After my recent post about the inevitability of e-books, I was surprised that there were so many misconceptions in the comments section about e-readers and e-books.
For the record, I don’t think everyone is going to or should or will like e-books and converting people is not what this post is about. But I do think people should at least have the facts.
Now would also be a good time to state for the record that I have no financial interest in e-books or e-readers whatsoever and in fact, my job would probably be easier if they didn’t exist. But they do exist, I genuinely like them, and I don’t think this industry can afford to be behind the curve on technology.
Here’s my personal Top 10 list of the mistaken beliefs people have about e-books:
1. “They strain your eyes” / “They’re bad for people with poor eyesight” / “I’ll go blind.”
Aside from reading on an iPhone, which I personally love but realize isn’t for everyone, most dedicated e-readers use e-ink displays, which are very different than the backlit screens of computers and televisions and phones. E-ink literally looks like ink on paper, you can read in sunlight, and it’s crisp from any angle.
Also, all e-readers have the ability to change the text size, so you can instantly turn any book into large print if you have difficulty with small fonts.
2. “You can’t back up your files” / “If you lose or break your e-reader or if a new e-reader comes out you lose all your books”
Different devices do indeed favor different formats, but even still the above statements don’t accurately reflect the landscape.
Let’s start with Amazon and the Kindle. Amazon stores the information about all of the titles you have bought centrally, which means that you can access the titles on any device that has a Kindle app, whether it’s a Kindle, iPhone, or a PC (coming soon: Macs). Better yet, Amazon syncs between the different applications so that if you stop reading on a Kindle and open up the app on your iPhone it will turn to the page you left off on. If you lose your Kindle or it breaks or you want to get a new one you can still read all of the titles you bought on a computer or another device.
Now, Amazon usually uses its own proprietary e-book format, and some people want a more universal format. If so, you might consider the Sony Reader or nook. Their stores use the ePub format, which can be read on most e-reader devices, so you’re not beholden to one device or vendor after you have purchased your books and you can always take your library elsewhere.
3. “I don’t want to have to scroll endlessly through a book” / “I’ll miss turning the pages” / “I like taking notes”
Most e-readers, including the iPhone apps, have pages that you “turn” either by clicking a button or tapping/swiping your finger. While I know some people view this as a sign of the apocalypse, you’d be surprised how quickly it becomes second nature.
And most e-readers allow you to take notes, bookmark pages, search within the text, and highlight sections you want to come back to.
4. “They require a lot of power” / “They’re hot to the touch like laptops”
When they’re not using their wireless function, e-readers using the e-ink display consume very little energy, and you only have to charge them once every few weeks, even if you read often.
They’re also completely cool to the touch.
5. “You can’t check e-books out from the library”
According to the NY Times, about 5,400 libraries now offer e-books, and more are signing up every day. Most library programs work like with physical books – you “check out” an e-book onto your e-reader and “check it back in” when you’re finished, and only one patron at a time can “check out” an e-book while you’re reading it.
6. “You can’t lend to friends or family”
Amazon allows up to six users to access the same account for most titles, and nook has a LendMe function that allows you to share a title for 14 days (if the publisher allows it).
Admittedly these aren’t the freest means of sharing content, but my wife and I share a Kindle account and are able to read each other’s books whenever we want.
7. “E-Readers are bad for the environment”
A Cleantech study asserts that e-readers have a much smaller carbon footprint than physical books when book production and shipping physical books are taken into account, though one blogger felt that the Cleantech study didn’t adequately address paper recycling programs. Although, it’s not as if it’s impossible to recycle electronics.
8. “You can’t read an e-reader in the bathtub” / “I would never take an e-reader to the beach
Put it in a Ziploc bag and it’s more waterproof/sandproof than a paper book.
9. “They’re too expensive.”
E-readers may be relatively expensive now for a wide swath of people, but prices will inevitably come down. And because e-books are (usually) much cheaper than print books, it doesn’t take long before an e-reader pays for itself – since most hardcovers that sell for $25 or more are available for $9.99, all it takes is roughly 20 e-books for an e-reader to pay for itself. You save even more if you read e-books on a phone or computer you already own.
For a casual reader: yeah, a dedicated e-reader probably doesn’t make the most sense. But for people who read a lot, especially new books, it can result in actual savings relatively quickly.
