Why I Don't Fear E-Books

You can find articles all over the blog-o-sphere describing the eventual demise of publishing. Many attribute this impending demise to the rise of e-books. Admittedly, things in the world of publishing are a bit dark. Bookstores are going out of business, publishers are cutting staff, and authors are finding themselves (and their advances) squeezed.

But here's why I'm not worried: this weekend, I bought my first e-book.

(I know, I'm self-centered, what can I say? It really IS all about me.)

The book was Call Me Irresistible, by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. Now, this is an author I love, so it wasn't a big surprise that I bought the book. I bought her last book in hardcover the weekend it was released. By purchasing the electronic version, I eroded a little bit of her (and her publisher's) profit margin.

But you know what? I bought it, and it was a TOTAL IMPULSE BUY. I wasn't planning on buying it. Though I might have purchased the book if I was in the bookstore, I wouldn't have made a special trip to get it. In fact, I only bought the last one because I happened to be in an airport and there it was. This time, I had considered putting my name on the list for the library version. But given the chance to buy it AT THE VERY MOMENT I wanted it? For a little less than the hardcover? Ooo. Decision made.

I am a creature of impulse. If our consumer culture proves anything, the rest of you probably are as well. Will you make a trip to a bookstore to buy my book? Maybe…if you're my mom. Will you wait for your copy to arrive from Amazon? Maybe…if you've got some reason to really want the book. But will you click and purchase just because it's easy and you were curious and hey there's some good reviews and wow it's only $9.99 instead of $16.99?

I think you will.

(At least, I hope you will. Please! Please! Buy my book! Available NOW in Kindle! )

So that's why I love e-books. Because I am a spineless whimp, and when I want something, I want it NOW or I forget all about it and decide I want something else. I have a very short attention span. I'm childish and immature. And I hope you are too.

Are there lots of other challenges to publishing? Oh yes. Can we expect author advances to go up, publishers to start making big bucks and Borders to rise from the grave? I think not. Sorry. But do I blame e-books?

Hell no.