It’s that time of year again! Time to put on your prognosticator hats and click through to vote on a poll about you and e-books and the future. Nothing less than AN UNSCIENTIFIC READING OF THE PULSE OF THE WORLD is at stake.
This is a question I’ve now asked three years running. Here is 2007 and 2008 (okay it was technically early 2009 because I forgot at the end of 2008).
Will you ever buy mostly e-books? Can you imagine a future where you mainly by e-books and either don’t buy paper books or only buy them once in a while? Is this indeed already your reality?
Laura Martone says
Perhaps this is more information than I should admit, Elaine, but I do read e-books in the bathtub. I just can't have too much wine in me when I do… or else down goes my Sony… which, oddly enough, does not function well after drying out.
P.S. And to you, Bane… 🙂
C.L. Moyer says
I am old-school Seattle reader. I just feel better when I have a book in my bag. It changes with my mood and the size of my bag. I like underlining, dog-earing the page I'm on, and reading something so many times the spine cracks. You can tell my very favorite paperbacks because chunks of the pages have begun to fall out.
We have a Kindle and I have read things on it, but it's not the same. I feel like I slipped through a time tunnel and am on Star Trek reading a P.A.D.D.
I also feel that when we purchase books on Kindle we are buying air, nothing real. One computer glitch and it's gone. I will always prefer looking at my wall of books and knowing they're where they are supposed to be. LOL
I understand the trend is going that way, and that's fine. But I will always prefer paperbacks.
Elaine 'still writing' Smith says
Plastic bags work? That's sick!
anne vinsel says
hey, bathtub readers! i love my kindle, in and out of the tub! no electrocution fantasies; if i dropped it i don't know what would happen but i wouldn't be electrocuted. have never dropped a print book and don't plan to drop my kindle either. no need for baggies, etc. just keep a dry washcloth on the edge of the tub in case you somehow splash a little while reading (like if you turn on the hot water with your foot and put your foot in the water too hard). don't miss the smell of paper books (isn't a lot of the nostalgia for mildew? ew), don't miss how heavy they are while reading in bed, don't miss how the spine cracks and pages fall out, definitely don't miss dusting. only downside to my kindle so far is that i mostly use it for recreational reading, since i haven't figured out how to reference quotes (no pages = no page #s, anybody know how?)
got it may 15, 09, have 112 books on it, have only bought hard copy art and photo books, and one that kindle didn't have. love it for traveling, love it for work (so easy to sneak-read!) and interestingly, i find i read faster and w/less eyestrain, important since i'm a surgical photographer. lots more room in the house in future!
Carl Daugherty says
I already buy almost 100% eBooks. I believe I've bought one paperback on a specialized subject in the last few months. I don't miss the smell or feel of paper at all, and find reading on my Kindle to be an entirely book-like experience. There will always be paper books, always, but I'm very happy with eBooks.
Elaine 'still writing' Smith says
Hey Laura
I'm gearing up for plastic bags – clear plastic sacks gotta be the saviour of the latest laptop.
Sally Jo says
I'm sure I would love to use an e-reader, but I want to be able to own my books–lend them out years later if I want, or be able to sell them used or do an online exchange…and if I understand correctly, that's not possible with ebooks. So for now I'll stick to hard copies.
Keely Hutton says
I've owned my Kindle for a year and love it. I enjoy reading great writing whether it's on a paper page or electronic.
Grimmster24 says
I have no other reason for not buying e-books other than I have been reading regular ones for 20-some years now, and it is a VERY hard habit to break, Nathan. haha.
Word verification: estiness. Oooooh, sounds very suave.
Kristen Cramer says
I love holding books and flipping through the pages, and I love being able to share my books with friends and family. But, my husband and I have already filled eleven bookcases with a collection of almost 3,000 books and there's simply no more space in the house for more.
I've been donating and selling used books to make room for new books, but I can't seem to do it fast enough to keep up with my reading habit. I'm constantly adding new books. That darn feature on Amazon that says "Customers who purchased this item also purchased these other items…" is evil! (Evil in a wonderful way that leads me to new authors I never would have found otherwise, but evil nonetheless.)
I resisted buying an e-reader until last week when I finally ordered a Kindle. I want to continue to support my favorite authors by buying their books, but from now on most of my purchases will have to be e-books. I'll probably only buy the print versions for books that are additions to a series I already own, or for books with color photos or diagrams. There are also some reference books and how-to books that are more user-friendly when you can flip through the pages.
Steve says
I clicked on "maybe – if the price…"
What there was no way to add to that is that I am skeptical that any electronic device could ever get the "look and feel" down well enough to compete with the superior and well-developed ergonomics, convenience, and just plain comfort of bound paper.
