E-Books vs Printed Books: How are Reading Habits Changing?
Mike was sitting beside the window looking at the ocean and enjoying his breakfast of fried eggs with ham and bagel. It was his third day on holiday in Southern California . Great weather, fantastic food, and an excellent hotel made him happy.
Mike shifted his glance to the hotel guests, who were also having breakfast, and recognized a couple he had met in the hotel the day before. Both were quiet and looked like strangers. The husband was rapidly eating and looking non-stop at his laptop’s monitor. His wife, compared to her husband, was concentrating only on her food.
Mike turned his head to the left and saw two adults with two children. Each of the family members were busy with their electronic gadgets. How crazy the world is, Mike thought, and we call this a breakfast. Well, they should remember which hand has what when they are eating.
Some half an hour later Mike went to the beach. Sitting there, reading, and listening to the waves breaking on the shore had become his holiday routine. He looked through a local newspaper and then switched on a new tablet that he had bought before the holiday. He chose an e-book (the first one in his life), rubbed his hands with impatience, and started reading. Twenty minutes later he took off his sunglasses realizing he had missed something important – he experienced a faint feeling of tiredness and disappointment because he couldn’t concentrate anymore.
Strange. I can’t enjoy this way of reading, Mike thought. Aloud he said: “Gosh, the e-reader is rather annoying …”
“Hey, can I help you?” someone asked him sympathetically.
Mike swiveled in his beach chair and saw a sun tanned young man sitting not far from him. His big smile was welcoming and they started chatting. Soon Mike knew that the young man, whose name was Bob*, worked in a rather remote place, Kitt Peak Observatory, where having a tablet was a great advantage. They talked about advantages and disadvantages of tablets. Mike listened eagerly trying to see Bob’s point. But words failed Mike to express his own feelings.
“I read electronic versions of scientific magazines and fiction books. Well, I also like to go to bookstores – it’s very relaxing. But the nearest one is in Tucson San Francisco
Mike considered a moment and said: “Indeed. The US
He remained silent for a moment and then went on: “Well… Maybe I am old-fashioned but like to have pleasure reading, the feel of the paper, the smell of it, enjoying the book cover, and keeping a printed book on a bookshelf. I agree with you – e-books are booming. Does it mean they will change the nature of a book? How?”
It seemed Mike was questioning himself, in fact, he was very curious about Bob’s reply….
*the character’s name is purely fictional
Good article Olga. It is so true that books are going out of print to electronic ink.
ReplyDeleteYes, there are cons. But don't the pros far outweigh the cons? There are so many valuable books that were lost with time because of damage to the prints. In addition, so many trees are saved because of this change.
In my view, books should be printed on-demand rather than by default. E-books offer a real flexibility - preserving the books, widening the audience, and being eco-friendly at the same time.
In fact, I am reading this blog only because of the electronic version. Though these are a series of articles, it can be chapters of your future e-book.
In my opinion, the article can be retitled to - "E-Books vs Printed Books: Will Reading Habits change?"
Thanks for the comment, dear Krishna.
DeleteWell, maybe e-books are relative new. They are like new toys for children – to play and then? Maybe they will survive which is OK because they have their target group.
The other point is whether good and big bookstores should vanish because of the “fashion wave”, e-books publishing. Why not to keep traditions?
How do people use e-books and printed books in your region? Do they read online a lot?
Best wishes,
Olga
Let me reword your thoughts - printed books will survive with e-books. Electronic books are the future because of their ubiquitous and pervasive nature. But printed books will stay because we still LOVE the touch, smell, and feel of PAPER.
Delete"The other point is whether good and big bookstores should vanish because of the “fashion wave”, e-books publishing. Why not to keep traditions?"
- No, the traditions were created because paper was easy to manufacture and use until the digital age came. In addition, there was no feasible alternative to printed paper. I believe, the bookstores should evolve from merely being printed bookstores to being a combination of both - offering printed books on demand. Most of the big bookstores forgot to change and now they are in a mess. The void created, due to lack of book stores, is now filled by tech companies like - Amazon, etc.