10. “E-books are bad for publishers and authors”
While most agents I know are not thrilled with the royalties authors are currently receiving from the major publishers, so far the deep discounting has been absorbed by the e-book sellers and publishers have little to lose from e-book sales, at least in the short term. According to reports, most publishers still receive roughly 50% off the list price for every e-book sale, meaning that a $9.99 e-book is a loss leader for Amazon and the other e-book publishers, while the publisher receives the same amount as they would for a hard copy.
And while, again, we agents would like to see authors get a fairer split, authors still receive royalties for e-book sales. The low price points of e-books have attracted some of my cost-minded friends who used to mainly buy used books, for which authors of course don’t receive any royalties, so from that standpoint they are much more author friendly than used books.
Tori says
Thank you so much for this post Nathan. I do not personally want an e-reader, but I like being informed. I didn't know a few of these things, so I learned something today. I can breathe easier now. Maybe they aren't as evil as I thought….though I still won't buy one.
Gwen Hernandez says
I love reading on my iPhone, too! I thought it would be annoying, but I quickly got used to it.
Thanks for a great primer on e-books/e-readers. I agree that the trend will only grow, and those of us in the publishing industry should be ready for it.
Love your blog!
fireside says
I wonder if library e-books will lend to more piracy…
Emily White says
Wow! You're up early!
I'm glad you answered myth #2 because that is the one I was wondering about. It's good to know that your books won't be lost if your e-reader happens to break down.
I might get one some day. I love to read on trips and it's just not practical to lug a suitcase full of books with me (yeah, I like to read that much).
Thanks for the post!
Anonymous says
Well that 9.99 price point won't last forever. The trouble with dedicated readers is that the publisher can increase prices and you're stuck with a 300 dollar device. There is a tradeoff involved–the lower the device price, the higher the ebook prices will go.
Lydia Sharp says
Good post. Numbers 5 and 6 were new to me.
howdidyougetthere says
You had me at e-ink looks like ink on paper!! That's my BIG issue with my laptop which I would take to the beach if I could… will now read the rest…
Teresa D'Amario says
Anonymous is concerned the prices will go above 9.99, which is true. I expect that too. But that's only on HARD cover prices. There are millions of paperback books at 6.99 or less, books that are as exciting as they have ever been. I've only purchased 1 hardback book in the last ten years, and then was disappointed because it wasn't as good as I'd hoped. Now I wait for them all to come to paperback.
For now, ebook prices are $1.00 or so less than their print companions. I like that. I think it's the way things should be. And I love my ebook. Yeah, I have thought about the ziplog bag in the tub thing myself. LOL
Jill Christine says
I'm still not with you on #1, sorry. I finally saw a Kindle in person recently (a woman in line at the post office had one, and I peeked over her shoulder for a while), and while the screen was easier to look at than a laptop screen, it still wasn't exactly like words on paper. Granted, I have sensitive eyes and I deal with a lot of excessive eyestrain because of it, but reading for hours on a Kindle would be a very bad thing for me.
As for #8, I believe waterproof cases are available for some e-readers now. I'd still much rather risk an $8.00 paperback than a $300 toy, though.
GhostFolk.com says
Great post!
Now, Amazon usually uses its own proprietary e-book format, and some people want a more universal format. If so, you might consider the Sony Reader or nook.
Okay, if I buy a Nook, for example. From where may I buy my eBooks — just B&N?
I'm still confused. Really very cnfused.
lynnrush says
Oh yeah. This is good. Thanks!
I've been dragging my heels on the Kindle. . . . I read a ton, so I need to just take the plunge.
Chuck H. says
I still prefer the bookcase full of books I bought from Easton Press. Does that make me a Luddite or a Butlerian Jihadist?
GhostFolk.com says
Finally, why can't I buy an eBook directly form the publisher and have it downloaded to my reader?
That should increase the net a publisher receives for a title and up the author rolayties, no?
Since no warehousing, shipping or brick-and-mortar diplsay, or handling is requred, why are publishers letting eBooks out the door for the same "booksellers's cut" as paper books?
Jen B says
I can't imagine how difficult it would be to use my iPhone's touch screen while it's in a Ziploc bag (#8.) But I think the rest of this post is useful and a definite improvement over all the "E-books mark the end of civilization, run, go!" posts circulating the web. Thank you!
