I saw an article on Lifehacker about the best way to support an author (when they are releasing a new book). I’ve read several articles on your blog where you talk about the business side of writing but hadn’t seen any mention of this part of it.
Rob
https://lifehacker.com/the-best-thing-you-can-do-to-support-a-new-book-1839838741
I like the idea – i usually “read” your books via Audible, but i do buy some of the actual books – usually for my wife and other family.
The article is titled “The Best Thing You Can Do to Support a New Book” and is well thought out and well written. To summarize, its main point is that preordering a book from your independent store is highly beneficial to the author, because it adds a human factor.
If your favorite author has a new book coming out, there are two easy things you can do to support it:
Buy it before it comes out.
Buy it from an independent bookstore.If you pre-order a book, and if you pre-order it from somewhere other than Amazon and Barnes & Noble, you’re doing the author a huge favor.
Nick Douglas
As the article states, this is less about diminishing the impact of Amazon and more about the process of book selling. A book seller may note the early preorders and order more copies of a particular title, they might read it, and they might even select it as a staff pick, all of which greatly helps the book’s visibility and may even result in a book being selected as a staff pick.
The best advertisement for the book is its presence in stores.
C. C. Finlay.
All of this is absolutely true.
So why hadn’t I mentioned it before? This isn’t exactly the most comfortable subject but we make an effort to be candid on the blog, so here goes.
On one hand, everyone loves bookstores, especially independent book stores, where people know your name and your interests. We all understand that book stores are disappearing and nobody wants that to happen. There is something magical about walking into the bookstore and seeing rows and rows of shelves with all sorts of books. It’s exciting. It touches on that same anticipation of adventure that you got as a kid when you walked into a library. Every book is a discovery. Every book might be a treasure.
On other hand, here are the statistics.
The ebooks account for 82% of all sales. Only 18% of sales comes from hardback and mass market. This ratio is different for every author, but ebooks are winning the market share. They are portable. They don’t fall apart. You can read them late at night on your device without keeping the light on and disturbing your partner. Sure, you can’t resell them or have them signed, and they don’t smell nice, but you can, in theory, keep them long enough for your grandchildren to read them when they are grown.
Mass market buyers always were bargain hunters, and ebook is a good bargain, most of the time. Even though some ebooks debut at $15, once the mass market edition comes out, the price typically falls to $9.99 or lower. Once you buy it, it’s there. There are some odd occasions when the book vanishes due to unusual issues, but for the overwhelming majority of the time, if you were reading your book on a dedicated device but now you want it on your phone, you simply download a new copy free. By contrast, if you buy a paperback at $7.99 and drop it into a bathtub, you have to buy a new one to replace it.
As a book store patron, I love book stores. But as a business woman, I have to think strategically.
Some people will only buy in paper. We can set that segment of the market aside. Some people will only buy in ebook. Let’s remove them as well. Now we have a very large slice of the market who will read in paper or ebook as long as they can get the book. I want to remove as many barriers between our book and them buying it, because as an author, I care about that sale. This is the way my husband and I provide for ourselves and this is the way we feed our children.
If I instruct the reader to go to the store and buy a paper copy directly or to preorder it, as the article suggests, the reader has to make note of the title of the book, find the time to drive to the store, remember the title, wait until the store calls them to let them know the book came in, then drive back the second time to pick up the book. Every stage of this process carries the risk that the reader will abandon this quest because our lives are busy. It puts the greater burden on the reader.
Ebooks are instant.
There is no driving to the store, there is no remembering to preorder the book, there is no waiting. Click, and you’re done. And our share of royalties tends to be larger from the ebook. In reality, it fluctuates depending on promotions, etc, but right now it’s 25% from the publisher’s receipts and in case of some imprints, like Impulse which brought you Diamond Fire, after a certain number of copies sold, we get 50% of the receipts.
If the ebook is self-published, like IRON AND MAGIC, the ebook price is often average, around $6.99. The paperback is $15.99, because it’s a print on demand title and it costs a lot to make the actual books. We make minimal royalties on the print addition of self-published books because we have to keep the price somewhat reasonable. I can’t, in good faith, demand that the readers drive to the store and pay almost 3 times as much. That’s not good business. If the reader makes that decision on their own, fantastic.
There is also an emotional component. If the reader ends up purchasing an ebook instead of placing the preorder at a physical store, we run the risk of the reader feeling guilty about buying the book “the wrong way.” You never want your product to be associated with negative feelings. You want people to feel good about buying your books.
As an aside, if your series tanks because of low sales, it’s a good idea to resist shifting the burden of that failure on the readers. If you do that, the readers will associate your name with guilt or anger, and you will lose future sales. Also, it’s crappy.
There is still a significant number of people who buy books in paper and now successful bookstores go an extra mile with personal recommendations, author events, and book clubs. If your bookstore has an awesome book club and you visit it regularly because you like it, and you preorder the books there to support the local business, that’s great. But if you want to one-click, that’s also great.
Bottom line: I am not going to prescribe to the readers how to buy our books. If you buy in paper, thank you. If you buy it in ebook, thank you. If you borrow it from the library, thank you. We want you to buy it in the most convenient and easiest way for you. Just don’t pirate them. That’s all we ask.
Fascinating! Thank you so very much for sharing this!
I preorder and am delighted to do so.
I always pre order the ebook because it’s simple, and if I love the book I’ll buy the physical copy. If a hardback is coming out, I’m pre-ordering and buying it. Oh, this is only for y’all’s books ???? Most of my non-professional books are ebooks. I’m just lazy.
Idk why this went in replies. /Sigh, sorry OP
I like to own books physical, particularly lovely hard backs. I don’t actually like reading from them much. Reading on a tablet is so much more comfortable for various reasons. So for my favorite authors, I buy and read in hard back, and the rest in ebook.
I don’t think I’m unique, and it’s what makes publishing houses like Sub Press popular. The quantities in which they sell can’t be hugely profitable for them or authors, but it’s a market for those of us who love beautiful books
I do this too!!
Personally I ran out of room long ago for physical books…. hardcovers and even paperbacks take up a lot of space….
Typically, I much prefer the actual book. For me there’s nothing like holding the book, turning the pages and being whisked back to childhood when I devoured all things in print. It’s also easier on my eyes for some reason.
However, I started to change my mind. For mostly the reasons Ilona outlined above. I lost my house in the So. California fires last year and however many thousands of books which lived in my house. Except, of course, the books on my tablet. They are still there and I can get instant access to them wherever I am. On a train, on a plane, etc.
Still, I like holding the actual book.
So sorry you lost your home and books!!
My goodness im sincerely sorry for your loss.
I always liked the hard copy. But eventually I moved to ebooks. But recently my eyes have been bothering me and I’ve noticed reading paper pages doesn’t bother my eyes anywhere near as much as reading ebooks.
If ebooks are bothering your eyes, you might try increasing the letter size and lowering the contrast. If an ebook with e-ink is a possibility, those are much easier on the eyes…
Yes, I only have readers with e-ink. I read a lot, and so far my eyes are OK with them. I notice using my phone for games/internet is more of a strain.
So ummm.. from one book lover to another… what’s your address? And maybe say a book you lost? (I told my daughter and she says we ‘have’ to send you a book)
Great idea Rachel. I think it might a good time for some googling and passing along some of my print books (and perhaps some yarn stash) to fellow Californians impacted by the fires.
I’m ok. Mostly. Thank you for the kind thoughts. Much appreciated, but honestly I posted just to weigh in.
I always buy e-book and the audio after finding out I like to read it first then listen while working. I also always recommend it to my library, who always buys it.