The available alternative for traditional bookstores is to be nimble along withe being big. Every big business evolves with time, So, book business cannot be an exception.
"How do people use e-books and printed books in your region? Do they read online a lot? "
- I have lived in India and US. In India, the change to digital age is happening at a slower pace than in US. In US, the latest technology is being used. Yes, in India people read online a lot. However, the last end connectivity is not so great at many places slowing the pace of digital catch up.
Thanks for your comment, dear Krishna.
DeleteIt seems there are very different points of view re e-books and printed books. For this reason, I also reflected two different opinions in my blog – of course, it depends where you are, your mobility, and lots of other factors that influence your choice of reading (on- or offline).
Not sure the digital age is and should be regarded as an alternative to printed books. I think we should never forget that good (not bad) bookstores vanished. Indeed, bookstores are challenged by e-publishing and, in my opinion, there should be very different ways of improving quality of work in a bookstore. Some bookstores are looking for their ways – some have started to sell e.g. food, candles, and other things that have nothing to do with books…
I read somewhere … “you are the way you read”. What do you think about it?
Olga, can you enlighten me the steps required to publish a book in the traditional manner using the traditional publishing house?
DeleteAfter that, can you shed light on the steps required to e-publish?
Let us gather all the data and then decide what is best for one. Great to see so may comments pouring in.
Hi Olga, Sorry to be so late getting back to you...
ReplyDeleteHello Krishna, Thanks for your thoughtful input.
As I had related to Olga by regular (old-fashioned) email... I am not so sure about sustainability / eco-friendliness of e-books. Perhaps it would be more exact to say "e-book readers". (The devices, not the human readers themselves)
Not that I have hard figures at hand, but I do think one should not make assumptions. Paper can and is recycled. Our beloved devices contain materials that are extracted from the Earth also at ecological cost. And what happens when they are out of date? They pile up in massive heaps in Chinese port cities, sort of modern-day Monte Testaccio.
The other side is that, as mentioned, there is something special about the feel & smell of a "real" book. I like to be able to write notes on the margins of some volumes as well. But Okay, both have their benefits.
There is definitely something to be said about any experience: Reading, relating, playing, making music, sharing, communicating, all of it. I believe it is valuable to have the experience happening directly in the real world, without the involvement of a screen and processor of some kind.
That relates very deeply with my own work as well. I hope you and all your friends have an opportunity to experience that directly and in person!
Cheers,
Bill
Thank you so much for your comment, dear Bill.
DeleteI think it’s a great point re experience in the real world. Of course, people have email communication – like we have. It is quick and great for people who are not (always) in the place. As I wrote in my blog article, an e-book can be very useful if you live or work in a remote place. There are, of course, other advantages of e-books – I agree with you.
Some schools are planning to work only with e-books. Not sure about this approach – a lot of research is required before this fundamental step.
I wonder whether your children would like to have e-books for learning and what you and think about this.
Best wishes,
Olga
Hi, Krishna, Olga, or any one with the knowledge enlighten me:
ReplyDelete1.How could eBooks be of much value, if editors of major media do not even review them? (this is true in India, and i guess everywhere)
2. Has any writer/ professional become renowned,or his contribution widely acknowledged by writing eBook? Many thanks to anyone responding?
harish shivdasani
Dear Harish,
DeleteThank you for your interest and great questions.
1. I absolutely agree with you – it’s a great point! I think almost no one is interested in promoting e-books … The only person who is interested in this is the writer. Why? Look at Amazon. They have plenty of great (e-)books and as far as I know they do nothing for their promotion. I really wonder who can help a writer to promote his/her book??
2. Your questions are closely connected. If a writer has huge difficulties to promote his/her e-book (which is really so), it’s very hard to become famous. How will your readers find you? Where? I think every effort of advertizing is on the writer’s shoulders.