-Steve
MzMannerz says
Good Lord, Nathan, are you making commission from these things? 🙂
Who knows – I can see myself doing a mix, depending on the book, subject matter, etc.
I can see using e-readers as tests, too. Some books I love to read over and over, and if that were the case I'd probably buy a hard copy even if I bought the original electronically.
Carolyn B says
I've always loved books and my house is full of them. I have hard backs and paperbacks, crumbling antiques and brand new publishers proofs. They line my living room shelves, spill over my bedside tables, and make my narrow hallways even narrower. I see this tiny beginning of ebooks as a way to begin to simplify my life. I no longer NEED to keep all these books.
Anonymous says
Could someone please tell me if reading an e-book on a reader, like the kindle, is more like reading on the computer or reading an actual book? I hate to read on the computer! I don't think I hate it as I do it, but I never ever enjoy the story as much when reading on a computer. I don't know why…it doesn't matter what book it is…so it must be the computer.
Chazley Dotson says
I buy e-books exclusively now. The e-book revolution is a real blessing for those of us who live overseas, and for those of us who enjoy the laziness of ordering a book and having it appear on our readers. I welcome the overlords.
(There was a guest on The Colbert Report on December first who talked about his reasons for not allowing a Kindle version of his book to be released. If you're interested in the e-book debate, you should certainly check it out: http://www.colbertnation.com)
pambatson says
I've begrudged the eReader/eBooks concept for two years since the Kindle was introduced and eBooks started to make their splash. But little by little I've opened my mind and heart to what I consider the inevitable future of publishing. I've jumped on the Nook bandwagon and ordered one. But first I wanted to have one last read, a big one before I started my eBook journey. And let me tell ya, even though I'm enjoying Stephen King's "Under the Dome," it's tough to curl up in bed with 1,074 pages in hardcover. Hasten, B&N. Get that Nook shipped already!
Laura Martone says
Glad to hear it, Elaine! But, just so you know, I will feel really awful if your laptop falls in the drink.
Valerie L Smith says
I don't own an e-reader yet because most of my books come from the library. I only buy books that I can't get from the library or that I know I'll refer to frequently. As a result, I just can't justify the cost at this point.
Once the price comes down and the library's selection of e-books has grown significantly, I'll be on board.
Laura Martone says
Anon 3:56 – IMO, I find that reading e-books on my Sony reader is more like reading "real" books and less like reading documents on a computer. For one thing, the size helps… it looks like a book in that regard. Another thing that helps is the e-ink aspect, which allows the page to look like a "real" book page (and makes it easier to read in the sunshine).
Haste yee back ;-) says
When ebooks get into Pop-up — I'm there!
Haste yee back 😉
Watery Tart says
At some point I'd like to own a reader for certain KINDS of occasions–travel, for instance, where books are heavy and bulky. It isn't important enough to even shop for one though, and it will only EVER be the exception for my reading habits.
miked says
Colbert interviewed Sherman Alexie tonight on Colbert Report. Alexie explained why he wasn't releasing his book War Dances in e-book form and why he is afraid of e-books.
Madison L. Edgar says
I've never tried it, but my eye keeps wandering to the Kindle…
Terry Towery says
If we ever get to an e-book-only-world, does that mean authors will no longer have to embark on those 16-city book signing tours?
It would seem to me that signing a Kindle would be rather difficult.
Personally, I love the interaction one gets with authors who sign books at the local bookstore.
Word verification: Taxens. It's what we call folks working at H&R Block in Texas.
MBA Jenna says
I'm waiting for an apple device that does everything (phone, book, music, movies), but I expect my "book" purchasing will be 90% ebook and 10% print from then onwards.
It will always be nice to have the artifact to lend and to curl up with; so with anything I truly love, I'll get a physical copy. But I'll read it first on my device.
Bill Swan says
Ebooks? Coo.
Needs: price reduction
Standard platform.
Majority of sales.
The survey shows growing acceptance. Once the canoe tips, real books on real paper will be collector things from yard sales, often used for impressive decor.
Laura Martone says
As stated previously, I do love my e-reader, but I admit to some skepticism about having ONLY e-books. Not only would I miss so-called "real" books, but I still wonder how e-books will affect author royalties. I know that I, for one, make less on the e-book version of my travel guides than on the physical versions. Which is a bummer.
But as for concerns about lending e-books to others… I can already do that with my Sony e-reader. Share files with others, I mean.
