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.
Mandajuice says
I bought my Kindle because I kept getting reader's elbow – a lovely burning sensation that began at my wrist and ran its way up my arm to my shoulder.
SERIOUSLY. What kind of a nerd gets READING INJURIES? But, the bigger the tomb, the worse my shoulder would get.
The Kindle is lighter than the average paperback, but more importantly – it lays flat on the table – you don't have to hold the spine open – which means I can read without actually holding the device at all. Within 48 hours of buying it, my shoulder was healed.
There are COUNTLESS other benefits as well:
– text-to-speech means I don't have to stop reading to do the dishes and I don't have to keep my husband awake reading in bed with a book light
– you can load your own manuscript onto it (or, even better, have it READ YOU your own manuscript, which is the best way I've found to find errors)
– you can buy a book WHEREVER you are, which means when I'm at the park with my kids and one of the other moms says, "hey, you should really read XYZ," I get to buy it and start it RIGHT NOW.
– I'm convinced that e-readers actually increase book sales. Before the Kindle, I mostly went to the library or bought paperbacks at the grocery store. My monthly book habit only cost me about $25/month. In the six months since I've owned my Kindle, I've read over 100 books on it and I've routinely spent over $200 a MONTH on books. It's 100% IMPULSE purchasing and I'm convinced it'll be what saves the industry, not what kills it.
Sindaena says
My family of six has two kindles. We love them for not taking up too much space. You can put books on them other than from Amazon; you just have to convert them to .mobi format (which can be done using free converters if there is no drm) and use the cable to move them from your computer to your kindle.
My problem with letting the kids have the kindles is that it took them all of five minutes to figure out they had complete access to my Amazon account to order as many books as they could stay up all night reading. While I am generally willing to buy them books, that gets out of hand very quickly. While I still only rarely get a kindle myself, reading on my laptop instead since kids usually have the kindles, I also take them to the library twice a week and pass the kindles around so all four kids can read the books we do buy.
JenL says
E-readers do sound intriguing, but I still have some concerns.
It is great that Amazon keeps your book information for you and you can read the book from several devices…but what if Amazon goes out of business? Will you still have access to your books? Would that make it impossible to share books…or worse, if you get a new device would you then lose all of your books?
Plus, I worry about the pause between pages. If it took a second or two to turn the page, it would pull me out of the story and that would irritate me to no end.
Mira says
Cool – great post Nathan. Loved how you addressed a lot of concerns!
Rowenna says
I have to say, I've read counterarguments to #7–some have pointed out that the effect of publishers using recycled or recycled content papers wasn't taken into account, and that there are nasty byproducts of ebook production and breakdown in landfills (like any other electronic–of course, paper has nasty byproducts during production, too). Of course you can recycle both, but electronics are often difficult (and sometimes expensive) to recycle–the paper just goes in the bin (or, at my local center, books are placed in the "trading post" section where people can pick up and drop off pre-read materials).
In addition, though you can share your e-books, everyone has to have a reader to access those files. A single paper book can serve, potentially, hundreds of people. Personally, I own relatively few books and do most of my reading from the library and borrowing from friends. Is the environmental impact of my reading going to be different from someone who buys each title? Definitely. Yet it seems to be a "buy each title" mentality that these studies have assessed.
Not to say either way is or isn't environmentally friendly–it's just that you can make greener choices with either method, and those choices aren't always a simple consumer decision. Picking up an ebook and thinking you're done with greening your reading might not be taking the whole picture into consideration.
Anonymous says
I hadn't considered the fact that people may be willing to buy e-books instead of buying used books. That indeed is better for the author. Good point.
Etiquette Bitch says
nathan-the turning pages for me isn't so much a "thing to do" — i know you can "turn" pages on a screen — but it's the tactile sensation I won't give up. I'm a tactile learner, so interacting with a physical thing is more enjoyable for me than a screen. I'm ready to cry after a day spent staring at my screen for 8 hours.
gigi says
Count me in as one that loves reading on my iPhone (and I agree, even the page scrolling is fun). As the mother of a 2-year-old, being able to buy and read books right on my phone — right when I want them — is a godsend. While my toddler loves a trip to the bookstore, it's virtually impossible for me to shop with her along. I think it's safe to say I've purchased more since I downloaded the Barnes and Noble app to my phone — which can't be a bad thing, right?
Anonymous says
Nathan,
Back to one of last week's posts which mentioned google docs – how secure from hacking are they? I saw conflicting reports (one mentioned techs finding loopholes last March) and wondered if they were now considered safe to use.
Thank you!
Sierra Godfrey says
Agree with all these as myths but here are two points:
[1] Ebook ink — ereader devices were specifically developed to mimic page readability as closely as possible. They aren't perfect but they are very close. The technology will continue to get better. The whole reason ereaders took off at ALL is due to the advances in this area of technology.
