Books are nice but each time you buy one you are faced with a choice - ebook or paper book. I choose ebooks in preference now. This is why:
- Whilst I too love the smell and feel of a book, we buy them for their content not their smell and feel. If the lack of 'paper smell' bothers you you can buy a 'book smell' perfume to spray on your e-reader.
- "I prefer real books" is a phrase I often hear. Usually I hear it from those who have not yet got an e-reader, Every time I hear it I imagine those people who first came across bound books. Did they think "Nice, but I prefer scrolls."?
- My mother was 96 and spent a lot of time reading. She found it easier to read large print and preferred thinner books - easier to hold. You can change the text size in an e-book and they are much lighter. I'd much rather carry an e-reader than the complete Encyclopaedia Britannica. I think my library of 3,000+ paper books probably weighs about a ton. Most of them could fit on my ancient Kindle Keyboard e-reader. A few years ago I read a hardback book I'd had since 2009. Stephen King's 'Under the Dome.' I had not read it because it weighs 1.3 kilograms (2.3 pounds) - too heavy to read unsupported. (Enjoyable book if you want to read it) I'd looked for it as an e-book but due to the Amazon/Hachette dispute couldn't find it. In the end I read it in bed before sleeping with it supported on my knees.
- Putting another book on the bookshelf may satisfy some people but I have trouble finding a space for an extra book on my shelves. I've used up all the normal space (two books deep) and have run out of space between the book tops and the next shelf!
- I like to read relaxing in a bath. I may fall asleep and a soggy book is not easy to salvage. Your e-reader may not like water either but you can read it inside a ziplock plastic bag far easier than a paper copy!
- My e-readers play music and can read my book to me. The only paper book I have that does that was bought years ago for my children.
- Can you get Internet on a paper book? Maybe this will be possible in the future when flexible screens become available. My smartphone has full Internet, plays movies, makes video calls and takes pictures also. It's easy to read ebooks on it.
- Do you feel the author needs rewarding for the time they spent writing your book? If you do then be aware that authors earn more money from e-books than from paper books.
- Price? In general e-books cost less than a new book. Second-hand paper books may cost even less but your choice may be limited. You can go to a library for a huge choice of paper books but most libraries offer ebooks now too. There are a huge number of ebooks available online free also. Talking of libraries, many of them are shut now due to Covid-19. Libraries are still providing ebook services though. You won't have to travel to get them. Check the library website or make a phone call to ask.
- When you buy an e-book you buy a licence to read it. Most people are not keen on this but if you face a disaster which destroys your library - a fire, your ebooks will still be there in the cloud whereas your paper books will be in the smoke.
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| The 'wicked bible' error. |
Few books are perfect. They contain typos, spelling mistakes, grammar mistakes, timeline errors, sentences which could be phrased better. Once you've bought a paper book - you're stuck with the errors but ebooks can be updated.
The environment - Ebook and paper book compared| Paper books | E-books |
|---|
| Requires an author | Requires an author |
| Requires an editor | Requires an editor |
| Requires formatting | Requires formatting |
| Trees need to be felled (requires oil) | Not required |
| Timber needs to be transported to papermill (requires oil) | Not required |
| Papermill manufactures paper with some waste sludge (requires some oil) | Not required |
| Sludge needs to be disposed of (requires oil) | Not required |
| Paper needs transporting to printer (requires oil) | Not required |
| Ink needs manufacturing (requires oil) | Not required |
| Books need to be printed (requires oil) | Not required |
| Books need to be transported to distribution depot (requires oil) | Not required |
| Sales team need to visit retail outlets (requires oil) | Not required |
| Books need to be transported to retail outlets (requires oil) | Not required |
| Customer needs transport to bookstore and back (requires oil) | E-books are delivered direct to reader electronically. |
| Surplus unsold books need transport back to printer (requires oil) | Not required |
| Surplus requires storage or redistribution or pulping (requires oil) | Not required |
| Book pulp requires cleaning of toxic ink and disposal of the toxins (requires oil) | Not required
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