I’m glad you came down to “buy any way you want.” I’m strictly ebook and have been for over 10 years (except for a few print copies purchased so I could get them signed by a couple of authors I know). I don’t want to feel guilty for not supported storefronts. I actually spend a lot more on books now than I did before I went electronic—one-click shopping on Amazon/Audible is just way to easy, whereas I would frequently talk myself out of buying a dtb.
Darn it! Too easy, not “to easy.”
I am with you! Strictly ebooks, and I always preorder as early as possible. Sometimes I manage to forget about preordering a book and then it arrives on my kindle like a nice surprise. I love the absolute convenience of ebooks. I suddenly want to reread one particular book or see a new book that looks interesting – I can get it in a matter of seconds wherever I am and my bag will still be the same weight. Now the only physical books I keep are either with autographs or those that do not exist in e-version.
It is interesting hearing about this from the author’s side.
I still love the feel of a real book, which is why I have 5x 6’ high bookshelves, but they do take up more space than e-books, both in my home, and in my suitcase when travelling. So these days, I tend to try new series in e-book, and if they are ‘keepers’ (ie, I will want to re-read them regularly and loan them to friends) I’ll switch to hard copy.
If I REALLY like a series (*cough* Innkeeper *cough*) I’ll end up with copies of all the books in both formats, so I have the pleasure of the hard copy, but the e-book always on my device in case of emergencies like delayed planes. 🙂
So we needed a wall between my office and my husbands… floor to ceiling bookshelves!!
I usually don’t keep books too long. I take them to one of the many libraries I go to (2 county libraries or my mobile home park library), so they are always there and I don’t have to maintain them.
I love to hold a book to keep books on shelves or in a cupboard, to rummage through them to find a book that I haven’t read for a while or start to reread a series from book one.
I tend to do that when a new one is ready for release or if I just want what I call a comfort read, sitting relaxing enjoying an old friend with a hot drink and some chocolate.
Ebooks are fantastic, it is through my Kobo that I have found so many new to me authors including yourselves.
Some authors were so bad that I am glad that they were not as expensive as I removed them quickly.
Please keep up the great work and I am looking forward to your next book.
Yes! I’ve found that with Kobo as well. I hate paying any kind of money for a book that sounded good when you read the first chapter (preview) and then was a big regret after purchase. I can read up to 20+ books a week dependant on time available and size of the book when reading ebooks so it got to be quite expensive before I found Kindle Unlimited.
I now use Kindle Unlimited to borrow and read as many books as I can. I do purchase the books that I love to read as I’ll re-read them often – so it’s a bit like having a library membership, finding a great story and then going to the shops to buy a copy. Sometimes for the really great ones, I’ll buy on both Kobo and Kindle (just in case one set of servers goes down I keep the Kobo ones downloaded on a separate device). Sadly, I have no room for a physical library.
If I had the funds (and the space) I’d buy paper only, but alas, reality sucks.
Thanks for the interesting info
Yeah, the space is a big factor for me. Another big factor — eBooks come in at midnight on the day they come out. Paper/hardcovers I have to wait for the mailman to deliver in the evening of the day it comes out. I could read an eBook 3 times over by the time the mailman delivered!
I used to always buy the books but then I accumulated several thousand and I have no place for them any more. My son looked one day and asked what will happen to them when you die? (yes, he can be morbid but real) Then he got me my first Kindle and 99% of my books are through there. I LOVE real books but I can find them more easily and take so many more with me on the Kindle. I have donated two dozen Bekins boxes worth of books so far but it hasn’t even touched the number I have. (They are not in order since our last earthquake either.)
I buy ebooks now. I don’t get out much and walking is very hard for me. I love your books and buy them the day they are released.
I own a book store….AND I ONLY own and read Paper books, I get all of them signed that I can find an Author to do so. I have many favorites and PUSH those at my store, some of my customers e-read and get them somewhere else….but they want to see the book- the book that I physically own. It’s like a test if I have it and have spent MY money on it , then it must be OK. So that works for me
I am housebound most of the time. Ebooks are wonderful for me. I do have some hard and softcover non fiction books which I buy used from Amazon.
I love that my pre-order will drop at 2300 hours the night before since I am in the central time zone. For authors like you I usually start the book then and read until I’m finished. I’m retired so I have that luxury.
I live I. California so books drop at 9:00 PM my time. Love it!
The ebook and readers allows me to read again! My hands don’t hurt and as my eyes get worse, i can l read what i want to instead of just the handful of books in large print. And, no embarrassment, either.
Turning 40 ended my “reading for enjoyment.” The first kindle in 2007 brought it all back again. Yes, i love books and they overrun my house. But i love the choice! Thank you!
I mostly buy e books, but will buy hardcovers if the author is having a signing event near me or if I find a pretty copy of a favorite. I love to pre-order from my favorite authors. It makes my day to turn on the Kindle and see a new book pop up.
Thank you for the heads up. I admit to buying hardbacks at an independent book store because I want it signed and to have that minute connection with you. I also like the idea of supporting an independent store because…hey…they sell books. But, a whole lot more. They are real people working in an industry of stories and fantasies. But, they have to make a living and a profit to continue. I like to think I help with that. I also buy ebooks because it’s easier to read, and they’re more portable. I don’t mind buying two. I want you to continue too. Hugs.
Thanks for this explanation. I have actually felt guilty about buying ebooks. Now I don’t. Another problem with print books is the huge amount of storage that is required in the form of bookshelves in your home. That was probably the biggest reason for me to stop buying print books. I do miss the smell, the art, the aesthetics of print, but that’s certainly not enough to overcome all the benefits of ebooks.
Thank you for sharing your opinion, it was an interesting perspective.
I am an avid console gamer (I have multiple consoles because #EqualOpportunityGaming!) and I have a very strong aversion to online only or digital download games. For me, having that game in my hands is important because a digital copy doesn’t seem real. I like those special edition game cases with their cover art and the little goodies tucked inside (game maps and game art are always awesome).
Until I read this post, I never considered just how the publishing industry is influenced by ebooks. I absolutely love going to the book store and browsing for new authors. I’ve bought a few books through Amazon- having the Kindle app on my phone is great when I have downtime at work- but I will always prefer holding a physical copy of a book.
There are pros and cons to each medium, of course, but I applaud the fact that you guys are so willing to lay out information and let your Book Devouring Horde decide how we proceed. I’m slowly conceding that digital is the wave of the future, but I will always have my book shelves filled with the stories I love.
Actually, in the listings from the industry as listed in shelf awareness (a bookstore pro site), print books still amount to more than 80% of the total market. So I am hoping this means that they will continue to be available. I prefer print if I can get it. There are advantages to the ebook in portability, but I never worry about taking my book to the beach, or the tub, and read at will on the plane.
When they say print books, they also mean coloring books and books for children, etc. Print hasn’t been at 80% for almost a decade.
After multiple moves, and realizing that moving my bookshelves consisted of packing and unpacking 10+ boxes of books each time, and I was no where near stopping my book addiction- my husband bought me my Kindle. Lol. I still buy a few in hardback/paperback…but now it’s few and far between. I love my Kindle. So much better for toting around, and I don’t need to bring a stack on Vacation, or if I am close to the end of one…just in case.
I will always be old school and prefer hard copies of books. I re-read the ones I love constantly (I read a book in a day or two). And besides, if I only had the e-books, I wouldn’t have been able to have you and Gordon sign them!
I sometimes buy an ebook either because it’s the only format available or there’s a large price difference between physical copy and electronic. Generally, though, I prefer paper copies. I develop an emotional attachment to the book and holding it in my hands makes the story more real to me. I also love bookcases filled with books, and it’s nice when all the books are things I’ve read.