[2] Turning pages–there is a slight lag on the Sony eReader (I haven't tested other ones). Turning pages is, as Nathan says, second nature and fine. But I think manufacturers must make this instant. Maybe the latest versions of eReaders have solved this issue.
Kathryn Magendie says
I have a few friends who've bought my book on Kindle or some other e-book form and they love reading it in that way, and that's great. But, for me personally, I love to read my bound books, at night in bed, curled up *smiling*
Although, I do travel a few times a year and sometimes I think it would be nice to have an e-book reader to read a book–lighter and more compact! So….who knows…I may one day think about it…maybe… 🙂
Thermocline says
It's not you, e-reader. It's me. I've been in a long term relationship with Paper since the "I See Sam" series.
We can still be friends, though.
Marilyn Peake says
I’m delighted to realize that I already knew about everything in your post today. I guess I’ve come a long way since first getting onto the Internet and trying out eBooks about five or six years ago. I really love both the Internet and eBooks!
Dara says
You know, I should've known that there was at least one eReader out there that supported loaning eBooks from the library considering I used to work for the company that is the largest supplier of eBooks to libraries 😛
Big "duh" moment on my part!
Well, an eReader is getting closer and closer to being a possibility for me. Now I just wait for the prices to drop and for more eReaders besides the Sony to come out with the capability 🙂
I'll still probably be an old-school avid library patron though since there are many titles that aren't available in the eBook loaning system.
Voidwalker says
Thanks for clearing these misconceptions up. I'm really excited about getting my first e-reader and I'll definitely post about my experience with it!
Jennifer Shirk says
Ok, I'm going to try #8. But if my SONY reader goes on the fritz–I'm coming after you. LOL
Kathleen says
thanks for this post. I learned a lot.
sex scenes at starbucks says
I wonder if there was this much argument when people started reading books instead of scrolls. Snort.
I don't think there needs to be an either/or scenario. There's room for both books and ereaders in the world.
ajcastle says
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.
I do this. *blush*
Kristi says
I've never seen you post so early on a Monday before – not even when you were addressing the topic of rhetorical questions. 🙂
T. Anne says
Great list. I'm glad you doing some serious debunking. As cell phone's progress everyone will soon discover they didn't have to pay for an e-reader after all. The app is available on itunes.
Anonymous says
"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."
I capitalised the ALL above from your point about 'backups'. This isn't actually TRUE. The problem is that Amazon will only let you re-download a book you 'bought' if you haven't downloaded it already some 'magic number' of times, the number varies and is not made known to the 'buyer'. This also assumes the book is still available new from them, as then that number becomes zero, and you cannot redownload the book at all.
I put 'buyer' in quotes because e-books are essentially a form of rental, not *real* purchasing. If that's how they were actually being presented by the 'seller' then that would be fine, but they are not.
While e-books remain in this licensing limbo and are not really for sale, I will not be 'purhcasing' them. I would consider renting a book (like a sort of paid library subscription) but only in that basis and only if it were fully disclosed up front.
What the e-sellers are doing amounts to fraud, plain and simple.
This is a pity since rented e-books would be a reasonable avenue, between public-type library access and *actual* purchase, with a corresponding price/availability variation to suit that route, but the powers that be do not wish this to happen so they go this route instead.
Moira Young says
Thank you for writing this. I've been leaning towards buying one for a few months now, but your post has cleared up my lingering doubts. (Proprietary formats by their very nature bother me, so I'm glad I have options.) Originally I thought I'd wait until my next cell phone upgrade, when I plan to get an iPhone. Now I'm going to put one on my Christmas wish list!
Debbie says
I think my biggest issue with e-books (other than losing the romantic notion of a worn paperback)
is the price. Yes, for middle income people and above, splurging for an e-reader ends up being worth it. For low-income families, e-readers are completely out of the question. Books need to be accessible to people of all income levels and e-readers just don't provide that. And frankly, to them, the Kindle isn't quite as cool as a Sidekick or iPod. It's hard enough to push reading on these kids – there's no need to make it more difficult.
Also there's the problem of running out of battery. Who wants their e-reader to die in the middle of an intense plot twist?
David Ferretti III says
Hello Nathan
My concern can probably be number eleven on your list. You mentioned the miniscule amount of money an author earns for every e-book sale but you did not talk about the simultaneous publication and sale of e-books and hard/paperback editions. As an author I would like to know that I have a choice to hold off on having my manuscript published as an e-book until the hardback editions have run their course in the book stores.
David
DG says
I think the Kindle and Nook are dead once Apple is fully on board with its iTablet.
