'E' versus 'P'

I’ve been thinking some more about e-books versus print books. Nothing is ever going to convince me that the future of mass-market fiction lies anywhere but with e-books. To be able to buy them cheaply, read them anywhere on a magic little machine that will store hundreds of them, and not have to find bookcase space (or a friend or book fair to pass them on to) is wonderful.

Not so with big colourful cook books or gardening books, or sports bios with lots of photos, maybe. But are iPads and other brands of tablets stealing those markets too? Watching my husband tap and swipe and zoom photos out for a better look makes me fear for my collection of gardening books – or at least the ones I’d like to buy in the future.

There are numerous items on the internet quoting ‘facts’ and figures on the subject. You can Google them and read to your heart’s content about the ratios of electronic and print books sold in bricks-and-mortar bookstores, through mail order businesses, and issued by libraries. Depending on who’s behind the blog or report, the figures vary wildly. I think there’s no doubt though that ebooks are steadily encroaching and will continue to do so.

The books I write are all electronic. Do I secretly want them in print so I can line them up on my bookcase and gloat over them? Yes, of course I do!