I went to ebook as soon as kindle was invented and have thousands on 4 different versions now. I have a question about “pre-order” vs “wish List” – I don’t pre-order but I keep a wish list to remind me when books I want are coming out. Does that count in helping you in any way? Amazon seems to know when I wish list because I get referrals to other books based on it…
As someone who just doesn’t have space to own everything I love in book form in a hard copy, this is great to read (I occasionally indulge in something like your gorgeous hardcovers from sub press, or a particular favorite book in paper…or a purchasing spree when I hit an independent bookstore and want to support them…but the majority of my reading is definitely ebook), so reading this counterpoint is nice, and very much appreciated!
I love my bookstore. I stopped buying hardcover books a while ago. That said I buy or pre-order my ebooks, and some authors I buy the hardcover as well.
I would run out of house if I purchased all books. I am a ferocious reader.
Growing up my Aunt had a little indie bookstore. I was a very lucky kid, and I hope I’ve passed that onto my kids.
Thank you for sharing and not judging us our choice of book vs ebooks. I will in future try to preordered my books.
Peace light and love. K????
I always do both with authors that I really love (like you). I’ll preorder the eBook, because then I’ll get to read it *the day it comes out!*, which is absolutely lovely. *And* I can take whole series with me on a trip or on vacation, without having to carry huge boxes full of books with me (which I used to do before I bought a Kindle).
Then I buy the physical book for placement in my home library. That’s for those lovely winter afternoons on my sofa, with a nice, hot cup of tea, two cats stretched out around me and taking my time reading through the story, sloooowly. ^___^
I have to order from Amazon, because my local independent bookstore wouldn’t know an English book if it jumped up and banged them upside the head (I’m in Germany… ^^;;). And trying to order your books from them is… difficult. So I use Amazon. Fast delivery and I get everything that I want, when I want it.
Yes, that bookstore journey is one of the reasons. I’d have to go into Munich by train (1 hour ride, one way) to get to a bookstore that *maybe* sells English books, and *maybe* orders your books for me. And I’d have to go back when the book comes in.
So I stick to Amazon and Kindle, and get all your lovely books as soon as they’re out… ^^;;
That is an interesting article. I understand the premise but it’s not practical for me. I pre-order ebooks that my favorite authors write (you are at the top of my list) from Amazon because my ebook readers are Amazon products. I do love having an actual paper book in my hands from time to time, so my local library has everything I need when I want to read an actual book. BTW, I just heard from Verdant Teas and my order of that black tea you love has shipped!! I can’t wait to try it.
Funny. I just read that after a long deliberation about the Small Magic signed limited edition. Since I need to ship it to France, it’s pretty expensive. But I couldn’t be in Paris the last time you came. I turned a bit schizophrenic:
“Come on! It may be your last chance to have a signed book!”
“But…. the money!”
“Well, Christmas is coming. It will be a super nice present”
“But… 50 dollars for shipping!”
“If you don’t buy it, you will regret it…”
So I ended up buying it. And I don’t regret it. At all.
I guess if I lived in the USA I would be one of those people buying the printed version of Iron and Magic. And I wouldn’t regret it. That’s how much of a fan I became.
Thank you for your awesome work
I worked my college years and roughly 5 years after in bookstores. I held out on the ebook thing for a very long time. But now, as I’m aging, I don’t have room for all the books. Now, I like I can have an entire library in something I can carry in my pocketbook, read in the tub without damage, and a BIG one as my eyes are aging, make the print bigger! I also prefer audiobooks for the most part as I can listen and still do stuff. So, I only buy dead tree for signed books now.
I must also note, the only bookstore near my town is a BAM and the staff is HUGELY uneducated. I really don’t feel buying from them makes any difference in an author’s life or bottom line. They will only get what the home office sends them. Their shelves are an embarrassment.
Not needing reading glasses is a ‘BIG’ plus for reading on a Kindle. I keep my IPOD nano filled with IA audiobooks to listen to while I do housework.
Hiya, may I ask why you don’t self-publish all your books now? I’m curious what an agent or publisher could bring to the table that would make it worthwhile giving up so big a percentage of your profits.
I’m a new author this year and am mostly indie with a couple of small contracts that I’ve taken purely for audience reach. I’m really interested to understand your process.
The short answer is that the traditional publisher provides a platform that you simply can’t match as a self-published author. If you want a little bit more, email me through the site and I will explain it in greater detail.
Thanks to Rob for the original question and thank you for the reply. I have both. Lately I’ve bought more in the ebook format since I’ve been traveling more and they are far easier to bring with me. However, as I sit here looking at my bookshelves, with some 100 year old plus editions, I also love a physical copy. Nothing feels quite like it.
I certainly am on ebooks. However, before having this holy device I used to go very often to the local public library. There I discovered Magic Bites and “drank it in a swallow”. I almost panicked when I noticed they didnt have the second book in the library.
So the first paper book I bought was yours (mandatory readings for school dont count). After describing in probably too much detail the first book to the lady in the bookstore, I reserved it with whatever little savings I had back then.
At some point afterwords, the best genius ever (aka mom) bought me an ebook. So yours was the first and one of the very few ones I still have in physical format.
This series brings me so many warm memories 😀
As someone who is banned from buying books from July onwards so that there is something I can be given for Birthday & Christmas (both in December) – I love the option to get the ebook so that I can read it when it comes out; and the hardcopy to read when I want to relax later in the year! So thank you for making both an option!
Out of interest is there any one particular book of yours which has sold better in hardcopy than any of the others? or are they all around the 18%/82% breakdown region?
Thank you. I prefer physical books, especially yours, as I read and re-read, carry them with me when I’m out and will have to wait, read in the bathtub, read in bed, and share the books with with family and friends. Except for the innkeeper series. My sisters and I must each have our own personal copies of those books. I love the HL books too and have doubles of a couple of several of those because I found hardbacks available after my paperbacks were starting to wear from re-reading, I have ordered a couple of ebooks, specifically SOTB, mostly because I wasn’t sure how long it would be before I could get the printed copy and I couldn’t wait. Thanks again for these wonderful characters and worlds.
A variety for me…….I use my Kindle mainly for free books which I read when traveling because it is physically impossible to have enough suitcase space to keep me in actual books. After I read each Kindle book, I move it from the “To Read” collection to “–,” or “+-,” or “++,” or “BUY MORE!” If I have discovered a new “to me” author that merits the BUY MORE category, I then buy everything else the author has written in hardcover or paperbacks online. These then usually become bathtub books (which, no matter how careful I am, are going to get warped pages.) I shop at my local bookstore for staff picks because that’s another way I “discover” authors and if I like the books, I order everything else they have written from the store. Finally, authors I collect Like Ilona Andrews, I pre-order hard cover or paperbacks from Amazon because I love coming home to a book box on the porch or in the mailbox knowing there’s something great inside!
I am old fashioned. I adore books I can hold and own.
I am also forced to be practical. We moved 33 boxes of books when we bought our second house – in 1982. We continued to acquire books. I cannot house the books I have. The weeding of bookshelves helps, but not enough.
My iPad library is 6K+ books (available, not downloaded) and I only buy my favorite books in hard copy now. (Yours, Patty Briggs, Miranda James, Donna Andrews, a few others) I try to get them from indie bookstores, but sometimes can’t. I buy those books in ebook also, because I never know when the urge to read a book will hit. Those books are worth having more than one copy of.
Thank you.