I think B&N felt compelled to make a proprietary e-reader in order to move the e-book format along, and also because Apple has taken so long to get a larger than iphone/itouch screen to market. Apple is very careful about how and when they enter a new market. Expect the e-book to really take off when they do.
The Kindle and Nook will then go the way of the early MP3 players that preceded the ipod.
Loren Eaton says
I used stanza on the iPhoe to read my first ebook, and it made me want to tear my eyes out with my own hands. Ouch, ouch, ouch, eyestrain. And trying to find your place if you didn't bookmark? Not fun.
Loren Eaton says
That should read "iPhone." I can spell. Really.
ryan field says
I didn't know this:
"You can't check e-books out from the library"
I think that's wonderful.
Steven Gaskin says
r.e. 5) Seriously? They're crippling a ubiquitous commodity, surely in the name of DRM, by making eBooks behave like physical books? You have to take the intangible eBook back to the library? I'm bemused by their clear intent to fail on all fronts.
Shattered says
I love my Kindle and I love how easy it is to read, use, access books, the list could go on and on… I also love the ability I have to download PDF docs. That comes in very handy for work-related reading.
Pamala Knight says
Thanks for the clarifying post, Nathan. I'm a Kindle2 owner already, so I appreciate finding out things about my eReader that I might not have known.
My ownership of an eReader also hasn't hindered my purchasing bound books either. This weekend, I plunked down the $27 that Borders wanted for WOLF HALL and then just today, decided that my lovely new hardcover might get messed up if haul it around with me all over creation. So today, I downloaded the $9.40 Kindle version too. I'd promised myself that I wouldn't buy the e-version since the bound book came first, but I'm a creature of habit and convenience and it's easier for me to cart my Kindle around with me.
Nick says
I'm still in the "Sit in the dark corner and make Clint Eastwood faces at it" camp. Won't be touching an e-reader any time soon, preferably ever. But hey, to each their own. Certainly an informative post if nothing else.
Terry says
I like the Ziploc bag idea for the beach, probably the freezer bags, as opposed to the storage bags. They have a tighter seal.
And the used book people were an eye opener for me. That is good news. Thanks.
Marilyn Peake says
I discovered something on the Internet today that amazed me. I had no idea that so many public libraries now offer eBooks as well as other downloadable media (including audiobooks and music) that their patrons can download from home. Here are the eBook divisions for several libraries:
The New York Public Library and
Los Angeles Public Library and
Chicago Public Library and
The Seattle Public Library.
Very cool!!
Kait Nolan says
While you can certainly check out ebooks from the library, the ONLY reader I'm familiar with that actually WORKS with the time limited file access is the Sony. This is, I feel, the biggest problem with ereaders. I simply don't WANT to buy all the books that I read, and I would love to have more options in terms of what readers will work with my library's ebooks. I was really disappointed to find out that Nook won't do this.
Lisa Dez says
And, tying this in with last week’s uproar about Harlequin, I just posted that self-published e-books are readily available through Amazon and B&N, which is going to dilute the literary pool much more significantly than Harlequin, or any other traditional publishers foray into the self-publishing money wagon—and longer term since, like it or not, e-books are the wave of the future.
http:/lisadesrochers.blogspot.com/2009/11/self-published-titles-readily-available.html
(couldn't get the link to work–sorry)
Mary Anne says
I'd love an e-reader!
Another attorney gave my boss a "thank you" gift– 2 Kindle DX's (the big, bad, expensive ones). My boss hasn't yet figured out how to open attachments on his cell phone.
He asked me – what do you do with these things? I fought the urge to say – you give them to me.
I hated to think of the poor devices wildering in the bottom of his drawer, so I got creative and came up with some business uses. He took one of them home and left the other around for "general office use." Yeah – what's the office budget for romance novels?
Longsuffering Sigh — someday, I'll have a Kindle of my own, but probably not a DX unless that price comes WAY down. At least I got to hold an actual working Kindle and see how samples of my books looked on the things!!
Annette says
Put it in a ziploc bag – brilliant! Why oh why didn't I think of that…
AM Riley says
I write books that are sometimes published as ebooks, so I am biased.
But when I read articles bemoaning the evil of ebooks, I am reminded of a sound house I worked with back in the early days of digital music. They had a plaque on their front desk that said, "the future of digital is analogue". Needless to say, they are now out of business.
I'm sure ereaders will become more affordable, easier and more pleasant to use. I am sure publishers will find a way to make money on books published electronically. I'm sure everybody will adapt. I am absolutely positive that the future of publishing is digital.
Resistance is futile.
Scott says
A handy list for the upcoming holidays, Nathan. Cheers.
As I read it, it brought an opinion out in me I didn't know I had. Something continues to stick in my craw about e-books and readers, and maybe I've finally found it.
