Aussie Readers discussion
Book Related Banter
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Ebooks or Paper Books- What is your preference?
You sound as if you had a good holiday in Maylasia with your friends. It's a country I've never I wanted to visit. It seems to have a lot for the tourist though. LaurelHi Laurel - thanks for reading the travel bits - I have been a bit slack of late as I should have added a few other areas. Yes, Malaysia is a beautiful country, with friendly people, and there is a lot to see from beaches to jungle, as well as history, wild animals (really wild, not zoo animals) in Sarawak. It's cheaper to fly from Perth than from Sydney - give it a go and if you want suggestions for good hotels let me know :-o)
cheers
Geoff
You know what? Some independent authors (including me) are coming to the conclusion that DRM is actually a hindrance. I am selling books from $2 -$4, and at that price it's hardly worth anyone's effort to pirate them. I'm selling officially formatted Kindle books, along with other formats - no problem.By the way, if you would like a novel that is soaked in Malaysia/Indonesia/Singapore seen from the inside, visit my site and click on Her Master's Voice
I love the feel of paper books, but then, I also love Veuve Cliquot, Bentleys, and staying at the GeorgeV hotel in Paris. I will indulge in all of them next time I sell a million copies, ebook or paperback.
Paper back, real books, are the way to go for me. Ebooks are handy, but I'll always choose a real book that I can hold in my hands.
Jacqueline wrote: "You know what? Some independent authors (including me) are coming to the conclusion that DRM is actually a hindrance. I am selling books from $2 -$4, and at that price it's hardly worth anyone's ef..."I'm not going to have the choice with my first book, Jacqueline, but I'm also against DRM. Then I'd prefer to be able to make it available to as many people as possible even if that means using non-open DRM.
Do you think there's much pirating of your books going on? Have you tried without DRM? If so, are the sales still comparable?
Btw, how's the Queensland bikie story coming along?
Murray,Falling into Queensland is now live on http://www.jacquelinegeorgewriter.com... and thanks for your help, and that of my other readers.
I am only aware of one attempt to pirate my books, which was taken down as soon as I heard about it. As my immediate future seems to be in ebooks, and I am selling cheap-cheap-cheap, I am confident it won't be an issue. It hasn't so far. There seems to be a sweet spot at around $3 where your sales number x your sales $value peaks.
Add to that, some-one who is passed an illegal copy of a book of mine and likes it, is more likely to buy the next one(s).
Murray - have you tried Smashwords - they are DRM free in various formats.cheers
Geoff
www.geoffwoodland.com
Geoff wrote: "Murray - have you tried Smashwords - they are DRM free in various formats.cheers
Geoff
www.geoffwoodland.com"
I've downloaded a few books from Smashwords, Geoff, but right now my publisher owns all rights so I can't sell that way. Perhaps for the next book.
A real book has to be the obvious preference but I do read books on my iphone using iBooks and the Stanza app(I had Kindle but decided to boycott Amazon for their stance on Wikileaks). I thought that I would hate it but I don't, even though on such a tiny device it means you turn the page more often,lol. It is a bonus for reading in bed, no more of that dropping the big book on my face! What I love is the choice of font sizes and colours and even choice of page colour and the fact that I can have an entire library in my handbag. I have to say the freebies are great, it would have been practically impossible to source copies of Lafcadio Hearn's books in Australia but I could download them free on iBooks! Ditto for Natsume Soseki's Botchan from Stanza. And I have lots of free children's books to read to my granddaughter.
I mentiond before that I'd recently bought my first Kindle 3G - during the past week or so I have got use to it being so different from a 'book'. I do like the act of pressing the slide to turn pages, - being lazy I don't have to move at all :-o)- except for my thumb, of course.
I still have a number of TBR paperbacks at home, so I doubt that it'll be 100% e-book in the near future, but it does allow me to sample other authors without breaking the bank account.
just been given an ereader and have a few books on there ready for a short getaway next month, think it will be great for trips, holidays etc. Its just another format for the written word and die hards like me will always love the real thing. Many people who wouldnt consider reading now do so because of the new format. Its about choice.
Big kindle fan here. Reading more since I had it.And as a writer, I'm "on the market" a week after editing was finished.
I read more on my Kindle than I do paperbacks. But if I really love a book I'll order a hardcopy of it as well. I have to say though that my current thing to do is to trawl through the free and the almost-free books on amazon.
I have a little no name brand one that my hubby brought from ebay its touch screen and everything. can't connect to the Internet but that doesn't bother me has a large range of documents it can support plus movie's and music so I am totally in love with it!!!I am a defective from paper books and I am ashamed :o( lol
Oh Jessy, that is the cutest post ever! (grin)I really wish there was a "like" button on GR sometimes. ;o)
hehehe yeah he I am not a dog person but I thought this puppy was pretty damn cute!!! :o)
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Lol...well that pup is a boy XD Anyways..very cute puppy and yes it does look like it's got a hint of mischief in his eyes!
just went away for a week, didnt take my ereader, took 1 book instead. However I came home with 20 extra books, sorry I just cant help myself.