Writing a book is an exciting experience. There are great writers who have written fantastic books but still they are not well-known. Some writers decide to have electronic versions of their books trying to reach as many readers as they can (the web is huge) but their efforts are often in vain… Who will do this in the future?
Best wishes,
Olga
Harish - I guess the 2nd point will become real in the next few years...After all, e-books are very new. Let the writers adopt and then see the change.
DeletePromotion / review of ebooks (Kindle) on Amazon. Currently, this is a growing, grass-roots effort. These reviews are based on the social presence of the book and what regular readers say. I believe as time goes on, more recognized reviewers who are subject matter experts, such as other recognized authors and other authorities, will begin to chime in. There is an opportunity for PR firms to pick up on this and become e-book focused as new titles come online.
ReplyDeleteJust as the book publishing business took quite a while to "mature" to what it is today, the e-book business will also take a while as well. Work with it, encourage it and support it as it winds its way along that path to maturity.
Dear Andrew,
DeleteThank you for your comment. You live in the place I described in my blog, Tucson.
It will be interesting to hear opinions of self-publishers, people, who publish their books themselves. I wonder whether someone inlc. Amazon is interested in promoting their e-books.
Best wishes,
Olga
Dear Olga
DeleteThank you for your response, and thank you Andrew for your subsequent comment. First, responding to Andrew, all that i have to say is that may be eBooks will find their place under the sun after say 5 or 7 years, may in less time. But meanwhile i can't imagine any author making a sacrifice his book merely for the broad objective of furthering the cause of e-publishing.
Olga, if we agree with me that eBooks can't achieve the popularity and recognition level due to them, i have another related question. Most top ranking publishers are less than eager to seriously look at the book proposals of first time authors, and find it useful to pay more attention to 'proven' authors. In fact one of the top 2 / 3 publishers confessed that they give cursory glance to page or two of unknown author. Does this mean Olga that new author should even shake hands with the (sorry for the term i am using) third rate publisher who would at least ensure distribution among many book stores all over, than settle down for e-publishing? My answer would probably be positive, for eBook edition can in any case follow the print edition later.What is your take and also of those whom you have rightly posed the question - the self publishers or eBOOK published authors. Hope they would be willing to respond without feeling much self-conscious. Look forward to responses. Thanks
Dear Harish,
DeleteThere was an article about publishers’ interest in new books and authors in a newspaper (I think in the WSJ). Indeed, unknown authors should have a lot of luck to be published.
I think it’s very hard for unknown authors to open a door and find their way to a reader. Maybe this situation leads a lot of authors to self-publishing incl. e-publishing. However, I can imagine that some authors might like to have both versions of their books – electronic and printed. The other thing is which version their readers would choose. That’s why I think research is a must. It’s necessary to understand your potential readers and how their reading habits are changing.
I really wonder how well publishers and authors know their readers’ habits of reading.
Best wishes,
Olga
Let us brainstorm after getting all the steps for traditional and e-publishing.
DeleteDear Krishna,
DeleteI think some replies below give you some ideas about book publishing. Feel free and ask you question – you are welcome.
Look, I think publishing a book requires a lot … You should know who your reader will be and what kind of reading habits your reader has. For this reason I think it’s a very useful discussion here.
How to understand reading habits of your potential reader?
Best wishes,
Olga
Dear Olga
ReplyDeleteThere was an interesting article in a UK newspaper last week entitled 'Ebooks send shiver down the spine.'
Where they state that digibook sales in the UK have almost doubled in the first six months of this year to £145 million, with more literature fans turning to ereaders such as the Kindle.
Yet ebooks account for only about 6% of spending on books in Britain (which surprissed me, as I thought the percentage would be a lot more).
Where between Jan and June of this year the value of hard copy sales fell from £985 million to ££982 million, compared to the same period in 2011, which is hardly anything.
In fact Neil Blair, agent to authors like JK Rowling, insisted it should not be a case of print verses digibook, as the two can live together.
