Wednesday 29 June 2011

Ebooks vs. Print books

I recently asked for some book recommendations on Twitter. A few came back with some books that looked amazing but on closer inspection they were only available in ebook format.

I understand why a lot of authors are choosing to self-pub and go down the digital route but traditionalists miss out. I don't own a Kindle or any sort of eReader. Until recently, I had no desire to own one. I love the feel of a book, I love looking at how much my bookmark has moved after a reading session and it's so easy to get lost away from the world of technology (although I do read sci-fi...).

The only reason I feel I should have a Kindle is so I can read books by these authors who don't have books in print. The amount of ebook-only books I am coming across that I want to read is growing. But part of me wonders why I should spend £100 on a device just to be able to read books by these authors who haven't given me the choice.

Yes I could read Kindle books on my computer or phone but it's not the same. I love books because they are books, a computer or phone will never live up to that. At least the Kindle screen is a bit easier on the eyes, but I know it wouldn't ever be as good as a book to read.

Self-pubbed authors, is there a reason why there aren't a print versions of your books available from CreateSpace/Lulu/similar?

I'd be interested to know what other readers feel. I know that if I got a Kindle it would only be used when there was a book to read that I couldn't get in print. I'm not flaming any authors who do only have digital copies of their books but it's very likely that I will not buy your book because it's not in a format I enjoy.

For the record I've played around with Kindles (and iPads) and neither have given me a reading experience I'd enjoyed. Feel free to tell me where I'm going wrong here.

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