How Reading on a Kindle Made Me a Better Writer

After the advent of eBooks and e-readers, there has always been a big debate brewing between Kindlers and non-Kindlers. These camps have transformed gentle souls into ferocious arguers. I would encompass all types of e-book die-hards under the “Kindle” umbrella, may they prefer .mobi, ePub, PDF or any other formats, although, these three are the most popular ones. And non-Kindlers fall into the paperbacks, hardcovers, magazines, comics, etc. category. I prefer a Kindle. I know, I know, I can see the non-Kindlers sharpening their pens or cracking their knuckles to type a counter-argument on their laptops. But just wait a minute, give me a chance to explain myself.

Being a tech-geek, Kindle is a no-brainer to me. It’s convenient; I can carry several thousand books at a time; my virtual library on Amazon is unlimited; I can read in the dark; I can change the size of my fonts; and so on, I can go on and on forever. But that was just a marketing spiel given to me by Amazon. But that got me thinking; apart from what Amazon tells me, what are the benefits for me as an indie author? Here’s my take on it:

Vocabulary: It has most definitely improved my vocabulary. Of course, one can argue that the same is possible with traditional books. But it was inconvenient and broke the flow. If I came across a word that I didn’t know, I had to 1. Open the dictionary (assuming it was right next to me wherever I was: at home, on a crowded train, on a beach, relaxing by the pool, etc.) 2. Flip the pages to find the right word, and pray the word was there — sometimes it wasn’t. And when it wasn’t found, it brought a disappointment in me that was quickly replaced by annoyance that I wasted my time and enjoyment of being immersed in the story. Moreover, forget about taking notes or doing any research on Wikipedia. Compare that to the reading experience on Kindle. All I have to do now is keep my finger on the word I don’t know. And voila! A window pops up which gives me the definition. If I want, I can research it further on Wikipedia or/and take notes. It has made me a better writer. Also, if a word is not found in a dictionary, what then, what would I do? What could I do? I had to hunt for a newer dictionary. But not with my Kindle, the dictionary is regularly updated, and I can have multiple dictionaries on the same device.

Distribution: Me being an indie, and I’m sure most of you can immediately identify with my plight, I depend on reviews. For me to get my book reviewed, I don’t have the luxury of mailing a physical copy to anyone who agrees to review my book. However, I can email a copy (any format). This gives me an immense advantage of being cost-effective.

New Edition: It has become tremendously easy for me to come out with a new edition now. All I have to do is to upload it on KDP site, and all my customers can download the latest one.
I can go on and on listing several advantages, but I better stop. So, in conclusion, Kindle to me as an indie is a no-brainer. It’s cost-effective, convenient, improves my skills, etc.

Of course, if you are still not convinced, and want to stick to the non-Kindler camp because you like the smell of a book, here is a solution. You can always spray this on your Kindle (http://smellofbooks.com/)