J. Matthew Saunders says
I have a Berlitz First-year French primer that was published in 1889. Someone has doodled in the margins of several pages, things like “Feb. 11, 1902″ and “Class of ‘03,” meaning 1903. These doodles make the book so much more valuable to me than it’s actual contents. I can imagine this poor student, sitting in French class, doing drills, bored out of his or her skull, and randomly scribbling in the margins of his or her textbook, more that one hundred years ago.
I also have a stamp collecting book published in 1941. It had space for stamps from countries that don’t exist anymore. It even has space for Confederate stamps. It also has a few actual stamps in it, from Epirus and Nazi Germany. I paid fifty cents for the book, and I have a snapshot of the world as it was almost seventy years ago from a very interesting angle.
When I was in college, I checked out a book from the library in order to use it for a paper I was writing for one of my linguistics classes. This was in the early nineties, and the library had just transitioned from the old system of using the card in the pocket affixed to the inside front cover of each book to keep track of who checked out which book to using barcodes. The book still had the card in its pocket. The last person to check out the book had been a teacher from my high school, who had attended graduate school at the same university, in 1969.
When my wife and I traveled in England, we visited Leeds Castle. The tour guide led us through the restored parts of the castle, including the chapel. While we were there, she told us all about the new cross and candlesticks on the altar that had just been donated, and she completely neglected a glass display case containing several items, including a book. Only when everyone was leaving did she wave a hand at the case and say, “By the way, that case contains a jewelry box that belonged to Anne Boleyn and a book that belonged to Catherine of Aragon.” I still want to know about the book.
I can't have any of those experiences with an e-reader.
LJCohen says
I've had a kindle (first gen) for about a year now. It hasn't ended my book buying habit–I happily buy and read paper books along with my ebook purchases.
Where the Kindle rocks is when I travel and can take a library of books with me in a tiny package.
It is also a godsend in reading for my crit groups. I figure it's saved me a fortune on ink and paper, not having to print out work for critique, while saving my eyes from the glare of reading on a computer screen.
I don't see myself as an either/or book consumer. The kindle format is wonderful for some things (text size, for one) and not so wonderful for others (you have to turn pages twice as often since you only see one page at a time).
My perfect ereader device would be the size and flexibility of a placemat and can be rolled or folded for travel so you could easily read a newspaper and have 2 full pages to scan through at once.
I'll be using my kindle while I wait for that one. 🙂
Tchann says
I love books not just because they can take me to other places, but because they can shut out the world around me. I can grip the book firmly with both hands and pull it in front of my face, stick my nose in it and the rest of the world vanishes.
With an e-reader (which I had on a Palm Pilot for a time, so I'm not inexperienced here) the world stays dangerously close, and I can't get lost the way I can with paper and ink. And the smaller and more portable the devices get, the less I'm likely to acquire one.
Scott says
Can someone help a brother out?
I have the Kindle app on my iPhone and on my two PCs. I do not own the Kindle device itself.
For the life of me, I can not figure out how to get a book on my phone. I've downloaded books from my phone, but they go straight to my PC account.
Do you have to own a Kindle itself to be able to use/read on your iPhone?
I've tried Stanza and like it, but their prices are much higher …
Thanks in advance
Maya / מיה says
I've been thinking about buying an e-reader ever since I moved to Israel, but a few things have held me back. I borrow most of my books from the library, but you addressed that pretty well. (On the other hand, I doubt that the English section of the Kiryat Bialik library will go digital any time soon– my "library card" consists of a number written in ballpoint pen on a library bookmark!) I also buy a lot of my books second-hand. I know, this makes me something of a hypocrite given that some day I hope people buy my books new, but so it is. I do buy new books, but I manage to keep the cost of new books (which are easily $25 when I buy English novels in Israel) spread out because I borrow or buy second-hand the rest of the time. Every e-book would be cheaper, but I would most likely need to pay for every one.
Do you think there will ever be virtual libraries where anyone can download an e-book (if it's available)?