This is very interesting information. I can’t remember when I was last in a bookstore. Maybe 5 years or more?! I primarily read on my phone, because it is so convenient and easy to read with one hand. I use my library to rent ebooks, but I’ll occasionally check out an actual print book. The last few times I’ve gotten print books, I’ve had such good intentions, but end up returning them without reading a page. Ebooks pros; all on my phone so no extra storage needed, no extra trips to get new books, no reading light needed, can read one handed, and can easily increase text size because my eyesight is terrible ,
But honestly, if I thought buying print books would help authors like y’all, I’d buy them. I do always request my library buy both ebook and print copies of your books
And then there are those of us who no longer have a local independent bookseller. I have come to love my e-books – the space & money savings, the convenience in buying, and the ability to read one handed while I eat. I miss the days of browsing the shelves, but my small bookstores disappeared about 15 years ago and amazon has everything.
I love going to the bookstore and just taking in the glorious site of all the books. Sadly our local bookstore closed down 8 years ago and turned into a Sprint mobile store. The next closest bookstore is over an hour away and closes early on weekedays so i can never make it after work.
The majority of the time I end up ordering from the online links that author’s post.
As a visually impaired person, I am so grateful for audiobooks. When I was a college student and didn’t have a real job, I could buy the print books and read them under my CCTV. Now, I have to be a real adult and quite frankly, I don’t have the time to sit for hours in front of a CCTV. Any way I can support my favorite authors, I make an effort to do so.
I was a strictly paper book only person until I had a baby. I found myself reading things on my phone at night trying to stay up while nursing and wished I could be reading a book, so I bought a Kindle. The Paperwhite is actually fairly close to a “real” book while still letting me read in the dark, so I’ve mostly converted. It doesn’t strain the eyes like a phone screen. Plus, my husband thinks I’ve too many books already. I’ve over run all my shelves and have multiple boxes full.
I will always love paper, but Kindle won me over completely when it allowed my elderly grandmother (who really dislikes technology) to be able to read with her failing eyesight. She was struggling to read even large print books and the Kindle allows her to make the text as large as she wants (I swear, sometimes it seems like she only has 6 words on the page).
Thank you for making your books available in multiple formats so we can all enjoy them! By the way, I’m still holding out hope that someday the Subterranean version of the Innkeeper (#1-3, or more) will be available again so I can have a beautiful copy of my favorite series. ????
Trying to stay awake while breastfeeding at night is also why I started reading on my phone!!!! When I’m spending big chunks of time nursing (especially in the first 3 months) I get a LOT of reading done. I’m not a TV watcher and I’m not gonna gaze lovingly into my babies eyes the entire time ha
Yeah, they aren’t really going to gaze lovingly back in the middle of the night either. ????????
I have a basement full of books in boxes that I trade out upstairs on my bookshelves. I reread my books over and over. I once read one of the Magic books 8 times in a row before I moved on to another book. I got an e reader for Christmas one year and it has two advantages. I don’t have a storage issue any longer, and I can increase the font size on the e reader, because as I get older it’s nicer to increase the font than get the bifocals out. I may ( I do) have both paperback and e copies of the magic series because rereading so often wears out the books……..
I love your books, but can only get them via ebooks as it takes the local book shop a lot of effort to get them in and then they are very expensive. So I stick to ebooks and just be happy I can get those.
There are books that I want a physical copy. Any reference book or book that you tend to read non-sequentially. Cookbooks, craft books, and most children’s books. Textbooks that I will mark up and take notes on. I have two teenagers who STILL refuse to read ebooks – but then they both also tend to like graphic novels, which I also think are still better in physical form. …And then there are the thousands of older fiction books that are not yet (and may never be) available electronically. I moved a couple of years ago and we had to move over 100 bankers boxes full of books – I do not want to have to do that again. So I also love ebooks, I love their convenience and immediacy, and their privacy. I can decide to change which book I’m reading in a minute on a trip without having to carry multiple books. Cataloging can be time consuming though – and almost necessary after you have more than a couple of thousand ebooks.
I use to buy paperback books since e-readers were not invented at the time. I bought a Nook since my mom had a Barnes and Noble (back in the day B. Dalton) membership. I wanted to read James Clavell’s “Shogun” all the way through without my hands hurting. If you haven’t seen the paperback, it’s a doorstopper (over 1,000 pages). I do have some paperbacks because they are out of print, and I can’t get them for the Nook.
My mom had so many paperback books, that when I was young, we had a whole wall dedicated to one very long bookcase. 🙂
A few years ago I had to downsize and had to get rid of my books. I had 20 years worth of books that I managed to spread between 2 discount bookstores, friends, family, and a library. My friends and I made so many, many trips lugging boxes of books around town it was unreal. I’ve moved since then and will be moving again in the Spring. WAY easier to stick my kindle in my bag than back up hundreds of books. For some of my favorite authors, like Ilona, Patricia Briggs, Anne Bishop, etc. I bought all their books in paperwork when they first came out and now am re-buying them in e-format. If I know it’s something I will read again and again, I’m OK with buying it twice. 🙂 I didn’t know that pre-ordering made such a difference, though, so will try to do that in the future. It’s the least I can do for all the enjoyment I get out of your books.
Agree – I like paperbacks for all the reasons listed but the real reason we changed over to ebooks was space. My husband (also a fan) and I can read a full length book in 2 to 3 days (even assuming we have to go to work part of the time). And to keep costs under control, we reread some of the them a number of time (Ilona Andrew books are on that list). But with all that, we have run out of room to store all the paperbacks and hard covers we owned. So we had to convert to ebooks
I am ebook 100% because paper back print is too small for me to read. Plus I can buy them all immediately when i am binge reading!!! 😛
Whilst I love the feel of a physical book in my hands, physical limitations mean I need to read ebooks. I can’t hold a physical book very well anymore, I need a larger font than is usually found in books, and living in the UK, most US authors aren’t on sale over here, unless you buy via Amazon. So, since the days of fictionwise I have been buying ebooks so even if the apocalypse ever happens, I can still lug around all my books as long as it’s not a zombie apocalypse! ????????????
I tend to buy ebooks, after having found that I can’t hold a paper book anymore due to arthritis. We have about 3500 paper books (2 entire rooms in this large house 🙂 and my husband still buys paper. I don’t like that I can’t lend most ebooks, tho. My daughter and I shared books all the time, and I have 2 friends who like a lot of the same stuff I do who like to exchange books. I’m more likely to pay more from a publisher who allows lending.
I’m not sure which format you’re using, but you can lend Kindle books. I’ve done it with my sister. From the Amazon webpage (my app won’t do it, but maybe other versions will), go to Account, then Manage Content and Devices (the same place you’d use to deliver your books to another device you owned), click the little box with 3 dots in it (between the box to check and the book title), then click Lend To Others. Now this is how it appears on my Android in the US, if you’re using a different system or country, it may be different (if so, Sorry!). Hope this works for you. ????
I usually preorder the ebook then after I read it I order the audible and listen.
I actually do both…preorder AND purchase a hard copy.
Basically it’s the instant gratification you get from an ebook.
And then the warm, fuzzy feeling of sitting with a book in your hand as you turn the pages…that can’t be beat!
Plus I’m a Back Up Queen! lol
If the internet is down…I can STILL read!
Yes and yes… I get both as well I love having the books in any form
This is exactly what I do for my favorite authors/books!!!
I just want to say that I have always bought in print, followed by Nook when possible, and lastly, Amazon. I never knew what I would need when I would need it.
My house is filled with all kinds of books!!!!!!
That is me exactly!! ????
