Print vs. eReaders – The Ongoing Debate

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eBooks, Kindle, New York City, Nook, NYC, NYC Subway system, print books, readers, reading, straphangers

Whether a book is better than an eReader, or vice versa, will be discussed until one of them dies out for good. Recently, an article was featured on the Huffington Post about this topic, but with an angle that tickled my fancy.

Click here for original source

This article, written by a mobile and web design company, Fueled, talks about how New York subways riders do their reading while traveling on one of the world’s largest transit systems. It notes while many use Kindles or other tablets, traditional books are still the norm:

A typical subway experience can be an adventure: riders sitting in more than one seat, straphangers bobbing to their music, the crazies, the snoozers, the gamers and the readers. Some readers prefer their handheld devices, holding on to a pole with one hand and their tablet with the other. But many still crack open their books to escape into another world.

I am one of these commuters. I take the train to and from work five times a week, and on most weekends, I am using the train to get around the city. I’m part of both groups. I have the Kindle app on my iPhone, which I used to read Francis J. Franklin’s Suzie and the Monsters. I am now using it to read a book on personal finance and investment.

But I still bring a traditional book with me to and from work. I do this mostly because I have plenty of books to read, and they are all print books. I am not sure what I will do once I complete all the books on my shelf, but right now, I am not taking sides on the print versus eReader debate.

However, there has been talk that eReaders such as Kindles or Nooks are declining in sales. While eBooks are still popular, there is a sense that they will not put traditional books into extinction.

The aforementioned article makes these points:

There are a number of things to consider in the battle between paper and pixel: cost, physical limitations, reading comprehension and interactive capabilities to name a few. Paper prevails in every measure.

There is something about a bookmark sticking out of your novel that entreats one to pick it back up and give it more quality time. Yes it’s helpful to roll over a word for a definition; but life is about tradeoffs and for many the tactile pleasures of paper are priceless.

People approach computers and tablets with a state of mind that is less conducive to learning than the one they bring to paper. Some studies even suggest that people read slower, less accurately and less comprehensively on screens than on paper because our brain processes printed digital and printed text in different ways.

I agree traditional books are better than eBooks, which sounds totally hypocritical of me since I self-published my book through Amazon Kindle and Smashwords – making my book exclusively for the eBook crowd. But despite this, I do think eBooks have a place in this world. I believe eventually, eReaders and tablets will find ways to make eBooks as personal as print books. I don’t know how exactly, because I am not a tech person, but I don’t think eBooks are a flash in the pan. They wouldn’t have lasted this long or have been this successful if they did not have an appeal.

As long as I am a self-published author, I will release my books as eBooks because it is much easier for me. However, I will use CreateSpace for special editions of my work. I am planning to release print copies of my vampire trilogy, The End of Eternity, once I published the third book, which won’t be for some time. Unless, however, technology changes or the self-publishing craze takes a dramatic turn. And it could, as I had discuss in a previous post where I compared the self-publishing excitement to the California Gold Rush.

These are exciting yet uncertain times for readers, publishers and the book industry. I think the HuffPo article mentioned here is showing New Yorkers, well known for reading during their commutes all over the metropolitan area, are an illustration of the uncertain future of books. The final paragraph sums it all up:

NYC subway riders embrace e-readers for a number of reasons, most notably: portability, accessibility and convenience. Is print dead? Not necessarily. Print doesn’t have to become obsolete for digital to flourish; they’re different and complementing experiences. Our world is increasingly immersed in technology. Let’s hold on to this special treasure for a little while longer. At least until the next stop.

Barnes & Noble Announces Store Closings

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B&N, Barnes & Noble, brick and mortar stores, business, eBooks, end of books, eReaders, future of books, Nook

You probably heard the news today. That dreadful news many writers knew would happen sooner or later, but probably hoped to some degree that it would never happen.

Barnes & Noble announced that a third of its stores will close during the next decade. That means of the 689 current stores it has now, about 200 will close. That sounds like a lot. Frighteningly a lot, even if the number isn’t that big. It does beat out the way Borders closed down in a rapid pace in 2011, due to financial difficulties, but it still sounds ominous.

When I first heard whispers about B&N closing some of its stores, my first thought was, “Oh no! No more books! Where am I going to browse lazily during a free day? Where can I go to write, surrounded by coffee and bookshelves?” I spent a lot of time at my local B&N writing my book. Being in its small cafe area felt great because having so many books filling your view inspired me to one day be an author myself. Even though I chose to self-publish my novel as an eBook, being at B&N while writing felt motivating.

But am I a hypocrite to feel sad that my favorite writing place and store is closing due to readers preferring eBooks? After all, releasing an eBook myself and not a POD book was really me encouraging the use of eBooks rather than an actual book.

Image via Wikimedia Commons

But why did I do that? Besides choosing to self-publish, I chose to release my book on Kindle and Smashwords because it was easy – both with time and finance. I would’ve invested into printing copies of my book to give to stores where I live – but the last indie store lost it’s lease and Barnes & Noble’s regulations for self-published books were kind of tight. So, I stuck with the eBook.

Am I to blame for the decline of paper-and-cover books? Of course not. I would never had released my novel as an eBook if there weren’t so many book lovers buying them. It’s kind of a two-sided issue: many of us like to hold and smell an actual book, but find eReaders so convenient. Even authors who prefer selling their work as traditional books admit to downloading books onto their eReaders for the speed and to read while traveling.

It is like we are own worst enemies. We want book stores to stick around forever, but yet we fuel the digital age by reading eBooks. We like the atmosphere of a bookstore, but the speed of downloading a book is more proof of society’s poor attention span as of late.

I think the decline of bookstores and actual books has more to do with human nature than technology itself. Technology is not the monster, perhaps we are.

And also, another culprit is online shopping. How many of us order books through Amazon? I’ve done it, when I wanted a book that wasn’t easy to find – plus, I just so happen to have a coupon.

I hope my local B&N stays around for a long while. It is the only bookstore left where I live. The local Target has a book section, but that means nothing in comparison to a bookstore. There’s a couple of second-hand bookstores where you can sell your old books, but they are small and are a hike from where I live.

Also, where will I go to write my books? I do go to Starbucks and Panera, but sometimes I need a change of scenery and I go to B&N to its Starbucks. It is not easy getting a spot, or even an outlet for my laptop, but the atmosphere is worth it. Being surrounded by the works of the authors who came before me is inspiring.

I wonder how future writers will be inspired if bookstores become obsolete? I guess glancing at their eReaders may help them move along.