It’s not a competition. The publishing market is constantly evolving and, thanks to technology, more options are available to readers through e-readers.
I bought a Kindle years ago and I use it—not that I prefer it to print books, but it does have its advantages. On the one hand, when traveling, you can take more than one book, and all for the same weight. E-books are also slightly cheaper—because there’s no printing involved—and when you’re on a budget, it’s a good thing.
However, I don’t think this means the end of physical copies. The alarming notion has been discussed ever since e-readers became a possibility. Not everyone can access an e-reader, and they aren’t always great if you live in places where you can’t use them, for example, during commutes because of security issues. You also need electricity for charging them—and print books never run out of battery.
There’s also the scent of a new book. Few things are as great.
While there are obvious advantages to e-readers, there are some authors—Marian Keyes, J.K. Rowling, George R.R. Martin—that are on my “paperback list.” If they write a book I want, I’ll buy it in print and add it to my collection.
Do you have an e-reader? Do you prefer one format over the other or is it the same for you? Can you think of other advantages/disadvantages of either format?