+1
I’m exactly the same! When I was a broke college student just discovering these books, I’d borrow from the library or preorder the ebooks. Now that I’m older and in the workforce, I’ve been slowly buying hard copies of all my favorite books because nothing beats seeing shelves and shelves of your own books and picking one off the shelf to page through.
I don’t have a local bookstore. A B&N opened up a year or so ago that’s 20 miles away and I’ve yet to stop it. I got a kindle years ago for traveling. Didn’t think I’d like it, but now I love it. Lightweight, doesn’t hurt my hands, and the paperwhite version is easy on my eyes. I only buy cookbook and reference books now in paper format, but not many. It’s nice not to have to dust row after row of books. And my book spending has increased exponentially since I got the kindle. I still use the library for titles I don’t necessarily want to own or want to try first. And I donate every year to our awesome library which is now starting to carry a lot of electronic books too. I want the library to keep buying books (in any format) for me and everyone to benefit from.
I preorder the ebook. I’ve even got a spreadsheet set up where I list date released, author, format and title. I’ve moved to a small house, and have no room for all the books I can put on a Kindle.
I read And buy in paper and ebooks. I have an iPad and use iBooks, kindle and overdrive (library) books on. Love how you can change font size, color and all that. There are some authors I still get in paper, especially those that release near Christmas ????. Need something for my wish list.
Thanks for the information. Pretty big numbers on the ebook side. Our youngest is having a hard time at school as she would like paper books and more and more school ones are ebooks or loose leaf books.
I am not fond of hardbacks books because I have small hands so I love being able to get the ebook as soon as it is released. For authors I love, I then wait for the paperback to come out so I have a paper copy to enjoy forever. ????
I would say: to each their own ????♀️! What use does it have to judge people in what form they read their books if they are legally purchased? I read a lot since I am a little child and my family got me one of the first kindle. Because we move all 3-4 years I am so thankful that most of my books (400-500!) are not on paper anymore ????! So: as Ilona said: as long as you don‘t pirate your books, enjoy reading!!
Greets from Switzerland
Inga
I tend to buy my books as ebooks. I simply don’t have the space for all the books that I read and I don’t want to throw away books I only read once.
I buy from kobo.com and have on of their readers ( it’s one of the aura variants), simply so that I won’t ever encounter the vanishing ebook-phenomenon.
If I want a hardcover book it has to be a book that I really like, which requires me to have read it before. It follows that I never preorder these books, since I read the ebook beforehand.
As an older reader I prefer an ebook. I can change font size and adjust the brightness and it seems that fewer books are available in large print.
As a regular traveler who lives at the bottom of the world flying anywhere north of the equator take from nine to twenty five hours and taking one large print paperback is like carrying a house brick.
But I do miss our local new and used book shop that closed a few years ago. Wading through the higgledy-piggledy shelves looking for out of print gems was lovely.
I always buy ebook now. I used to buy paperbacks or the hardcovers but that stopped when the closest bookstore closed down. It’s sad. I miss going to the bookstore and browsing the shelves looking for new authors. In fact that’s how I found Magic Bites.
But nowadays I find it so much more convenient to my time and wallet to buy ebooks. I can afford more and they dont take up so much space.
I prefer to get both, but some publishing companies do not make a book that lasts the first read. Let alone if you re-read your favorites. I talk about the books I love. I also am pre order my ebooks. The paperback or hardback I only if I have not had problems with a previous perchance falling apart before reading all the book.
I, too, am a kindle/tablet fan. I have almost 800 books, all electronic. Paper would just be unmanageable.
I totally agree, love reading books but have Kindle and Audio of most of my books. I have collected for years in both formats, if I bought every book I would need a library room. ????
I hoard books. I have a library room (full), 4,000+ kindle ebooks, and stacks of books near my reading chair. I honestly need another library room. Sigh. But I read every day and re-read books often. Those that I re-read, I have in paperback, hardback, a very few in Audible (Ilona innkeeper and cj cherryh), and ebooks. Sometimes I prefer ebooks because I can change the font, but recently, I’ve only wanted to read books I can hold. I’ve been having occasional eyestrain, and the printed word stays still.
Plus, a prolonged power outage cured me of depending on ebooks!!
If not too much, can we have a guess as to profit from audiobooks vs ebooks?
I realize answering feels to the authors as too much pressure on fans but imho it is in MY best interest that sales are high, profit is incoming on each addition.
Imagine if lack of sales forced an end to MY beloved series!
As another older reader, I need to enlarge fonts, have background easy to see etc. but even then I usually stick to audible copy.
When the ebook is out prior to audio, I buy ebook, then audio when out. A very few are library borrows.
I would buy ebooks each issue if the profit is much better, then get audiobooks later on.
. Though Renee and also Steve West bring magic to their work. Hint hint.
I purchased my first Nook back in 2009. I’ve never looked back. There are a few books I will purchase as print books, but most of my book purchases are digital. With digital books, I no longer have to worry about where I’m going to put (hide) all the books I purchase. I have no storage problems. As long as I have disc space, I have a place for my books, and disc storage in relatively inexpensive.
That said, I used to pre-order books, but I stopped because I had problems downloading the book after its release EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. Not worth the hassle. So, I now wait until the book is released and add it to my shopping cart. Other people have different experiences, motivations. I don’t care. The important thing is that we read.
I love paper but….. the glue they use to bind sets off my migraines apparently (who knew?!) so ebooks it must be for me. That being said, I still occasionally buy paper books because I really do love having them.
I knew. I read “newspapers” online because just having newsprint in the house makes me violently ill. I am so thankful for being in an era where I don’t have to have that stuff in my home to get news. I’m glad for you that you found a way to read without having to be ill.
I am in the “always ebook” category now for many reasons. For a handful of authors, I will also preorder a paper cooy to support sales (and share) but if either the ebook or paper price becomes prohibitive, the default is always ebook.
And your post is just another example of why I *want* to support your work. You are as thoughtful towards your readers as you are your writing.
There’s a very small segment that buy ebooks for a completely different reason -dust mites. I am not alone in an allergy to dust mites. Mine is so sensitive that walking into a library as an avid book reader seems like a great idea until the wall of dust mites that are eating those books alive hit me. I used to have to wear plastic gloves if I wanted to read an old book while taking an antihistamine and just being prepared to live with a Kleenex box. eBooks have eliminated that for me. My doctor used to have arguments with me about removing not only the books from the bedroom which happened a long time ago but books from my house because paper = equals dust mites no matter how much you clean. So yes my phone has about 5,000 ebooks on it. I read all the time almost exclusively electronically. I don’t have very much paper in the house. Those things in the mailbox that I didn’t ask for get shredded within an hour or two of picking them up out of the mailbox if not immediately. I am very very grateful that you sell in ebook format. I have just about gotten to the philosophy that if the author will not print it in ebook format I probably don’t need to read the book.
I apologize in advance to everybody. Unfortunately I was walking in the dark with a couple of dogs while I voiced to text this into my phone. Needless to say the editing was not perfect.
I have the same problem, only with mold. Paper attracts mold, which then makes me sick. Thank goodness for ebooks!
+1
Just purchased dust mite protective bedding. Getting worse.i can smell mites in clothes from closets, hang around room instead.
I fell in love with the description of the Bodleian Library at Oxford U., in beginning of Discovery of Witches. She evoked my memories.
The smells, the dust, the bits of flaking gold gilt and leather.
Magic real life, the library is as sacred as a church!
Thank you for publishing your wonderful books in multiple formats. I love ebooks because I always have my library with me everywhere I go. I love that I can buy all of the books in a series in order one at a time without waiting.
