On E-Books
Just found this great article on the evolution of e-books, and wanted to share. Click through for a larger graphic and more info:
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I can only speak for myself, but here's what I've noticed in my own reading practices:
I have bought the same number of print books since owning an e-reader as before
But I have also bought an increasing number of e-books
I will typically buy print books from authors I know I like, books I want to get signed, or books I know I will want to re-read and/or complete a set (for example, the final book of a trilogy)
But I take chances on e-books--I will typically purchase an ebook that is written by an author I've never tried before, is outside my typical reading comfort zone, etc.
If I like the ebook, I will sometimes also then purchase the print book to keep
Price is rarely a factor in my ebook purchases. I will sometimes take a chance on a book that's $3 or less that I wouldn't normally, but I buy just as many $10 ebooks as I don't buy $1 ebooks. I care more about whether or not it's a title that I want to read than the price.
That said, I've only ever paid more than $10 once, and that was for an "enhanced edition" because I was curious about what made it "enhanced." I was disappointed; I will be more cautious with future "enhanced editions," particularly over $10.
But the important thing that I'm taking away from these thoughts is this: I buy more books, both print and electronic, than I did before, and I'm buying a wider variety of books. I can't help but see this as a good thing.
You? How has the introduction of ebooks changed your reading habits...or has it not?
[image error]
I can only speak for myself, but here's what I've noticed in my own reading practices:
I have bought the same number of print books since owning an e-reader as before
But I have also bought an increasing number of e-books
I will typically buy print books from authors I know I like, books I want to get signed, or books I know I will want to re-read and/or complete a set (for example, the final book of a trilogy)
But I take chances on e-books--I will typically purchase an ebook that is written by an author I've never tried before, is outside my typical reading comfort zone, etc.
If I like the ebook, I will sometimes also then purchase the print book to keep
Price is rarely a factor in my ebook purchases. I will sometimes take a chance on a book that's $3 or less that I wouldn't normally, but I buy just as many $10 ebooks as I don't buy $1 ebooks. I care more about whether or not it's a title that I want to read than the price.
That said, I've only ever paid more than $10 once, and that was for an "enhanced edition" because I was curious about what made it "enhanced." I was disappointed; I will be more cautious with future "enhanced editions," particularly over $10.
But the important thing that I'm taking away from these thoughts is this: I buy more books, both print and electronic, than I did before, and I'm buying a wider variety of books. I can't help but see this as a good thing.
You? How has the introduction of ebooks changed your reading habits...or has it not?
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Heather
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May 16, 2012 12:06PM
I have noticed the same things, Beth. I buy more books than I ever did before. It makes my book budget go farther which makes me uber excited. I still buy print books too...you saw me at RT with my stack of 3 billion books. Half of those I sent home with my sister-in-law to read. (Including Across the Universe ;))
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I don't know. I bought an ereader a while ago but after I had used it for a while and bought a few book on it, I realized I very much preferred real books. For me, it's just not the same as holding a real book in your hands. However, ereaders are definitely great for travelling.
I do not own an ereader. I just download ebooks or Kindle books to my ipod touch. I don't really like reading ebooks, but I will buy them when I'm not sure I'll like a book and its under 4 dollars. My main reasons for this are that I do not want to spend 4 plus dollars on something that I don't have a real copy of. Also I can take the real copy to my favorite used book store and trade it in for something else and I can't trade in an ebook. I also don't want to spend more than 4 dollars on something in ebook form and then when I like it enough, have to spend that amount all over again for a real copy for my bookcase. I have found that I will read things that I normally might have passed on when I can get it for free or really cheap, whether it be an ebook or a book from the used book store. I don't think I have spent more money on books since I've started buying ebooks though.
I have a Kobo and I love it. I do still buy "real" books, (lots of them!), but the Kobo makes book buying so fast and convenient, and the books are so much cheaper! My husband thinks I should go to "book buyers anonymous", so I stopped telling him about the books I was buying :) :)
I'm chiming in here because I'm one of the "odd ducks" according to this study. I am one of the people who read more thanks to my Kindle, and also now read e-books pretty much exclusively. I am also one of the folks who has started to read a *lot* more thanks to e-books.Why, one might ask?
Dyslexia. It's a strange answer, but after someone pointed out the differences between a printed page and my e-reader, I thought about it a lot.
When I read a physical book, the words jumble and "dance" around the page. I find myself having to read an individual page 3-5 times before my brain understands it. This makes reading for pleasure very difficult, to say the least.
That does NOT happen to me when I read my Kindle. The words stay put, I can read a page once, and move on. As near as anyone can figure, this is because the "page" on the e-reader is perfectly flat, whereas it it curves slightly (or severely) as the page of a real book moves toward the spine of the book.
Wow, Geoffrey's comment is really interesting. I wonder whether or not the education industry is aware of this issue? A great number of children who dislike reading actually have some difficulty in the process, as in dyslexia. Maybe ebooks could help a lot more kids to realize that they could get into reading. :)As for me, I was a voracious reader as a young person but once work and other adult obligations stopped me, I just let this love go. Until I got my Kindle app and downloaded 4 books while I was boarding a plane. The magnitude of this moment struck me as the idea of getting 4 books -- ziiiiiip -- just like that, filled me with glee. I am reading MUCH more than I did over the past decade due to my Kindle.
AND, it inspired me to write again. Just like in the past, reading = writing for me and I published my first novel...to Kindle. I caved and created paper copies as well through CreateSpace, but I really see the ebook as the 90% option as we move forward for all the reasons that they describe.
Rachel
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