Laurie Boris says
While I adore printed books, and will never totally abandon them, now that I've discovered e-books, you're going to have to pry my Kindle from my cold, dead hands.
ryan field says
I remember an article back in the 90's I read in Writer's Digest. It was about the future, and what it would be like when writers did everything with computers, including writing e-queries and reading Writer's Digest online instead of as a hard copy magazine.
I never thought it would happen. It was laughable.
The last eight books I've read were e-books, and I didn't even realize I'm now reading more e-books than print books until I saw this post.
Kate Higgins says
I love the way the people who ask this question as a "poll" (you are not the only one), lead the witness.
Reading is cool. Anything that promotes reading is good. Electronic, paper and even audio. The point is the story. The Story!
E-books equal portability, less paper used (hence more trees). They should not be pitted against the 'real' book but thought as an augmentation.
Would I buy one. Yes. Would I stop reading regular books, no. I will "read" anything with words. books, e-books, cereal boxes and audio. I have an average of 4 books going at one time in all genres and all media.
People once thought that radio and even TV would ruin reading, I don't think it has, do you?
Courtney Price says
I said yes, but with a caveat… I want my reader to be more like an ipod– color artwork, audio as well? This needs to be a machine that does everything and does it all WELL. But it can be the size of a reader. Sound good?
That'd be coo.
E.L. Psomiadis says
If I can get newspapers in an e reader, then I'd be tempted to get one. But books . . . no way. Sorry.
Demon Hunter says
Paper!! 😀 The smell of the books, the visual appeal, less eye strain, etc. 😀
Courtney says
Nah, in the event of a worldwide catastrophic event, you can't burn ebooks to keep yourself warm, cook your food, and keep yourself alive. You just can't.
Seriously, though, I don't think that buying mostly e-books will become anywhere near practical enough for me in the foreseeable future. Not that I don't enjoy the occasional e-book…
Merry Monteleone says
What a difference two years make 🙂
My original vote was 'no', back in 2007. And I still like paper books, I still worry over the fate of actual brick and mortar book stores where I can wander through stacks and open new finds… when I order online, I go straight for what I'm looking for and seldom impulse buy something new. (Good for my budget, bad for midlist or lesser known authors).
This time I voted 'maybe', because I can see the time coming when e-readers will be affordable and books harder to find. And I just can't give up reading, so I'm playing the odds and thinking I'll adjust.
Jaime says
Nathan, I was happier when I thought you meant to write "coo"!
I think it's funny that this poll is up today – my husband and I have this argument constantly. I'm sitting very comfortably in the 'nothing beats the feel of turning a physical page' camp. I say this while he sits next to me, reading from his iPod.
It's great to pick up a book from my mother's shelf, knowing that she read it when she was my age – and no doubt my son will read his father's Harry Potter books. And perhaps our grandchildren will read our books . . .
Sure, in fifty years the pages might be a little wrinkly and discoloured, but there will be a story to these books, too – and it won't just be the one written on the pages.
Alison Pensy says
I already buy just e-books. I adore my kindle and now find paper books bulky, esp the big novels from Ms. Meyers et al. I love the fact that you can buy self pubbed e-books for next to nothing and most I have read so far have been very good, and well worth the dollar I paid. Having a kindle is saving me so much money, but I know this is probably not what the publishing industry wants to hear.
Cheryl says
I'm still leery about e-books and readers because at one time I purchased several e-books and downloaded them to my laptop to read using Adobe reader.
One updated version of Adobe reader later and suddenly all of my e-books were missing or unable to be opened. Some I hadn't even read yet.
So for now, I've been burned and annoyed by technology and prefer reading the old fashioned way.
Avery June says
It is much easier to nurse a baby and turn a Kindle page.
Nancy says
For me, I could never read e-books only. I'll probably get to the point where I use both formats, though I don't think I'd be very organized about why I select one over the other. I may buy a print book purely for aesthetics or for nostalgia because I'd want to have one author's series of books in print, if that's how I started reading that author. For new material or quick reads of unknown authors I'd probably buy for an e-reader. (I don't own one now.) Also, I'm a bookaholic, so using an e-reader would save the stress on my burgeoning book shelves.
I told my chiropractor today, Nathan, about your discussion here and asked her to weigh in, since she now owns two Kindle readers. She said she would continue to buy print books as well. And something interesting: she sometimes buys print after reading the e-version because with nonfiction books she likes to highlight and underline and make notes in the margins, which, she said, is cumbersome with e-versions.
