Well well well.
For the first time since the heady days of early 2010s e-book enthusiasm, we’ve seen a pretty significant jump in people who think they’ll buy mostly e-books, with a clear plurality.
While the number of people who are sticking to paper books has stayed mostly the same, there was a big shift in people who welcome their coming e-book overlords, mainly due to fence-sitters hopping off into the e-book column.
What do you make of our annual unscientific poll? Is there a shift underway that is making people more willing to consider e-books?
Personally, this feels like it tracks my experience, as more people have been willing to consider e-books amid pandemic and supply disruptions with print.
What say you?
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E-books are simply easier (is that why they’re called e-books?, hee, hee). I can download them and wham!, I have my books with me wherever I go. I find myself reading more, and more often. Plus I can also read in bed, for hours and hours, without waking up my husband. Often, I read until morning and am a sloppy mess the next day.
One thing that bothers me, though, especially as a writer. When I’m reading a “real” book, which I still often do, I readily notice the title and author, and so if you ask me what I’m reading, I can rattle if off with little hesitation.
However, with e-books, while I can happily talk about the plot, the characters, pivotal moments, etc., because I don’t see the title and author’s name each time I pick up my device, I often don’t know the title of what I’m reading or, worse, the author’s name.
This, me thinks, is one of the drawbacks of e-books, at least from an author’s perspective.
I hadn’t thought of that. As an author, I think it should maybe worry me a little. So if someone reads book 1 of a series, and they can’t remember the author, they won’t be able to buy and read subsequent books!
I read mainly ebooks. This is because I can, as Cinthia says, get them immediately, and they are much cheaper than regular books. They are also often on promotion, so I can get them even cheaper or for nothing.
Does that make me sound like a miser?
I do like the feel of a ‘real’ book, though, and ebooks don’t have the same smell.
Nope. Still prefer real books.