Ebook Debate goes on

I'm a Kindler. I admit it. I love my Kindle. I was one of those crazy kids who lined up when Amazon first announced that the Kindle was taking over the world & we won't even discuss how much I payed for my first Kindle (yes, I said first- I'm on my second now, the kids having taken over the first one...). I can't imagine ever going back to paper books. For one thing, my husband is thrilled not be building me any more bookshelves. The only paper books I've bought in the last 2 years are comics, which just don't translate well to e-Readers, though I suspect some day they will. Second, my family is a Military family & we are under a strict weight restriction when we move- my books weigh a LOT! So the 100+ books I've read in the last 2 years on my Kindle, all weight exactly what my Kindle weighs- total. And I'll be carrying that with me in my handbag when we move, so it's not an issue.

Recently the publishers however have decided to bite the eyes that feed them. Most of my e-Reading friends are the most avid readers I know. Not the 3 books per year, or even the book a month crowd. We are the people who can read 2 books per week, sometimes at the same time. Instead of making books easier for us to get to however, the publishers have decided that delayed releases, increased prices, and sometimes, withholding books altogether (okay I recognize that sometimes it's the authors' decisions as well JK ROWLING!), are the way to convince us to go back to hardcovers. But they're wrong. Just like .mp3's revolutionized music buying, digital books are the wave of the future.

I love a good hardcover as much as the next person but the only ones I ever buy are from my favorite authors, at a signing. My budget simply doesn't allow me to spend $30+ per book as many books as I read each year. I was a paperback/library reader before, and now with my Kindle I've been able to enjoy a variety of genres quickly, easily & affordably. That said, the more they delay the release of books I want to read, I've been able to go back and read classics that are available for free via Project Gutenberg, or ManyBooks, and I've also been introduced to reasonably priced independent authors. Affordable books are alive and well in digital format.

Today's article in THE NEW YORK TIMES however, just shows how far in the sand the publishing industry continues to hide their head. The companies, publishers, and authors who are able to make the transition to digital platforms with the READERS in mind, are the ones who will win in the end. After all, selling a million books at $9.99 means more money in the bank than selling no books because you were too stubborn to make them available, or sell them for a reasonable price.