How do you discover ebooks?

Survey from: http://www.teleread.com/paul-biba/how-ebook-buyers-discover-ebooks/

eBook revolution benefits readers AND writers

Quill and Quire points out to the oncoming revolution that e-books are about to bring to what we read and write.

With the growing onslaught of e-readers and e-books, will readers see a shift in the average length of new books? Might we see longer books, because publishers are no longer constrained by the costs and sheer weight of a War and Peace-sized tome? Or will there be a deluge of novellas by authors freed from the pressure of writing a book of a certain length?

As a writer you cannot look at it without your heart beating stronger. Do you smell it? Yes, that's what creative freedom smells like, it's the lack of constraints. Today, if your write and want to publish in North America (particularly when you write genre fiction), you have to ensure that your novel fulfills certain requirements. Unfamiliar with the North American publishing model? Think of it as a chain store, for instance HomeDepot -- big box, but in reality very limited choice. Call it uniformity. It comprises several points: broadly, if vaguely defined quality, book length, title, characters, even setting. These are all part of the scheme that you have to employ if you want to be considered for publication. At least one of those may be waved now and become irrelevant as far as production costs vs profit are concerned: book length. You may be able to forget the 100,000 word requirement, forget about filling blanks with scenery descriptions and pronouns. You can let your creativity reign, and pour out of you, even if it works out to "only" 70,000 words.

From a reader's standpoint, this is just as important. Were you putting away all seven volumes of Marcel Proust's classic, or that bulky War and Peace, afraid that they won't fit into your holiday suitcase, or on the subway? This all becomes irrelevant now. You can fit thousands more into your pocket, and it won't break your back. Do you like to read several books simultaneously, few pages here, few pages there? Good news: now you can carry your entire library with you, and dive into it anytime, wherever you are.

Welcome revolution. Welcome Che... I mean: eReader!

R.I.P. hardcover books?

Ever since I started reading eBooks, I can no longer handle the hardback "traditional" book. Not just because of the price, but chiefly because of how uncomfortable they are. My eReader is just so much easier to handle, in all situations, and especially in bed.

Do eReaders have a future?

“For all the Kindle’s success, it remains in many ways a niche product, aimed at consumers who fit a certain narrow profile, namely avid readers. In 2007, the Associated Press reported that a quarter of Americans hadn’t read a single book in the prior year. And among those who did read that year, the average number of books read was seven. Even considering that you can get some non-book content on the Kindle, these numbers alone suggest that the market for the Kindle is limited.” From The Millions.

Visit Metapedia for some additional predictions and more on different eReaders.

The Best eBook eReader

We hear a lot lately about electronic products developed with only one purpose: to read eBooks. Blogs and Newspapers outdo each other in presentations of different (but all very similar) devices. One of the most popular is the Kindle, owned by Amazon com. As an author I am delighted that people want to read books, in spite of pessimistic predictions from publishers and literary agents who see their profits fall as more writers skip the "traditional" way to reach readers, and publish directly in electronic format.

As a reader I must admit that the currently available eReaders do not quite match my needs. The ability to download eBooks at any time is their best feature, but it ends there. Being an active traveler I am excited to be able to carry dozens, hundreds, and thousands of reading material without breaking my back, as happened to Blaise Cendrars who dragged crates of books everywhere he went. Books that filled my backpack when I was younger, are now replaced by all kinds of electronic equipment, such cameras and corresponding chargers. A dedicated eReader, therefore, has no room in my suitcase, unless it is multifunctional. This is why I use the Nokia N800 tablet (not a phone!).

At one time this mini-PC received some unflattering reviews, but for me it has become indispensable. It is always in my pocket. I use it as an FM radio, Internet radio, MP3 player and recorder, video player, GPS, organizer, e-mail client, web browser, Skype (also to call landlines and cellphones), texting, Twitter, Facebook, etc. It's got unlimited expandable memory, and does multitasking. But, what is most important to me, is that it works as an excellent eBook reader.

I recall a time when I was not convinced that eBooks would ever replace "traditional" books on my shelves. Now, for every 10 books I purchase 8 are eBooks. I became so accustomed to using my tablet for eBook reading that I find "traditional" books, particularly the large hardcover format, to be very uncomfortable to handle, especially in bed. They are just too bulky and heavy.

In contrast to all available eReaders the Nokia screen sports excellent quality, brilliant color, and allows all the adjustments to colors, fonts, etc, which is extremely important in the evening when, after a long day of sitting in front of a laptop, my eyes are very tired.

N800 reads all popular eBook formats (through a variety of free applications), including those secured by DRM (albeit unofficially), and fits in my pocket. There appears to be a trend among eReader manufacturers to build ever larger devices. I see future in them, but only for stationary eBook reading, at home. I am waiting for news about Apple's latest product, perhaps will use it to read ebooks at home, but I do not foresee any replacement for my mobile Nokia N800.

Kindle:


Nokia N800: