Publishing Evolution #83: Paper to Pixels (or e-ink)

Exercise #1: Do you prefer paper or pixels? Is getting the material faster on the computer or is reading in a paper form more important to you? Why?

I still prefer paper to pixels, but I have only had a cell phone and a laptop to compare. I have not tried to read a book on a Nook or a Kindle, although I am very tempted by them. A number of my book club participants are now using e-readers for their books. I see them get online and order books each time we announce a new selection at the end of a session. These same folks are among the most loyal book club fans, though, so even though they aren't boosting circulation by checking out paper copies, they still keep coming to the library for "social networking."

Sometimes getting the material fast is important. I once bought a paper copy from Amazon that I needed to teach a class. Someone borrowed it and I had to prepare for the next day's session. It turned out that for $.99, Amazon would give me access to the e-book version of the book I had bought in paper. I was able to get it online in minutes and read what I needed. It wasn't a great reading experience, but I was very glad to have the option.

Exercise #2: Does price influence how you get your books or is it availability? Would you pay the same price for a digital book as you would for a paper copy?

Price primarily influences what I buy, but format and the availability can be important on occasion. I would not want to pay the same price for a digital book as for a paper copy, because I don't think the cost of each is the same for the publisher.

Exercise #3: Visit iFiction and look at what it offers. Do you like the idea of preview and then pay?

iFiction did not appeal to me. The titles are almost all science fiction and fantasy that I don't read. A group of the books are written by the person who created the iFiction site, so his motives are obvious.

Preview and then pay could rule out some really good books. I just recently read "The Lacuna" by Barbara Kingsolver. It is one of the best books I ever read, but it took at least 100 pages to get rolling. Based on the "preview, then pay" model, I might never have bought/finished the book. Also, I don't have lots of time to read samples, hoping for a winner. I'd rather spend my time reading good reviews or talking with fellow readers about what they have liked.