I read so much about how this technology is going to revolutionize the publishing industry, and perhaps it is in a few ways for certain groups of people. I also hear the technology being compared to compact discs and such, and I when I first heard about e-reading stuff I started fretting over the end of books as we know them.
But outside of my very serious writer or reader friends, when I bring up the e-reader I get something like "oh…yeah, I heard of them" response. Back when compact discs were breaking the scene, it was more like, "Oh, I can't wait! No more scratchy records and warped cassettes!"
My point being, e-readers don't really improve the reading experience to the level where books just no longer will do. In fact, I just borrowed a book from a friend and there are literally hundreds of books I haven't read that I could easily borrow, as well. The last book I read was actually mailed to me by a friend, and she got it used off the internet for pennies.
Now, my father who's retired loves his Sony reader. He reads four books a week, all on WWII. To say he's on the edge of the WWII publishing curve cannot be overstated. For him, quick and fast makes sense. For technophiles who also happen to be serious readers or who need to read for their occupations, the e-reader couldn't come fast enough. For the rest of us, isn't it more like On-Demand movies as opposed to, say, Netflix?
So, I guess what sticks in my craw is more how I feel the industry is trying to convince me I need this than my actually needing it. I don't include you in that because you cover all things book and are a valuable source of information. But if I never get an e-reader in my life, I can't say I've really missed anything, can I?
Ink says
Hail, Borg E-Reading Overlords.
Ink says
Scott,
That's an interesting point. I've never actually seen a real e-reader. Most of my customers have never even heard of them. Most aren't particularly interested when they do…
I do sometimes wonder how far they'll pass from the early adopters. Not everything that's popular within that group goes on to be popular in the general populace. Will e-readers build momentum, hit a tipping point and become the dominant force in books? Level out at some shared interest level with paper books? Falter and remain only a niche market?
Where's that Nostradamus fellow when you need him…
Nathan Bransford says
Bryan, Scott-
With advertisements running on tv for the Kindle and Sony Reader and with the Apple tablet coming next year and smart phones becoming more common I think we're reaching the point where pretty much everyone knows they exist. We're still in the early adoption/"how do these things work again?" stage, but they're going to keep spreading as people get mire familiar with how to find them. In the immortal words of Mike Tyson, I don't think they're going to fade into Bolivia.
Nathan Bransford says
Bryan, Scott-
With advertisements running on tv for the Kindle and Sony Reader and with the Apple tablet coming next year and smart phones becoming more common I think we're reaching the point where pretty much everyone knows they exist. We're still in the early adoption/"how do these things work again?" stage, but they're going to keep spreading as people get mire familiar with how to find them. In the immortal words of Mike Tyson, I don't think they're going to fade into Bolivia.
Pam says
Does anyone here own a Kindle DX, or do you know someone who does? After reading the specs, I like the idea of the bigger screen, but I'm wondering if the DX is awkward to hold.
Would love some feedback. Anyone? Anyone?
Adam Heine says
I should be able to find this myself, but the information I get is unclear (to me). Can the Kindle connect to a regular wireless network, like the one I use to connect my laptop(s) to the internet? Or is it only the cellular wireless available in "the US and partner networks in other countries"?
If the latter, this is one of my issues. I'd love to have a Kindle, but if I can't use the wireless feature from Thailand I'll feel like I'm wasting a significant chunk of money.
Ink says
Nathan,
Hey, Bolivia doesn't sound so bad. I bet they get a lot of sun, at least.
And I really don't think e-readers will fade, though anything is possible. What I'm not sure about is whether they'll really take over and reduce paper books to a small minority. I mean, lots of people don't really need paper money, but they use it anyway. And lots of people still use only cash. Lots of people don't have credit cards. Heck, a surprising number of people don't have bank accounts.
So I think e-readers are here to stay… but I could see a split format market pretty easily, though I don't discount the possibility of e-books becoming dominant (particularly as the decades slip by). I guess I'm curious to see where the dividing point will end up, and how long it'll take to get there.
Lauren says
I should think about getting myself an e-reader…maybe. I might be too traditional.
Nathan Bransford says
Bryan-
well, to the best of my knowledge digital music sales still don't exceed CD sales even ten years after mp3s started sweeping the nation. So I don't imagine ebooks are going to be a whole lot faster, particularly when the benefits of ebooks over paper books aren't as clear cut to most people as mp3s over CDs. I see this as a steady change rather than a tipping point and agree that the formats are going to coexist for some time.
At the same time, if ebooks reach even 25% of sales it's going to have enormous repercussions throughout the industry. Publishers are going to have to adapt to lower price points and piracy, bookstores are going to face still more pressure, and authors will be increasingly tempted to epublish first.
It will look like a slow burn to the outside world, but publishers especially could be under enormous pressure.