My other objections are more illogical… I stare at a computer screen all day for work and love using something that doesn't need batteries when I get a chance. Do e-readers take time to boot up? I realize that e-readers don't cause eye-strain, like to know that my book won't freeze up and that if I spill coffee on one page I'm not spilling coffee on every page of every future book I will read. 🙂
I'm probably in the wave of people who will buy e-readers once good e-readers become cheap second-hand.
Maya / מיה says
Ooh ooh– brilliant e-book library idea: Netflix for novels! You pay for a subscription and can download a limited number of novels at one time, based on availability– and it's all online. I would seriously pay for that.
Run and make millions off my idea! (Let's just hope that my word verification word isn't somehow ominus: rewarre)
Ink says
"Look! It's the Inanimate Carbon Rod! Three Cheers for the Inanimate Carbon Rod!"
Ah, the Simpsons…
Just poking fun. I'm saving all my paper books for when I have to do my Viggo Mortenson turn down the long long road. Knowledge and kindling! I'll use Kindles (since, oddly, they're probably not much use for kindling – false advertizing?) for discus-like weapons to fend off the cannibals.
Nathan Bransford says
Ghostfolk-
My understanding with the Sony Reader and nook is that you can buy ebooks from any website that sells in a compatible format. So you don't have to buy only from the company that sold you the ereader.
Gehayi says
Thanks for the information.
I still don't want an e-book reader, though.
Jane Steen says
No point complaining about e-readers, they're going to become part of the publishing scene. (I can remember all the hatebombs lobbed at PCs when they first came out…) And I say PART of the publishing scene, because I believe "real" books will always have their place, just as people still write longhand in journals as well as on their computers. Prices and formats will sort themselves out as the market matures. I'm waiting a bit to get my first e-reader for that very reason (and because I want to see what Apple & Microsoft come out with).
I agree with J. Matthew about the thrill of old books, though. I guess they'll just become rarer and more valuable.
Seth Hanisek says
re: J. Matthew Saunders:
Actually, you can't have those experiences with brand new books from a bookstore either. I love my books too, but e-readers are a great idea, and there are good, non-dismissable reasons that people like them. This kind of smugness makes me want to hide the fact that I like print books, as I would rather not be associated with it.
Imagyst says
Thank you for posting this; I'm not a fan of e-books, or e-readers. Mostly because it isn't the same as a 'real' book- but I feel a little bit better about it. And if I can find one, I might test it out. Thank you.
Reesha says
Thank you! Finally, someone has said what I've been trying to tell people ever since buying my eReader.
Not that I'm an eReader evangelist. It's just…I hate to see people miss out on some cool technology because they think it'll give them eye strain. When it won't.
The only downside I can see: turning pages is not as quick. But I'm willing to put up with that. I don't read very fast anyways.
Brittany Landgrebe says
I'm glad to hear… er, read – that eBooks and eReaders are not so bad as I considered them. I recently downloaded and tried Kindle for iPhone because one of my published friends had her new book coming out, and I really wanted to buy it and read it. I loved it.
But while I'm slowly starting to like the idea of eBooks and eReaders, I can never truly stop loving my hardback copies. While I downloaded the free edition of Pride and Prejudice, I will always treasure the 1920's edition I have in a place of honor on my bookshelves. I do like the idea of eBooks for my hardcover purchasing options though – a way to ensure a new book is something I'd want forever.
What I would like to see in the future follows that line of thinking. I'd like to see publishers offer discounts on hardcopies when a reader purchases an eBook copy, and/or vice versa. A bigger incentive for me, and other readers, to buy a hardcopy book I loved on an eReader. But then, the partnerships involved with that would probably be rather complicated. Still, it's an idea, one I'd support from the start.
GhostFolk.com says
My understanding with the Sony Reader and nook is that you can buy ebooks from any website that sells in a compatible format. So you don't have to buy only from the company that sold you the ereader.
Thanks!
Crystal balls says
Hi Nathan
Been lurking for a while now, and your blog is very informative and helpful. Lots of fun too.
I'm old school, I love my books, and I even print out web pages and pdf files so I can read them on paper.
I've been following your take on e-readers, and warming up to the idea slowly. I agreed with some commenters on your previous post that the take-over of e-books is inevitable but sad, and on principle alone, I'd never buy one; some form of rebellious, stubborn support for paper books.
But after this post, I admit, I'm sold!