An interesting and possibly sad fact is that in 2005 there were 4,000 bookshops in the UK, and in 2011 there were only 2,178.
Best wishes
Nigel
Dear Nigel,
DeleteAs far as I know you wrote a great business book and published it in two versions. What is your experience?
Best wishes,
Olga
Dear Olga
DeleteFor me the answer is simple - like any business, you give the customer what they want. I had 'potential customers' asking for the book in digital format - so I gave it too them.
What's fascinating is that some customers want both versions (don't ask me why) - they buy the ebook first and then buy the 'hard copy.'
As with any product/service different people have different needs - and if it's easy to respond to those needs, then why wouldn't you?
Best wishes
Nigel
Dear Nigel,
DeleteIndeed, I also think it’s really very useful to understand what your customers need. For this reason you should be definitely a very good listener otherwise you can misinterpret your customers’ words. Hopefully your both versions will find their (or maybe have already found) readers who will enjoy reading your book – good luck.
It will be interesting to learn more about how your readers find their way to your book.
Best wishes,
Olga
Olga
ReplyDeleteI am not sure if it is e-books versus printed books. Its maybe more like books versus no books. Let me try to make some points, such as:
1) harish shivdasani: e-books can become as popular as a printed version. Most books are still published in paper as well as e-books. BUT
2) The UK alone has 100,000 book titles published each year. Considering its population size that could mean something one book title being published for every 700 people (70 mio living in UK)
How many of these 700 will even purchase a book this year? Ten or 20? In short, 80,000 titles will be flops... there are not enough people to buy all this output.
3) Publishers have a function .... for authors it means outsourcing certain tasks (e.g., distribution, cover design, etc.). As well, publishers try to do some quality control.
If publishers would have no use, why use them? Of course, publishers have, in some instances, outscreened things themselves. As an author you have no chance to get your manuscript read by certain publishers unless it is given to them by an agent.
HAVE MY READING HABITS CHANGED
Not really, I still am an avid reader of paperbacks (trashy novels before I go to sleep), newspapers, and professional books (hardcover or cloth).
Do I read anything on screen, yes... but I love the chances for making notes by hand on the printed copy, highlighting text etc.
It is just old-fashioned me :-)
PS. I have discovered over the years, however, that it is ever more also the job of the author to make sure things sell. The ever more titles on the market make it tougher for all of us to be seen. So I wonder how my latest title will do that just hit the Amazon warehouse this week.
Urs and here two links
http://securl.de/audit-amazon-US (my last book, tough job)
http://securl.de/author-amazon-US (more books)
WebUrs - It would be great if you can share the steps involved in traditional paperback publishing and e-publishing? I would love to know all the steps before drawing any conclusion.
DeleteAh Krishna could you not ask me an easier thing please? grr this is difficult to answer
ReplyDeleteFor starters the process surely differs if:
a - you write a more scholarly, professional book or a novel
I have not written a novel. So I cannot talk about that. But unless you have a good story to tell (scholarly, professional or novel) it will not work. For instance with a song, the lyrics make you feel like you are listening to a story and leave you wanting for more. That is a good song but while I know what it takes, I cannot write song lyrics, sorry.
B - SCHOLARLY AND PROFESSIONAL
1) have a good idea what you are talking about (experience, job, etc.)
2) sketch out the chapters
3) start a few sentences for each chapter
4) visualise the book by putting all chapter into one figure (as I just did for the book 2014).... so you can see the flow and how it fits together.... similar to a process flow chapter 1 says this, chapter 2 this....
Looking at it, does it make sense?
5) start writing - and do not forget writing is the process of re-writing.... I am now going through all 9 chapters again for about the fifth time and every time, major things changed, got added, etc.
E-BOOK VERSUS PRINTED BOOK
The process is the same - see above
PUBLISHER
Find one that has a list where your title fits and then submit a proposal (you can find examples like from O'Reilly on how to do a proposal - sections, etc.)
