Ebooks, are they really the wave of the publishing future? And...

[KillerMuffin]

...have any of you ever bought them? What did you think of them? Have you ever considered buying one? What genre? More to the point, would you pay good money for an erotic ebook? If you were to purchase and erotic ebook, what sort of erotica would you prefer, I'll leave that for you to define. Any other thoughts you'd like to share?

 

[Mustang Sally]

I have a problem reading long stories/essays from the computer. My attention span is so much shorter. I can handle the length of all the stories posted here, but certainly nothing novel length!

It's just not as enjoyable an experience. Computers aren't as portable. You can't read them on the bus or curl up in bed with them.

I did read something by William Gibson. He writes in a kind of choose-your-own-adventure style. THAT is pretty cool. A book can't do that nearly as well. But otherwise... no thanks.

 

[April]

Ebooks don't interest me. It's not a book unless it has paper, has been bound, has that "booky" smell.

The physicality of a book, the feel of the pages turning, the smell of the print on the paper.

Reading is a sensual experience. Computers are cold machines, and you can't close them with your finger holding your place, and really think about something you just read. So, no thanks.

 

[Closet Desire]

Nope...

...I think the wave of the future is a hybrid...books printed on demand. Several publishers in the US now work exclusively that way and a number here in the UK are making the changes.

It works like this. The book is digitized and stored in a database. When Amazon gets and order for the book the publisher prints just one copy of the book, usually within 48 hours (if they are good) and the customer has the book inside a week. If the book proves popular then stores may stock it and the publisher will print enough to fill the order. If the book is really popular they will do a small print run, for economy, and stock a small number of books. you can't tell the difference and, in fact, the quality is often higher.

My books are done this way and keep me from ending up like my friend who sold 214 copies while his publisher was left wondering what to do with 2,000 leftovers. Of course, there are those like CD-able who sold out of her first run of 6,000 and is onto her second printing. What a woman.

 

[Andra_Jenny]

Another avenue would be more of a living book on the computer. More illustration and voice synthesis so that you would not be there reading a screen, but watching t.v. in a way, perhaps soon there will be no difference. I do not think future generations will worship the printed word in quite the way that we do. There will probably still be books, just not as many book readers.

What we consider a computer is radically going to change also. In some form or another, it will be with you at all times.

 

[ShyGuy68]

I haven't tried the E-book or one of the small e-book readers yet, but I might give it a go sometime. I can see the advantage in it when you're reading a bulky 800+ page book, which in an e-book reader won't be very bulky or heavy to carry around at all.

But I also like to sit and read in a real book, on the couch, with come nice relaxing music going in the background, that's for sure.

 

[Merelan]

I don't like ebooks, tried a couple. I prefer the feel of the book in my hand. And the curling up on the couch.
Move over Shyguy...

 

[Mortto56]

I can take the stories on Lit here pretty well,but I don't think I can read a whole book looking at a screen.

For one reason,I would'nt want to log in everytime I wanted to read some of the story.And I don't have the patience or the time to read a whole book in one setting.

So to answer your question,No I have not bought a Ebook,and probably will not.

 

[ShyGuy68]

Makes room for Merelan on the couch, but not to much room, so they are forced to sit real close to each other

 

[OUTSIDER]

Cave man speaks....ugh...ugh...paper good....ugh...glowing headache making screen bad....ugh...paper never run out of battery's...ugh

 

[Whispersecret]

I've never bought an e-book. I don't own one of those devices. I HAVE shopped a couple of e-book sites, and I have to say that so far I'm not impressed. Usually they offer a chapter or part of one for you to check out. Only once was I even tempted to buy the rest of the book. All the other times, I thought the writing was substandard.

Still, my opinion shouldn't count for much, because I haven't really done much research on e-books.

 

[jcgirl]

The only one I have bought is Stephen Kings "The Plant". And only because it was the only form it is available in. But no, I really hope that e-books are not the future. You cant carry an e-book to the park, or fall asleep in a hammock on a bright spring day with it. And you cant pass it back and forth between friends to share the feelings you get from them

 

[Dillinger]

I agree - I love the feel of a real book... of paper.. the smell - so much wrapped up in the sensations of reading...

But...

I travel a lot. I can't read while I drive. And even with someone else driving I get dizzy if I try to read in a car.

I also excercise a lot - and when I don't feel like listening to music I like to listen to a book.

I used to use books on tape (or CD) but now I use Audible. I've got their Audible Plus player and I can store 6 to 8 hours of spoken word on it. I believe the latest Rio will also play Audible books.

http://www.audible.com

 

[jcgirl]

I dont think books on tape give you the best feel of the book. You cant seem to picture things as much, or let your imagination roam. Your vulnerable to the whims of the reader. Where he or she puts thier emphasis in words, or thier tones of voice.

 

[Ezzy]

E books...

are not worth the paper they are not printed on!




EZ http://cwm.ragesofsanity.com/s/cwm2/sleep.gif

Only joking I havn't looked but I too like the feel of a real book.