Amanda Evans says
I have to admit that I am a fan of ebooks but tend to find that they sit on my computer and many of them never get read. My books on the other hand get pulled off the shelf every couple of months especially when I want to remember something specific. When it comes to research books I would never rely on an e-book, you need the paper in front of you. E-books are great but I don't think books will ever loose their appeal.
Kelly H says
While I voted "you can pry my paper books from my cold dead hands" I think, one day, I will like the convenience of e-books and buy some. But I can't imagine a time when I will entirely give up my "real books" completely!
SphinxnihpS of Aker-Ruti says
I say no, because the ebooks right now are more expensive than mass markets. So, I'm still going to go with the cheaper method. And I'm still leery about the devices–I don't even remember the name of the competitor of Blue-Ray DVD, but I bet those who bought their products do. Same here. Finally, I want to make sure I physically own the copy of the ebook I buy–that I'm not going to lose it when I get a new device or something happens to my old one. I am very much against anything that smacks of "leasing". Even if all that were fixed, I wouldn't be completely converted. I still like paper products. But I would buy some.
Jodi
Anonymous says
What would really be coo would be having the option to download a copy of the physical books we buy, if not for free, at least at a discounted price. I'm using (and loving) B&N reader, and I've fallen into the really bad habit of buying a book, then buying a copy of the same e-book to read on my iPhone/home computer/work computer… . This is very bad for the budget.
Colleen says
Although at the moment I can't imagine giving up my lovely books for another cold screen, I know the day will come and when it does, I'll wonder why I didn't switch sooner. I am old enough to remember the launch of the Internet. As a matter of fact, I worked on the PR campaign for an application that was considered to be the first practical use of the Internet. In the mid-90s, the Internet was annoying as well. It hadn't been populated and information was hard to find or non-existent. Look how far we've come on that front. It will be the same with e-readers.
Anonymous says
For all this talk about the world going paperless, I sure haven't seen it yet. If anything it's just generating more paper. How many people waste a sheet of paper printing off a two-line e-mail message? Or twenty sheets per person when you're doing a death by PowerPoint session? Paperless is really still an ideal…not the reality.
I agree with the folks who equate e-books with staring at monitors at work. I'm also not at all crazy about the whole DRM system, and I don't think anyone yet has a good idea of just how reliable and durable e-readers really are. And just how green are those readers to manufacture? And the batteries they run on?
I'll stick with my paper books for now, thanks.
Mark says
I would imagine it mostly comes down to if you feel comfortable sitting in front of a screen all the time. Many students and tech-savy people have no trouble.
For me, books are an escape from the screen that I sit in front of at work 8-10 hours per day.. plus I play some computer games so there is another x hours in front of the computer. Hence my reluctance to watch TV on the computer (why watch a 3 inch square version of the show instead of my 70" plasma anyway?) and reluctance to read books online.
I have read some before, text files downloaded from gutenberg and others but I would much rather kick back in my easy-chair.
I haven't tried the kindle, I suppose it offers much of the convenience of regular books if you like the rent vs. buy philosophy. Personally, I like to keep my books – I have some I purchased 30 years ago, and have had some rebound.
But I suspect I am a dinosaur and eventually if you want a "print edition" of the book you will have to pay extra to have it custom-printed.
Blues Greene says
As a teacher I can tell you that "coo" is definitely cooler than cool. Reading these comments I was afraid than many young people would make a seamless transition; especially the woman who noted she had no space for books. Ouch! But then I see some question who profits, who doesn't? That's hopeful. Quicker, cheaper, faster, tidier, more convenient, doesn't always mean better. I know some people who love being surrounded by books. One poet friend enjoys keeping them around for awhile after finishing one. She likes sleeping in a room with books. I do too. I know it's coming, and I know it can't be stopped, but ebooks will never replace real books. How could they? So open that bookstore, people will find you.
Vacuum Queen says
I LOVES me some iPhone and all things digital, but I still enjoy staring at real books at the store. And there's a great kids' store where I love love buying a book and matching puzzle or toy for gifts. One of my favorite shopping therapies would be gone if we were all eBook.
I suppose it'll happen someday, and if it does…let's hope it helps my kids in college. You know, less lugging around of texts, etc. I know someone who's in a Kindle trial of texts at the UofWashington and she likes it. I'm hoping that all the kinks will be worked out in a few more years.
Anonymous says
I think the results may be inaccurate because the average person participating in the votes are better read (at least i would think so)than the reading community as a whole. And we all know how absurdly attached people can get as far as habits go (baby blankets as well:), thus the votes for "Never. You can pry my paper books from my cold dead hands" are bound to be higher. But it the purpose of the polls is to determine the rise in popularity of ebooks over time, well, then that's a different story 🙂