I'm going to wait for the prices to drop before I run out and grab my Nook though…
Josin L. McQuein says
Glad to hear #1, because it's one thing I was worried about with e-books. I have trouble seeing large blocks of text on a conventional back-lit screen.
Though, they still won't smell like a book. 😛
Ver word: factsupe
What Nathan served for lunch today – a big bowl of factsupe.
J. Matthew Saunders says
Re: Seth Hanisek
Today's new books are going to be old someday. My concern is for future generations. Printed books are a tangible connection to the past. I don't want that to be lost.
I also understand that there are valid reasons and uses for e-readers, but so much of our history and culture is tied up in printed books. What happens to the data stored now on e-readers in a few generations when new technology makes them obsolete, or worse, when all the lights go out?
Brigita says
I'm sure Kindle is a cool toy, but unfortunately it isn't available here otherwise I'd love to try it out.
Rick Daley says
Thanks for posting this. I haven't taken the plunge yet, but now that I'm more in the know I'll kick and scream less when I finally do.
Nathan Bransford says
J. Matthew-
If there's something that happens that's horrible enough to cause all the lights go out everywhere all at once we're going to have much bigger problems than what happened to our ebooks.
CKHB says
Meh… I still object on grounds similar to your #3. I don't always know which part I'm going to want to come back to later. With a real book, I can recreate in my head where that now-sought-after passage was within the book… top right side, abut 1/3 of the way in. With an e-book, there IS no left or right side, and page 23 and page 233 feel exactly the same. I'd lose my ability to navigate based on tangible memory.
Remus Shepherd says
Mind if I debunk some of your debunking, Nathan?
1. E-ink can be hard to read for some people. Often it's not crisp, it's gray on slightly-lighter-gray. I hate it, myself…and reading on my iPod causes severe eye strain.
2. The flip side of Amazon being a custodian of what you read is that they *control* what you read. If they decide you shouldn't have a book, they can delete it from your reader remotely. If they get mad at you for any reason they can forbid you from accessing your library. Leasing books, rather than owning them, is risky.
3. Whatever the reader does to turn pages, you're locked into it. I'd prefer scrolling, myself, but no reader I've found offers it. Hopefully the software will offer more options soon.
4-8 are all fine, IMHO.
9. The price of ebooks is based upon hardcover prices, which comes as a shock to people who mostly buy paperbacks. Often it's a markup of over 50% from the paperback price. That's outrageous, especially on the cost of the reader.
10. The big problem with ebooks, from an author perspective, is that they do not get shelf space. They're thrown into a search database along with every book ever digitized, to be found only by people looking specifically for them. Not to mention that the 'outside' of a professionally produced ebook, the part that's supposed to entice readers, is indistinguishable from vanity press. It is much more difficult for an author to advertise and market an ebook, and much, much easier to become lost in an electronic sea of garbage works.
The technology and business model just isn't friendly for users and authors yet. It might get there before long. But I'd suggest ebook readers only for people who like being early adopters of technology, and then only if they have money to throw away.
health nut says
Nathan, do you know anything about whether the ebook readers emit radiation like computers and cell phones?
This is, seriously (she says, identifying herself as a total freak) my main (only) hesitation in switching over. I read a lot. A lot more than I talk on my blackberry. But even when I used my blackberry, whenever possible I use the speaker phone fuction to have it away from my body. Are we going to find out that e readers are similarly harmful? Because if I am lying down, that book is usually pretty close if not touching me. For HOURS.
sex scenes at starbucks says
Two points:
I can't wait for the E-Ink laptop screen so I can work comfortably outside!
Also, if you can negotiate retaining electronic rights, or especially if you have a comfortable, well-known backlist, a writer can essentially self-publish books on Kindle, etc and make money. JA Konrath is a well-known example of this, even going to the lengths of posting his earnings online.
https://jakonrath.blogspot.com/
Solvang Sherrie says
Wow, lots to chew on there! I have yet to see a Kindle in person, but I have a couple books on my iPod touch. One is a PB that the kids like. Thanks for this information. I'm passing it on to Santa 🙂
Christine H says
I'm so glad you cleared up that whole bathtub thing!