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Haha!! Love it:D That's the way to go:)
Cute puppy.
I bought a kindle e-reader a month or two ago. I love paper books better than the kindle because I like the feeling and smell of a book. But if I can't find the book I want I just download it and I can read it. My kindle can also store up to 3500 books and it is quite a small thing to hold. So it doesn't have any packing difficulties. (Doesn't take up that much space in a bag).
I bought a kindle e-reader a month or two ago. I love paper books better than the kindle because I like the feeling and smell of a book. But if I can't find the book I want I just download it and I can read it. My kindle can also store up to 3500 books and it is quite a small thing to hold. So it doesn't have any packing difficulties. (Doesn't take up that much space in a bag).
Although I have made the kindle sound better I still like paper books.
I've had a kindle for about two months with the lighted cover and do like it but it does not replace the feeling of holding the paper book in your hand. I love the comfort you feel by seeing the books I love on my shelves and the thrill when you add a book from a much loved series.Kindle are great though if you are running out of space and also some books now are only published in e format. So a combination of both is great.
The ability to buy books online has had a much greater effect on me however. I once had the greatest joy trawling through bookshops both new and second hand. I find now I almost buy exclusively online. It is so much more convenient, is still fun searching the book sites and SO much cheaper.
Mod
I have had a kindle since Christmas, and find it great to use. It's wonderful for travelling, sitting in the waiting room, on the train....but I still love the feel of paper books in my hands:)
I have a kindle on not only my phone but my tablet as well... But I still do love a good paperback but now with the ebooks I can start one while I'm out in an office somewhere on my phone and go home and keep reading from my tablet or pc.... Ebooks are so much easier now than lugging around a book or two...
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Tara wrote: "I have a kindle which i bought last year. Since i bought the kindle- i read far less. "That's interesting because I read a lot more, masses more. Reasons being, cheap books, adjustable print size and light weight - easy to carry anywhere. So generally I prefer ebooks (I can also get books more easily, quicker & from all over the world.)
That said, I just had a book published (YA magical realism). I have the proof for the paperback in hand right now and gee it's terrific to be able to hold it, look at the cover and open it anywhere in the book and flick to another page for quick peeks.
Murray wrote: "I also prefer to buy ebooks these days because it gives me the ability to read anywhere and to take my whole library with me when I travel.I'm disappointed to see so many people raving about thei..."
I had a Sony, the buttons went very quickly and the touch screen was tediously slow and had a sheen that made it harder to read than the kindle. My daughter had a Kogan. The buttons went on that really quickly and though the service was good, the page turns were hidously slow.
Then I got a Kindle and it's been brilliant. No problems and it's so easy to use (don't get the touch screen one though, a friend has one & It's not as simple). There's even a back button which the sony and the Kogan didn't have.
So I have turned from being someone who didn't buy a Kindle because I didn't want to be locked into Amazon, to some who appreciates the fact that they have done ereaders really well.
I love both and split my reading 50/50. E-Books are great for NetGalley ARCs and trying new e-published and indie authors, but I still buy paperback for my favourite authors and ones I know I want to keep and/or want to be able to grab off the shelf and flick through regularly.
Mod
Ditto Nicki! Exactly the same:)
I'm a Big Fan of Ebooks, mostly because their accessible & I've read so many amazing indie authors & unique genres since getting my kindle then I would ever be able to if I just went to my local book store. I love the feel & the smell of a new book & if I really love a certin Ebooks I search out & physical copy to keep & display...so I can't really choose which is better I just mostly read ebooks.
I have a Sony e-reader, and I love it to bits! It lightweight, can carry LOADS of books at a time, has an in-built dictionary (just highlight the word and PRESTO!), and to be honest, ever since I got it, I've been reading a lot more. Last year I read about 20 books overall, and this year I've already read about 60.It's because I can simply download an ebook from my computer onto the ereader in about 2 minutes, instead of having to go out and buy/borrow a book.
No, I haven't abandoned actualy books, I still read heaps of those when I can get to them, but I read the majority of my books on the e-reader.
♥ Lace ♥ wrote: "I'm a Big Fan of Ebooks, mostly because their accessible & I've read so many amazing indie authors & unique genres since getting my kindle then I would ever be able to if I just went to my local bo..."I really enjoy reading Indie stuff too. It's cheap and different. If you want to make sure you avoid the not so good, check out the list on this site http://awesomeindies.wordpress.com
I buy indi authors for my Kindle, but as I like Stephen Leather (amongst others) I buy his books at second hand shops because they are cheaper than the e-book version. Currently reading Hot Blood which is $12.49 as an e-book (on Amazon) and I bought the paperback (virtual band new) for $4!
so the Kindle has encouraged me to buy unknown authors as the price is low enough that if you don't like the style of the author or the story, you haven't lost a lot . . . .:-o)
Mod
I still love to read "real" books though - half and half I guess!