By the way, doing a proposal helps you as well.... I actually did a proposal, then wrote half the book, and then went and got a publisher.
Was it easy, nope a pain in the.....
ADMINISTRATIVE
Use a template from a publisher to start writing, it makes it easier if you have to use another template lateron or if you do publish it yourself such as those offered by Springer
http://www.springer.com/computer/lncs?SGWID=0-164-6-793341-0
O'Reilly also has it online.
How this helps. Respectfully
Urs at @ComMetrics
Dear Urs,
DeleteThanks a lot for taking part in the discussion.
I agree – e-books and printed books are still books but they are not the same for so many people. However, people read books… And I am so much interested in how reading habits are changing because e-books have changed (it seems) some habits. On the other hand, I agree – research is necessary to understand (new) habits (as you wrote, you “read anything on screen).
Do you think it’s easier to sell an e-book because you can promote it online quicker? What is your experience?
I would also be glad we have more opinions of very different people: readers and publishes.
Best wishes,
Olga
Olga
DeleteThese days it is not a choice to be made between print and e-book, it is both
Publishers offer print and e-book ... okay it might mean there is no Kindle version or iPad around because Apple and Amazon have tons of restrictions (pricing etc.)
But nearly all publishers offer e-book versions of their list - hopefully in an open source format and not just in a proprietary one such as Kindle or Amazon.
Thanks for sharing.
Dear Olga
ReplyDeleteIt is no longer a choice between e-book or paper, publishers offer both.
It might mean because of proprietary concerns and pricing, your book is not available on Kindle or Apple ... but publishers always have an open format version of your book in electronic form for sale on their websites.
Libraries still purchase paper, so do I .... but many people prefer e-versions.
Hope this is useful
Have a great afternoon
Urs
@ComMetrics
Agreed, dear Urs. Thank you for sharing your opinion.
DeleteBest wishes,
Olga
Dear All,
ReplyDeleteI've just checked how many people use iPhone or iPad for reading my blog. Hmm.. 4% ... What about you? How many people use mobile devices for reading your blog?
Do you use a mobile device for reading blogs?
Best wishes,
Olga
I use tablets to access online materials if travelling and even if I am at home. However, it depends upon what I want to accomplish in parallel to reading:)
DeleteDear Krishna,
DeleteUsing e-readers on the way is really great. Does it mean if a blog text is long, you want to read it at home later?
Best wishes,
Olga
Hi Olga and everybody,
ReplyDeleteJust a couple of points...
My iphone is too small to comfortably read much of anything, *unless* it is really impractical or not possible to use the laptop.
Ther other thing is that while I, like Urs, prefer a "real" book for several reasons, there are times when an e-book is actually better. They are better for instant download how-to material, especially if there are portions one will want to copy & paste, or email forward.
In that sense, the ebook is a large document that you downloaded, for a fee or else not, but it is a file like other files. The book , the "real" book is an object. Sometimes that is prefereable.
You would not doze off with a Kindle covering your face while sunbathing, for example.
Cheers,
Bill
Hello Bill,
DeleteI agree with your points. But isn't the charm of a "file" in the fact that you can personalize and print them in the way you want and read at leisure. Further, if you do not feel its worth printing, leave it as a "file".
What is your opinion on this?
Thank You,
Krishna
I see your points and understand them, dear Bill.
DeleteE-books are really good for instant download… But is this what people call reading? I am trying to understand together with you how reading habits are changing.
Could you elaborate please. What do you mean by “real” book is an object2?
Hope to hear from you soon
Best wishes,
Olga
Hi, Dear Olga
ReplyDeleteI am back again, after reading so many comments.