And when I read a book I love, I try hard to write a review to post on Amazon and Goodreads, because I’ve heard that good reviews improve sales.
I have too many physical books and am planning on moving, so I have to get rid of them. So I only buy e-books now. I preorder books by favorite authors because I know I will love them (so far, so wonderful) and I leave reviews as soon as I finish reading. I do not write a book report, because the book will speak for itself given a chance, I just point out what I loved about the book ( great characters, great plot, great world building, actual emotional responses to fictional characters or situations…yes, dear authors, all of the above for the Andrews books, long may they continue). I share when they are available for preorder on social media. That is the best way I know to support an author or a book.
I buy ebooks. We expat for my husband’s job and usually find ourselves living in 2nd or 3rd world countries whose language isn’t ours. As a lifelong reader, the advent of ebooks was an immense blessing from several points of view. They are available anywhere and at any time. They are highly portable and you can take as many as you want on your iPad when you fly. They take up no space when you have to pack up and move to the next country.
That said, I buy hard copies of reference books and art books of any sort.
I buy ebooks exclusively and I preorder a lot of them. I am disabled and the weight of a paper book is too much for me to manage. I read fast. I can get through 2 or 3 books a day. I can have a device containing thousands of titles in my lap or hanging off my chair all day long without it being troublesome or hurtful and I can reach it.
I understand the urgency folks feel about community bookshops – I worked in one for years before I was injured – but access is a big deal and it is too easily dismissed. Many disabled folks don’t drive, and so a bookstore trip is made in a cab (where I live, that’s a $90 round trip), a Medicaid ride (non-medical trips are strictly limited, so people try to consolidate everything into a single trip to a big box store) or at the convenience of friends or family. The 2-3 trips to get a paper book from the store is just not practical. Similarly impossible in many communities is library access – to get a library card that allows me to borrow ebooks without going into the library took 3 separate trips, so although the library access itself is free, getting that access cost a bomb.
I feel like disabled readers are a small market that gets absolutely no marketing attention, but many of us read and read a lot. I have deep frustration with the big publishing houses around their decisions wrt access and availability.
I am deeply grateful for y’all’s determination to make your work as available as possible.
I also want to say that I have friends who have had literally nothing in common other than the pleasure they have taken in your work, and discussions of your work have bridged more than one potentially awful interaction, and I appreciate that, also. To see folks whose positions on most things are at best adversarial and often nasty and contemptuously expressed use conversations about Kate Daniels or Hidden Legacy or Dina and Maud or the Edge to build actual friendships has been a real gift.
I prefer a paper book but I have a very small bookcase and no room for more books. Also, I go to bed much later than my partner based on schedules so the only way I can read is via ebook. My nook saved my life while I had no free time but could read while breastfeeding my daughter and got her to bed at night as well. Between everything I almost exclusively use ebooks and only have a few favorites I can’t get via ebook on the shelf!! I do use exclusively paperbacks or hardcovers for my children though.
Learn so much here everytime! I buy it all but from Amazon. Our town has 300,000 people. We have one bookstore kinda open from 1o 2pm occasionally. Our closest real book store is almost 3 hrs away in either direction. I always have to wait even on ebook prices. I will watch and wait for months becuz of $14.99 price tag. Our library requests for books typical minimum is 65 per title. Tough confusing business.
I tend to buy an e copy just to have it handy as soon as it comes out so I can have an all night reading marathon that will leave me brutally tired the net morning. But I also buy your stories on Audible so I can clean and work on other things (but nearly always forget that I CAN move while listening!)
I had Magic Bites on the side of my bed for YEARS. I couldnt get past the first 3 chapters initially. Then I finally did and from that moment on, you became my favorite authors and I buy your books as soon as they come out.
Living in a non English speaking country, a book store is not available in English. Some stores carry English books but they depend on who the buyer is and are often not my area of interest and are also more expensive. Ebooks are wonderful because you can get them instantly and not wait a long time to have it shipped.
As a 65 year old, I had the fear of sometime in my future, ending up in a nursing home with no room for my books. Kindle alleviates that fear. Traveling-kindle. Moving-no weight problems. I still have a ton of books-most hardcover-but I buy 99% on my kindle. If I am lucky enough to go to a book signing, I always buy the latest book and have it signed, but I buy it on kindle to keep the series current. -20 degrees and ice here in Mn, and I can download my favorite authors books at 2am if I want. That’s magic in my world. Thank you for all you do. I hope you and yours eat steak anytime you want. ????
Ahem, as I get older and vision declines ( 🙂 among other things). Audiobooks have become more and more as my ‘reading’ focus. As I’m a bit paranoid from my experience when downloads disappeared from AUDIBLE in their early days, so I buy MP3 CDs when available. At a BOOKLOVERS convention you both graciously autograph these CDs, so I have an autographed copy of several of your “books”. I’d rather listen to your audiobooks than music while I do chores (wash dishes, do laundry and other unmentionables).
Recently I ordered MP3 of Sapphire Flames which had a 6+ week availability – but as I couldn’t wait, I also ordered the AUDIBLE because it was available immediately. It is rare I “double order” except when I am involved in a series. You have me involved… the characters are expressed well with your reader (keep her!) I want Maude, Innkeeper, Legacy and even cameos from the guys in Edge as you have me involved in their ‘lives’.
So, please keep up the books AND the audio editions. It is really appreciated and I hope my minor encouragement brightens your day. (maybe inspires you to write more? 😉 )
Thank you for your insight. I only buy ebooks nowadays. I started with a Kindle, but now read on my phone. This way all my books are always with me and I can switch between genres according to my mood. I don’t need bookshelves, there is no need to dust said bookshelves and I can read books as soon as I can click a button.
I don’t think that I’ll ever return to paper books.
But since you mentioned Iron and Magic, is there any tentative date set for when you plan on starting on the second book? I need something to look forward to.
I don’t even know of a non-big-chain-bookstore within a 2 hour drive… that being said, I still love browsing for hours in a bookstore when I get the chance. You are one of few authors that I tend to hoard every media representation of your work: hard copy, electronic, and audiobook. And I would gladly buy Kate hardbacks of the early books if they ever become available. I really wish some of my favorite authors would release their books in Japanese romanji as that would go stupendous lengths in my learning Japanese… besides being funny in how the translations would read…
I buy both forms of House Andrews books. The physical book is a treasured keepsake. They have pride of place on my self. Where I can enjoy the cover art and smell of your books. The ebook allows me to reread and enjoy the stories from anywhere at anytime. Which is a win win for this reader.
I buy only ebooks and I always preorder yours!
I would love to have physical copies of most of my ebooks but the shipping prices are outrageous. Thanks to ebooks I can read almost anything that’s published instead of waiting months if not years for it to reach our market. So for a lot of Eastern European countries ebooks are the only affardable way to experience a book.
My collection of used to be my pride and joy in my bedroom. Once I left home to pursue higher education, then ended up moving 7 times in 10 years (gotta love the bay area) I ended up a valuing the lightness and versatility of my 3k+ books in a single tablet a whole lot more.
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Since I’m old, with failing eyesight, I buy ebooks almost exclusively today. When I’m lucky and get to meet the author, I love autographed hardcovers. And sometimes I’ll buy a beloved book in hardcover as a treat.
I work away a lot so for convenience I have a kindle. But at home I have all my favourites in print as well as on my kindle.
My local bookshop is part of a chain and it is impossible to be able to walk into it and buy straight off the shelf as the entire section is heavily weighted in favour of science fiction. If I want a print copy of a book I have to special order it. Then, as you so rightly say, i have to wait for it to arrive and then make a special journey in to collect it. If I’m away it may be three weeks before i can get it.