I adore print books, the look, the feel, the weight, the smell; just the pure physical-ness of them.
Bette wrote: "I adore print books, the look, the feel, the weight, the smell; just the pure physical-ness of them."You and me both Bette.
I don't have an ereader and don't like reading ebooks too much on my screen. I already spend enough time on the computer and have for many years as a programmer previously.I wonder if it might be a genre thing with ereaders? I wonder and would assume that based on certain things notice if erotica would be the highest selling, based on people not wanting people to see the covers of some books, and romance is the highest selling genre all over and that must have been carried over to ebook readers.
I'd also take a punt, because it has taken mainstream publishing a bit to catch up to indie authors with world wide distribution, with many publishers still struggling with the concept of not just ebooks but global distribution, that without the indie authors that took the capabilities of computers and software and networks that made it possible to publish, the ereader thing may very well have died. Technology has driven the ebook market as well as lot of determine writers who were locked out of the publishing industry because of various things, and not always because of lack of ability.
We have all heard of the great many writers rejected and rejected before being picked up by publishers, and there must be hundreds more who were never picked up but had ability and a reader public if given the opportunity to find them.
For example ebooks are not new. They have been on the internet prior to the web and distributed by email and ftp and gopher servers but they were to a very large degree computer and software and internet and education texts and self help computer books.
Erotica was really the first fiction genre to be distributed via ebook and when the web was first built and coming to mainstream users notice, it was erotica people were downloading and reading.
One of the first books to take off was erotica and called Addicted to Sex....downloaded ten millions times by the I became aware of it...Started as a serial and the writer wrote a chapter or so a week or month and it went vial, around the same time ebook sellers started opening up and the ebook revolution was well on its way to becoming what it is today.
Mmmmm sorry about the long post...should blog about it LOL
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I love print books by my favourite authors, especially when they autograph them personally. I actually have 2 paper copies plus an ebook copy of one particular title by my favourite Aussie author:)
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That's safety in numbers. I have duplicates of some of my best books of all time - usually a paperback to actually read and an unopened hardback just to treasure.
JennaKay, maybe they like to hide away and read quietly....ha...
I am getting more into ebooks and am buying a Kindle so that I can read away from the computer. I do love snuggling up with a paperback though.
Ashleigh wrote: "I also can't hold the a device for too long with some carpal tunnel in one arm. With real books I canopy them up on cushions or use my book seat, which needs to have more of those bean bag beans pu..."I love my bookseats!!
For me nothing beats curling up in bed with a good paper and ink book. My e-reader just isn't the same - it's cold and soulless in comparison. I love it to death for reading on my daily train ride to work and when travelling - so much easier than having to pack 3 or 4 books to take on a trip. But I also love that I can pass on a book, Something solid and tangible, that I really enjoyed to my husband or son or a good friend and share something I loved with them. Telling someone about a good ebook I've read just isn't the same.
Paper books always. If I literally cannot put hand to a physical copy of a book, then I have a good hard talk to myself about whether I really need to read it or not - if I do, I will very begrudgingly read an ebook copy of it.No amount of fake paper screens can match the feel of an actual book in my hands.
I prefer ebooks. As someone who moves a lot, hauling my books from house to house, most of which I never planned on re-reading, was just a giant pain. I've found that my Kindle is a lot more convenient.Also, I've been reading a lot more since I made the switch. Mainly because it's easier to access books I like, as well as the fact that I can now carry several books around with me wherever I go. Trying to fit my hardcover of Les Miserables in my handbag wasn't exactly easy.
Mod
I don't have an e-reader but use Apps on my iPhone to do most of my reading, although I do read paper books from time to time.But I'm not happy with the whole eBook environment at the moment as it's a battle between the sellers/hardware makers/software makers for your heart and soul. There are too many formats that a book can come in which can't be easily switched between reading it on your PC, your mobile phone or your dedicated e-reader. This just causes confusion and frustration for a lot of people. Then there are the other aspects of it such as DRM and DRM free books, having to remember where you buy books to access your online library and pray that nothing ever goes wrong.
Unfortunately it does go wrong when you're dealing with technology. I long for a time in the future where you can buy an eBook from anywhere and read it on any reading device. But that will never happen in this money greedy society.
Aussie Readers
Books mentioned in this topic
Hot Blood (other topics)Gone with the Wind (other topics)
A better example might be someone being disappointed at friends that don't donate blood.
I'm not attacking anyone. I believe in everyone's right to make their own choice - whether it be paper, Kindle or an open ebook standard - but I am disappointed that the earlier discussion didn't sway more people to open standards.