Roxane B. Salonen says
Nathan, alright, how do you solve this one: as a children's author, I have loved going into schools and sharing my books with kids. The height of the visit often includes a book-signing session for those who have purchased books. It never fails to delight me to see the looks on their faces, and I am always honored to sign books for kids. This will be impossible with e-books, unless I'm missing something. So, grieving that aspect of it in advance, and maybe it seems selfish, but I always felt it was as much for the kids as anything — handing something tangible to them. They seem to get a real thrill out of it. Signing pieces of paper just doesn't cut it. Oh well. Things are changing and I know we'll have no choice but to change along, and I know a lot of it will be for the better. Thanks for keeping us informed. Appreciate that.
Kristin Tubb says
Great post, Nathan – thank you. I love my Kindle, and I'm surprised when people gasp and say, "but you're an AUTHOR." I make a higher percentage when my book sells in an electronic format, so the actual dollars are almost equal. I purchase a lot more books now that I have instant access to them, too – another benefit for authors. Still, I would never take my Kindle in a bathtub! 😉
Anonymous says
Reading on an e-reader to me is equivalent to lodging in a Japanese capsule hotel. The reading experience meaning space is like immersing in a claustrophobic coffin world. And I can't see a way for technology to get past that. Long live books!
Anonymous says
Disclosure: I have owned a Kindle since the gen 2 model came out.
I only have a few problems with eBooks. First, amazon provides a limited selection of books. Second, the Kindle is fragile, so get a good case. Last, where's the teenager proof eBook?
I suspect that adults mainly read non-fiction and kids mainly read fiction. Thus, the expanded teen reader section in bookstores and the huge popularity of SP's new book.
But if I want to write for teenagers, as a writer, I'm screwed. How many parents are going to buy their kids the fragile Kindle to read books off of? Where's the kid-proof eReader at a reasonable price for the whole YA/Teen market? Kindles do break, and if you drop them, they can crack. My cellphone is tougher than my Kindle.
Susan at Stony River says
I laughed out loud at the ziploc bag—and must admit I'd never even thought of several of these points.
I'd love to get hold of an e-reader just for the fun of playing with it; I know I'd end up buying many more books between the convenience and the savings. Now I'm surprised that I knew so little about them. Thanks!
Just Another Sarah says
I saw a Kindle for the first time last month, and I have to say–it set me at ease more than I thought it would. I'm not necessarily going to convert over to it…but I'm not necessarily against it, either. The e-ink think really made me feel better about it, too. I had also been under the mistaken impression that it would be a different screen. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I was wrong.
DCS says
A week ago Vince Flynn gave the keynote at a mystery/suspense festival in Minneapolis. He made the point that in his most recent monthly sales figures, one half of the sales were e-book versions through Kindle, a huge change from a year ago. He observed that with the aging baby boomer population moving to smaller homes and having to get rid of large book collections, the market for e-books may be arriving from that source. Predicting culture changes is always difficult, but it's looking more and more than in fifty years people are going to be asking what all the fuss was about with changing to e books.
Patrice says
Hmm. I wonder.
I remember the old fashioned pasta maker my grandmother had. We anchored it to the kitchen table, rolled out the dough and fed it into the wheels. My bothers and sisters knocked each other over, vying for the best position from which to turn the crank. When I got married in the early 90s, someone gave me an electric pasta machine. I think my husband is using it somewhere in the basement as an anvil.
So now, the crank types are all over. They've made a comeback. Part nostalgia, maybe, but they're back.
I have been loving my Kindle/iPhone system for about a year now – full steam ahead. But a few weeks ago, I wanted to read a book that wasn't available on the Kindle, so I bought a paper book. It felt wonderful! The tactile sensation, feeling the spine give way, the smell. That got me thinking: Maybe the e-revolution will change everything, then we'll start feeling nostalgic (and there will be more trees?) and we'll start buying paper books again. Maybe after 15 or 20 years, books will make a comeback?
Or, maybe publishers will be able to pour the contents of a book right into our brains. Have you seen this Mind Flex toy? You maneuver a ball through an obstacle course with brainwaves. Seriously. Fasten your seatbelts.
Thradar says
I don't agree with the price argument. I don't buy hardcovers, ever…and most people don't. So my price comparison is to paperback. When the paperback version of the book hits the shelf the e-book prices should be about $3.00. In fact, many e-books are MORE expensive than their paperback equivalent. Ridiculous.