps for both Barnes & Noble and Amazon, instead of being restricted to just Barnes & Noble). In most cases, eBooks cost much less than print, which lets me test out the book for a relatively low cost. Then, if I love it and it's a new favorite, I buy the print edition and put it on my bookshelf to showcase. These are the books I could read again and again, forever, because they're just that good.
This works for me, and it might not work for you. Either way, all that matters is you have the chance to read your favorites and discover new ones. if you get a chance to pick up Lichgates, I hope that you like it. Happy reading, everyone, and thanks for stopping by! Make sure you post your thoughts on the eBook / print edition debate.
About The Author:
S.M. Boyce is a fantasy and paranormal fiction novelist who also dabbles in contemporary fiction and comedy. She updates her blog a few times each week so that you have something to wake you up in the morning.
She also has a B.A. in Creative Writing which, naturally, qualifies her to be pompous and serve you french fries.
BUY THE BOOK: Lichgates: The Grimoire Trilogy
Book Description: Lichgates: The Grimoire Trilogy
The Grimoire turns its own pages and can answer any question asked of it, and Kara Magari is its next target.
Kara has no idea what she's getting herself into when she stumbles across the old books while hiking a hidden trail. Once she opens it, she's thrown into Ourea: a beautiful world full of terrifying things that want the Grimoire's secrets. Everyone in this new world is trying to find her, and most want to control the new-found power the book bestows upon her. Even if Kara does escape, Ourea will only drag her back.
Braeden Drakonin grew up in Ourea, and all he's ever known of life is lying. The Grimoire is his one chance at redemption, and it lands in his lap when Kara Magari comes into his life. He has one question to ask the book - one question that can fix everything in his broken world - and he's not letting Kara out of his sight until he gets an answer.
There's no going back now.
To enter The Lichgates Hidden World Blog Tour Contest Giveaway, click on the above link and scroll down to the Rafflecopter entry link. The contest runs from March 3 - 31 ... Good Luck!
.jpg){kind=small}
I've been waiting for this stop on the tour. I'm on the fence, and I think I'll be on the fence forever, about this topic.
ReplyDeleteI've been buying print books for years and only recently (since December, when I got my ereader) have entered the world of ebooks. Since then, I have still continued to purchase both formats. It allows me to afford great new books like Lichgates.
The pricing makes it possible to get between 5-10 ebooks for the price of ONE brand new book at a store. For me though, I almost always buy from my local used bookstore. So cost wasn't an option. Most books at no more than 5 bucks (hardcover.)
I'm awaiting the day they put the smell of paper (especially the old book smell) into an ereader. I will miss that and the feel of the paper. That might be the day I jump over the fence completely to the ebook side.
(A temporary remedy to this: I made a case for my ereader out of a book, like a hollow book. It feels much like reading a real book, more than I thought it would.)
Yeah, I saw a picture of your book eReader case, and it's pretty amazing. Great idea.
DeleteIt's wonderful that you support your local used bookstore, and you're right; it makes buying books much more affordable. I didn't realize just how many books you had, though, until I took a look at your blog and caught your pictures of your book storage. It's amazing how many print books you have! It's at 1100, right?
As of today it's 1375. I have a couple hundred ebooks, thanks to Amazon and Smashwords free deals. So as you said, you really can hold an entire collection in your hands.
DeleteP.S. - anyone who wants to go completely digital just send me your print books :) I'll give them a cozy loving home.
Back in 2011 I switched to only e-books because being a college student I didn't need all the extra books to lug around. Now that I started blogging and reviewing books, I've started buying hard copies again. I still get my nookbooks, but I forgot how much I missed the spell of books.
ReplyDeleteDoodle @ Doodle's Book Blog
I was a diehard paperback fan until I bought my Kindle back in 2010, now I am so addicted and spoiled to my collection of eBooks, and the only time I get paperbacks are when they are sent to me as ARCs for reviews. I love being able to choose a book to read at my fingertips, I take my Kindle 3G w/wi-fi or my Kindle Fire everywhere I go. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you S.M. for the opportunity to host your virtual event. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you Rob and Doodle for visiting and commenting, I appreciate it. I am following both of your blog sites. :)
I totally agree with you both the pros and cons of both. That's why I do both. I have a kindle for my ebooks and a fancy bookshelf for my favorite ya novels.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. I can't afford to buy all the books I would like to read as paperbacks so ebook it is, but if it's a book that I loved, that I could read over and over again, then I must have it on paperback. Just need that feel the paper and the smell of pages.
ReplyDeleteThank you Kali for visiting and commenting on S.M.'s author guest blog. I think readers will keep this debate going for a long time. lol :)
DeleteI was very much against ereaders for a LONG time but when I looked at how much money I was spending on print books, it just seemed more logical. I also now have access to more books that aren't available in print. In less than 2 months, I have over 400 books on my Nook and I have no clue how many print books I have, I'd have to count them. Great post!
ReplyDeleteThank you Cassandra for visiting and adding your opinion on this debate. I was like you, I resisted getting an eReader for a long time, but when I bought my Kindle I became hooked on the availability of eBooks that you can have on an eReader. I like your blog site, and have followed you. :)
DeleteI love this debate. :) It always sparks such a fire between readers!
ReplyDeleteI agree, I think this debate will go on forever, and it does spark some pretty good positions between readers.
DeleteI like your blog site and followed you. :)
i always love to read ebook vs paperback... :)
ReplyDeleteI do too, but there was a time not too long ago that I wouldn't give up my paperbacks for anything. Funny how times change ... lol
DeleteThank you for visiting and commenting on this great topic. :)