We live in a tumultuous time all around, with the economy sinking and technology continuing to change habits and proclivities. It’s also an interesting time for the publishing industry, as we’re all watching to see how the economy will affect sales, and also keeping an eye on e-books and other new technological developments.
Have you noticed a change in how you buy books? Do you buy fewer? More? New/used? Do you buy them online or in bookstores?
My habits have definitely been changed in the past year. Now that I have a Kindle, I look first to see if books are available as an e-book. The ease and convenience of reading on a Kindle has been indispensable for me — I’m able to get so much more done now that I can read for work or pleasure anywhere, anytime.
What about you?
I LOVE the used book store, but I’m not buying books like I used to. I’ve gotten SO picky about what I’ll read. When I was little, it was give me a book and I’ll read it, but now I’m looking for so much in an author, becuase reading is kinda like homework for me, so I make sure that I’m reading stuff my writing will benefit from. But the main reason I go to the used book store is because that’s where all the old Star Trek books are and those are the best!
Since the local British library closed down in the town where I live about a year ago, I had taken to buying more books than usual, on an average of three per week. My bookshelves were getting really crammed with two and three layers of books on each shelf.
Since I moved to Tokyo, I haven’t bought many books, just two in the last one month. It is difficult to find a good selection of English books here.
I do read e-books, but I definitely prefer to read a ‘real’ book over an e-book!
Just the library, thanks. Unless I can’t find it anywhere else. Stupid economy crisis . . . sucking up all my book fund money.
I hate to say it, being an author wannabe myself, but I’ve had to resort to the library. I have been catching up on books I haven’t had time to read in the past. I’m not reading the ones I REALLY want to read, because I really do want to buy them (not borrow them). However, I can’t go into a bookstore without spending 70-80 dollars, so I’ve been avoiding them altogether.
Nope. My habits are fully ingrained! Despite the economy, our lives haven’t really changed that much. We’ve been under the thumb of inflation for some time in our area and have gotten used to it.
I actually buy more books now than I used to. But I went from a poor college kid to having a job, so my whole reading fiction has skyrocketed, hah!
I think I’ve bought more new books this year than I’ve ever bought before. I mean, like 2 or 3 times as many. Usually, most of my ready is library books or used books, but I think I’ve bought around 125 new books this year, maybe 40 books used, and checked about 25 books out of the library.
I will admit that I started buying more new books because of the economy scare–I wanted to make sure my favorite authors kept on being published.
I use to buy 3-4 books at a time, but now I only get one per read from Barnes and Nobles or Borders. (I like to write notes in them.) I’m also a fan of the public library for researching.
Kindle is the best, but it’s mostly Romance and Mystery novels that are available. (Not the kind of books I read.) I’d use Kindle, hands down, if more books were available electronically.
I used to get new books much more frequently in my youth when my parents were paying for it; now that I’m responsible for funding my own purchases AND paying for college (now grad school), I’ll admit I rarely buy books for myself. I frequent the local library, which has some of the best selections of any library system I’ve encountered (yay for Multnomah County!). I DO tend to buy people books as presents when I can afford to get them something though. I like to support the publishing industry as much as I can. That said, I have yet to really branch out of the printed book. That will probably change this year. Adaptation is survival.
Money has been tight for us for several years, and I have come to LOVE Abebooks.com and my local used bookstores for the inexpensive access to the books I want. I rarely go to the big bookstores like Barnes & Noble, and when I want a new book I will either go to a local small bookshop to support them or I will buy on Amazon. I enjoy collecting books by writers I love and on subjects I love, and buy instead of going to the library, but if I can pay half I will because my budget is just too tight to do otherwise.
I purchased a Sony Reader earlier in the year and enjoy using it, especially when I’m on the go. Every once in a while I treat myself to buying a book. And I do use the library. Nathan,what are your thoughts about ebooks being favored or not as a publishing credit?
You know, I’ve yet to see an e-reader, but there’s just something in going to Barnes and Noble and looking for books, and taking one home that still makes me smile.
I don’t think my habits have changed as much because the economy as it is a lack in interesting reading. But I’m heading to BN tonight, grabbing a book for my g/f’s mom, and a lil something for myself.
I am a book whore. I absolutely love to own books. My favorite and most frequent place to buy books is Amazon.com but I LOVE to go into a bookstore. It is a dangerous place for me to go. I can walk out with so many books I can’t carry them. On Amazon I tend to limit myself to a couple every few months or so but I can go a buying spree there too. When some women go on shopping sprees fo shoes, clothes, etc., I go on book buying sprees. Would love to own a bookstore, my dream.
This is a good question.
The financial markets being what they are, have scared the bejesus out of me, which means that my usual voracious Amazon.com habit has been blunted. More like amputated. I actually send books I would usually buy to my ‘wish list’– which is now ridiculously long.
I have resisted Kindle technology because I love the heft, feel, smell, cover, the everything of books. If it’s cheaper and not just more convenient, I might have to look into it.
My book buying habits have changed slightly this past year. I buy the books I can’t live without and only if they are on sale. I am saving for a Kindle with hopes that it might be on sale for the holidays.
I will say this though, my friends and I are now swapping books so we don’t have to buy them all, and so we don’t have to worry about paying overdue fines at the library ;).
I’ve been known to cut my food budget to read. But I don’t have dependants. I can live on toast 🙂 I owe the library too much money for late fines. I’m greedy .. I borrow more than I can fit into my schedule and then I CAN’T.LET.GO. Bad habits die hard.
Yes. I use the public library a lot more!
Same here!
I am fairly democratic in my book buying: new books @ the local “independent” book store; used books @ the local used book store; library books; borrowed books; BOMC orders (which I’ve been doing ovr 30 yrs now). As long as I can read…
I’m buying a lot more books … I use them to help deal with depression.
Times are tough but my book buying habit is the same. I’m willing to spend $10-20 dollars for a book. It’s the luxury purchases that I’ve stopped buying.
I don’t buy as many as I used to, because I’ve got two young boys and don’t have the time to read; plus, with books being more expensive, I have to be more choosy about what I opt to buy.
I’m new to the blog, so I don’t know if you’ve covered this yet, but if not: how about telling us how how great (or not?) the Kindle is.
Just checkin out your blog, but yeah I def go to the Library more, imagine all those books waiting to be read! and if they suck a few chapters in, than you can easily return them! This might be convinent for me because I’m not a hartdcore book reader, I’m more of a casual when I have the time reader…
I only use the public library for audio books. When I have to drive up state, I prefer listening to a new writer. That generally prompts me to go out and buy his/her books.
I too have met many writers this year. And I have supported them by buying their books new.
I also trade books through http://www.paperbackswap.com. I needed to reduce the number of books on 76 linear feet of book shelving I have in order to make room for new writers. Now, I only keep first editions and signed editions. Paperback that I know I will NEVER read again hit the swap list.
And as the economy gets weaker, I spend a lot more time buying and reading books.