So for me, as much as i would love to support my local book shop, ebooks are the way to go.
As I live in a country whose language isn’t English, i really love ebooks.
I don’t have to wait for long time before said book reaches me ( or is translated) and deal with unhelpful book store employees while placing a order for specific book in a foreign language (“Really? Why don’t you order it at amazon?” said the bookstore employee. You would think that the bookstore would welcome business.????) Every single time I tried it in the past something went wrong. So I am glad that i can just download it.
Will the rest of the Iron Dogs also be a print on demand? If so I’m going to switch to the ebooks. I love to look at my books but my budget isn’t that big and if it doesn’t matter that much I can switch to ebooks because it’s a new serie (sort of)
I am someone who is reluctant to try new technologies. Yet, once I do, I become enamored of them. Readers are a case in point. I used to be a physical book reader until a few years ago, when I decided to give an ereader a try. It was instant Nirvana for me. I could have MANY books with me at all times! ABD many of them were free! I’ve gone into serious debt because of my love of books, so this was manna from the gods for me. I also like the feel of the device in my hands. It has it’s own light source, so I can read for hours. I still have MANY books on MANY bookshelves in my home. I also have more than 50,000 titles in my Kindle collection. I no longer have to agonize over not getting a book because it won’t fit on my shelves. I buy the ebook and presto, it’s on my device. This has all been to my advantage. However, I knew the book market was changing over time. When I was in high school, my Mom was kind enough to buy trade paperbacks for me. I loved the artwork on the covers and wanted to be able to see it as I read. As I got older, I switched to mass market paperbacks because they were less expensive. I’ve never been a fan of hardback books because they’re too heavy and hurt my hands. Now, part of my job is managing the bookstore at the Center where I work. More and more people are buying books electronically, so it’s getting harder and harder to find physical books that people are willing to buy. I also know how important it is to pre-order books AND review them. Those two things can have an enormous impact on how well a book sells, regardless of its format. When it comes to a few authors, I will buy the paperback, the ebook AND the audio book. When I truly love an author, as I do Ilona Andrew’s, I will do everything I can do support that author’s work. It’s the least I can do for the priceless gifts they give me.
I love my Kindle and I love my books. Sometimes I just have to read a book, solid, in hand, turning pages. A comfy armchair, a cup of tea, a good book with the cat reading over my shoulder and the dog napping at my feet; always a pleasure. On a cold, pouring rain day like today, it’s pure paradise. Thank you, authors everywhere.
My husband complained that my book case was over flowing, and bought me an IPad, several years ago. It really wasn’t a complaint, I think he just wanted to get me an iPad.????. It has been upgraded twice since then. Anyway, I buy the ebook, but if I am going to meet the author, I buy a hard copy. So, either way they are being paid for bringing me such great adventures.
Another advantage of ebooks is in Amazon it will recommend other authors which supports another segment of the community .
the question that has not been answered ,that I can see , is if we have e-books how can we Further support and highlight our Loved beloved authors I presume we all be writing reviews, if so are there a specific sites that is a better I review Amazon obviously since we get our books there but any other sites .
I buy both hard copy and electronic books.I never buy audible because it drives me nuts to listen to someone read. My personal flaw.
I buy e-books for convenience when travelling, or waiting for an appointment. When e-books first became available, most books were less than 5 bucks, and huge numbers of them were free, still are. Then the prices went way up, they doubled, they kept going up. I stopped buying e-books when they went over 10 dollars.
I have bookcases all over my house. I love to read. If I like a book, I buy the hard copy, and when the price drops on the e-book, I buy that
When the power goes out for days on end in the winter, as it sometimes does, I light a fire in my wood-stove, and curl up with a book. Life is good.
Bless you for saying it’s okay to get from the library. As an older lady, I have been downsizing. I am donating to the library a bunch of books that I used to hold onto for dear life. I just don’t see the sense anymore. If we have to move to a smaller place at some point or someone has to come in to clear out our house, just making it easier either way. So, getting authors I used to buy through our local digital library instead. There are some I still buy digitally or paper, but not near like I used to. Hope you will be pleased to know that you join the ranks of Nora Roberts, Jayne Ann Krentz, Patricia Briggs as ones I still buy.
That was fascinating and illuminating. Thank you!
I preorder your books on Amazon as I have a Kindle Fire. I use it because it has the option of a black screen with white lettering and I can adjust the size and brightness of the lettering. Also, I have problems now turning the pages so the ereader just works better for me.
I have a whole library with me in my Kindle Fire. ETA I also occasionally do read one of my older historical romances which is not available in ebook format. I have not discarded my paper books – I have several 6 foot tall bookcases of hard back and paperback books, including all of yours that I bought before I switched to ebooks.
ETA on audiobooks my favorite narrators are Bernard Setaro Clark (Erin Kellison’s Tempted by Fire) and James Marsters (Dresden series). I like audio books but unless I also like the narrator, I won’t get the audiobook. I bought all of the Dresden series.
Thank you for the explanation. I’m a big Kindle fan, since I ran out of room to indulge my appetite for physical books about 10 years ago. Every room in my house has shelves or closets full to bursting and sadly, even the attic has boxes of books. I still buy hard copies of rare, historic books and hard copies from authors I re-read frequently. (yes, you two are absolutely in that group????). But e-books are such a win for me in terms of space, convenience and travel, I just can’t resist!
I really admire and want to support authors. Creativity is a gift that doesn’t always pay well. I’ll continue to preorder both ebooks and paper copies, because … well, frankly, you two are great???? and luckily, I can afford to do it!
As someone who spent 25+ years in publishing (mainly newspaper side), I resisted purchasing ebooks for years. I supported local booksellers, including the used booksellers which had been a treasure trove for me personally.
Due to changes in my financial situation a few years ago, I was forced to move to a much smaller place and sold off/donated most of my printed books. It broke my heart as I couldn’t afford to pay for storage locker. Friends and families have been giving me Amazon gcs for XMAS and Bday so I could slowly replace my library with ebooks. I am now very grateful that I’ll never be forced to give up my large book library again.
I just wanted to personally thank you for being sensitive that some of your readers have very real space and financial limitations. You’re a joy to read and follow.
All I can say is thank goodness for Amazon. There is no independent bookstore where I live nor any used bookstore unless you count Goodwill and a couple of other thrift shops. Hard to believe since I live in a University town but their bookstore only carries books required for classes. Outside of the fiction classics there is not much available. Barnes and Nobles is in another town so it is a small trip to get there. So I order online, mostly e-books these days. I do like Bookoutlet.com and pick up some hardbacks there that I want to read that our local library does not carry.
Older eyes now require e-books since I can make the font larger, so thank you for putting out your books in e-book form!
This is refreshing. Thank you.
You’re the BEST. I’m an equal opportunity devourer of your books. I do prefer digital, and always pre-order the ebook and audio. But I may get a print copy too. When it comes to your books, I want them all.
I have a multiple full bookcases that I never read anymore because it is too painful to hold a book, so I am a devout ereader.
That said, I really hate the limitation of being unable to read a book because it hasn’t been put in ebook format yet (or is a limited academic work costing $50+ on ebook), and having the occasional (usually Indie) ebook vanish off my archived books Without Warning or any kind of notification. I also really miss the satisfaction of seeing a physical bookshelf full of my current fav books – looking at the books on my tablet shelves is so temporary. But I can’t justify buying a shelf of hardcovers just to admire when reading them would be agonizing, not when there are so many other books to buy & read. Yet I still love walking through a bookstore, and admiring my favs in print. I’ve made special bookstore trips just to admire book covers (metallic embossed! Deckle edged! Colored inks! Etc…)
There are so many reasons I love ebook readers (most already stated by others here), but I do miss the ability to easily read hardcovers and all the benefits of physical books (especially when reading ebooks with lots of footnotes and linked appendixes)…and the vanishing bookstores.
