The Future of Print Books

[Jonathan , Reader of the fantastic]

Yeah monoculture is not a great thing. Biological processes require that we have diversity for survival...

[Adam]

Print books are still in the majority but ebook at this point are not a fad and are here to stay. Their growth is increasing exponentially each year and eventually I think they will overtake trade paperback.

[Jonathan , Reader of the fantastic]

I have to agree with you Adam, particularly as it becomes cheaper and cheaper to own quality e-book readers.

[[deleted user]]

Ereaders are also a lot better for people today because they're more mobile. Not only are they at home less, but they move homes more often. The last time I moved, I gave away boxes of books, but still lugged dozens into the new house & moved them several more times.

Ebooks just don't give me the same warm & fuzzy feeling as print books, though. When we merged our libraries over 30 years ago, my wife & I had a lot of duplicates. It was one of the commonalities that brought us together. Beer, books, & sex might not seem like much to start a relationship with, but it worked for us. Horses, too. We were both working at the same racing stable then.

Today we'll stand in front of one of our many book cases and browse through books together often remembering things that happened when we first read them. David Eddings's Belgariad series came out about the time our first son was born. We were reading it when the second was & were about finished with the Mallorean when the 3d came along. We've taken those same trips down memory lane with all the kids many times. We don't bond over computer directories, though.

[Xdyj]

IMHO ebooks could also make a book more accessible to readers outside the western/industrialized world. In China most imported books are quite expensive for common Chinese, & except for a few bestsellers are not very easy to find in bookshops or libraries, so for sf/f fans who are students pirated ebooks from upload.com, 4shared etc. might sometimes be the only viable option.

[James]

I think most writers, myself included, like the idea of their work being widely available in printed form. I published in eBook format first as it was the most accessible without a traditional publisher, though given the choice? There is something about holding real paper in my hands that an eReader can't emulate.

[Debbie's Spurts (D.A.)]

I have some older books I consider(okay, they are yellowed, brittle, and falling apart) and newer autographed too precious to handle or donate/sale that I have been replacing on ereaders as they become available.

With newer releases, I am mostly buying ereader format. And, while not a big issue or one I'd let tell me what type of book to get, it has gone a long way to the decluttering the bookshelves, flat surfaces and other storage spaces.

To allow for more collectible and autographed things ... hmmm...and easier dusting!

[Adam]

Ebooks are better, especially with e-ink for those who hate the lcd screen. The biggest savings is on price as there is a zero per unit cost of making extra copies. It's better for authors too. The print version of my book The Sword of Solonus is going to cost 15 dollars and I still get the same two dollar royalty that I do from the ebook which is only $2.99 . It's crazy.