You started the discussion, suggesting the need for research into changing reading habits. i think it is clear that research would help all stakeholders, and editors of media might also start taking eBook seriously, if they knew the growing number of readers are taking to e-readings
What amuses me, or rather disappoints me is the fact that in spite of so many comments, no one has addressed to the most important issue that would determine ultimately the quality of eBooks. i reproduce what i had said about a fortnight back:
Dear Krishna, Olga, or any one with the knowledge enlighten me:
1.How could eBooks be of much value, if editors of major media do not even review them? (this is true in India, and i guess everywhere)
2. Has any writer/ professional become renowned,or his contribution widely acknowledged by writing eBook? Many thanks to anyone responding?
Andrew did say that after some time, situation will change.
WebUrs explained that normally print publishers take out book in both formats. All this is too elementary and known. That is if print publishers accept the book, they would also bring out in electronic format. That is usual and not the moot point. The question that i have raised is that going straight to electronic format often would defeat the objective of author, specially of a scholarly or professional book. He needs recognition for his creative or scientific effort. In my field of management for instance, none of the renowned authors would have gained the recognition as management Guru, had they opted for eBooks to start with. No media editors would have even bothered to review them. And even if after say 5 or 7 years, this scenario changes, which author meanwhile would 'sacrifice' his work to further the cause of e-publishing? Not the authors of quality professional books at least. Any knowledgeable comment?
harish shivdasani
Welcome back to the discussion, dear Harish. Your questions are very challenging and also need some consideration. Probably this is the reason why it’s not so easy to find the right answers right now. That’s why we are discussing trying to understand how reading habits have been changing.
DeleteI think Nigel has replied to your second question.
I am concerned about the quality of the books in the future. It can be better or worse. It’s very difficult to say now but … Who can influence the quality? Readers? Publishers? …
Sometimes people prefer e-books because they are cheaper. For example, you pay, say, 3$ for a book, buy 5 books for 15$. When you buy more, it can mean you also read more…
I remember a flight from Chicago to Salt Lake City – 80% of passengers were reading e-books. I remember a flight Basel – Frankfurt – maybe 5% were reading e-books.
What I want to say is that it seems Americans are better equipped :-)
According to the German newspaper, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung on 10th October 2012, 8 million of German people (more men than women) read e-books using tablets, e-readers, and iPhones.
16% of men and 10% of women like to read e-newspapers. 12% of men and 4% read professional e-books. 10% of women and 8% of men read e-fiction.
It’s indeed exciting to observe what is going on and how e-publishing is booming. At the same time, it’s a bit disappointing to see closed doors of good and qualitative bookstores that had to close because of competition.
What do you think?
Hey there! Olga, dis is Alisha from Asia and i have a certain point here which is a "con" , E books are available online at a lower cost as well as no damage is done to the trees, but my question here is incase if i want to read a traditional novel with 500+ pages how will i be able to read it in front of my PC ??? (i do not own a tab where i can read an E book anywhere).... so here i feel a book/novel is more handy and can b carried anywhere and read in any circumstances.....
ReplyDeleteIt’s a very good question, dear Alisha. Thank you very much for joining our discussion.
DeleteLet’s take one of my favorite books as an example: The American Tragedy written by Theodore Dreiser. It’s about 900 pages… Hm… I remember how excited I was while reading it. Now let’s imagine you are reading it on your tablet… Will you ever finish it?
Some writers have recognized this problem – people who read e-books should have short books – and try to make their books not too long. In other words, a writer is also concerned about how many pages his/her book will be. Hm.. I would rather read a book that is written with enthusiasm and passion that with so much calculation.
What do you like to read?
Olga, I have one question for you.
DeleteWhat do you love in PAPER?
What do you hate in E-PAPER?
Love and hate are very strong and emotional words. I like reading books and am very much interested in how reading habits are changing. There is no any research – at least I don’t know any – e-publishing is booming, bookstore continue to vanish … There things make me simply curious about the future of books, publishing industry, bookstores’ survival, and learning processes.
DeleteAs you see, nothing is about extremes. Once again, research is needed. Otherwise, bookstores continue to vanish.
Dear Krishna, what is the role of bookstores in the region where you live?