“That said, I really hate the limitation of being unable to read a book because it hasn’t been put in ebook format”
I have the opposite problem. Very often books I want to read come out in ebook form, but they don’t come out in physical form for at least a month. It drivesmecrazy, & Idon’t understand why.
I understand why, but it still drives me crazy. I buy ebooks if I can’t get them in PB. I just don’t have room for all those hardcovers. I prefer to read actual books, but it is nice to have lots of books on my Nook. It’s a godsend for trips where I have limited luggage space.
I also read only ebooks due to physical difficulties. But even before that, I obsessed about getting an ereader from the time I first saw one…long before they became popular. The thought of being able to carry a multitude of books with me at all times is the height of happiness!
I would note that if I drop a physical book into the bath (and I have done this), it can usually be dried and is still readable (even if swollen). If I drop my e-reader into the bath, it likely will be dead and cost $199 to $1500 to replace. Also there is a long term risk that your e-reader provider will make the decision to get out of the e-book business and leave your library in peril (or gone). Admittedly a small risk with today’s mainstream readers, but I can cite examples in music, games and computer hardware that have happened (to me). I run about 50-50 physical vs e-book.
Company that made my audiobook copies, of Nalini Singh’s first two books went out of business.
Could not figure how to get them replaced as promised.
Still prefer audio now.
We have shelves, boxes piles of old paper books catching dust and occasional swoon of memory.
Am I the only person who doesn’t read in the bath? I’m busy in the bath! No time to read ????
LOL. I shower.
When I lived in Boston my fourth floor apt was freezing cold! I had to pay for the electric heat, but hot water was free so I lived in the bathtub, sometimes I dragged a little TV in and set it and the VCR on the toilet and watched movies. Mostly I read. I even had a small fridge and an electric kettle for tea. And I was the “Queen of bath products!
I have also never understood how can people read books in a bath be it physical or ebook ????
I just bath and relax, no reading, candles or what not.
When you are looking to buy a new one consider WaterFi. They take a Kindle Whitepaper and waterproof it. I love mine. Haven’t dropped it in the water but it has gotten damp from rain or my wet hands and no problems
Large ziplock freezer bag works fantastic when reading during a bath. You can still manipulate the screen and the device is protected from splashes or a quick dunk. Cheaper than an Otterbox too. Recycle it when it starts getting a bit worn.
I put my Kindle in a plastic Ziploc to read in bath/hot tub (after killing one due to moisture). Works perfectly.
Although Kindle has finally started to offer waterproof device. I don’t trust “waterproof” though, so I’m still covering.
The New Kindle Paperwhite is waterproof- I’ve taken it into the swimming pool and read there. It is amazing.
I tend to buy all of your books in every format over time, I like the collection. You keep writing them and I will keep treating myself to them. I have always preferred the real book until recently, I read them at the day spa I go to, but my glasses steam up and I can no longer read without glasses, so as long as I can actually ‘read’ the words I am a happy bunny.
I love books – physical books – but I almost always read on my Kindle now. Reason? Because of a chronic illness, I find it hard to hold the physical book – especially a nice, fat, juicy physical book – when I read in bed which is one of my favorite places to read. Also with my Kindle I can pack a lot of books for a trip and not worry about space or weight. :-).
FYI: I thoroughly enjoy your posts about the business of writing and being an author. I never really thought much about this part of what I enjoy so much. Please keep it up. Thank you.
As a cost conscious book buyer I tend to buy the cheapest format so I buy paperback or ebook. Or Library copy if I can get it????
I love books in every format, but have purchased ebooks and audiobooks almost exclusively the last few years in self-defense.
>My husband and son are video people and gave me constant grief about having paper books in every room – cookbooks in the kitchen, spa books in the bathroom, garden books in my office, romances in my bedroom, craft &decorating in my nook, classics in the family room, boxes in every storage space…..Did I mention I love books?
>I can fall asleep and stay asleep with lights out, and my ebook shutting down
>Hands started hurting from holding books for hours
>I can listen to an ebook while washing dishes, washing clothes, folding clothes, cooking, driving my car… Yes, I may have to listen to it 2-3x to catch the whole story, but, convenience!
>No more library late fees. Now I can borrow library ebooks and audiobooks through Overdrive, Hoopla and Axis 360.
>2-3 years ago, I started writing reviews for the books I read. I understand this also benefits authors. I’m just over 1200 in Audible, with another few in Amazon-Goodreads. I’ve got a ways to go for all the books I’ve read….. this keeps me out of trouble. Mostly.
Re: audiobooks: I really like my Anker Bluetooth speaker over my Doss. It’s been a lot trickier finding Bluetooth wireless earbuds that don’t fall out of my ears and hold enough juice to run for a few hours and don’t cost an arm-and-a-leg. I think I’m burning out my iPhone speaker, as I use it the most. I’m toting it around already, so…..
My favorite series is KD, so I have all the books in paper/hardback and ebook. I still tend to do this with favorite authors. And favorite books.
I love physical books, but a factor I have to consider is space so sometimes the ebook wins having said that I also have to think about the size of the print, with an e book you can enlarge the print . If it’s a series I love I will get hardback or paperback as I often find the trade print to small now. I love your Hidden Legacy series thank you
Oof, I definitely get what you’re saying. Personally, I have to buy from Amazon because I don’t drive, and the nearest bookstore is a Half Priced Bookstore that rarely has the newest books that I want, and would cost me more than the price of the hardback book to go pick up (unless I wait for one of my roommates to take me, which impedes on THEIR *one* day off, and any plans they have for that day). I used to live across the street from a Barnes & Noble, and I walked there every other day to pick up a new book. Where I am now, just doesn’t give me that option. I do pre-order though. I support my favorite authors anyway I can, and can’t wait til I live near a bookstore again. I miss the magic ♥
I preorder all books from authors I love. But it is sometime in print sometime in ebook, because my space is limit and sometime a ebook is more practical.
I bought the bottom-of-the-line Nook as an experiment to see if I would like it. I have been a physical book collector for more than 40 years, and I wasn’t sure if the e-book experience would hold up to the physical book experience. Wow! I have been sold on e-books ever since. The mere fact that I can get the same number of books in my entire physical collection in the space of a single paperback, and adjust the settings so it’s always comfortable to read in almost any light, has just totally converted me.
I am now drooling over the new Lenovo Pad M8 (not yet being sold in the US, but promised SOON) as a much better platform that won’t fill up so quickly. I can’t wait for February!
I now pre-order new releases as e-books from 2 authors – you and Jodi Taylor. I am always so happy when I get the message that my pre-order is now available for download.
I absolutely LOVE physical books–hardback and paperback. If you own it, you own it and can give it away, loan it, sell it, make it a wall ornament if you wish since you OWN it. BUT….
we’re retired now and moved to a smaller house. Alas, the books I stashed EVERYWHERE (3 deep on bookshelves) simply won’t fit. We donated 24 large boxes to our library’s booksale. We ONLY moved 8 large bookcases. I simply can’t fit any more books anywhere in our retirement home. So, as much as I’d like to add just one more….(cookbook, maybe?) I can’t so I’m reading and buying ebooks now.
There are some advantages. If I discover that I absolutely need to read the next book in a series at 11pm at night, I can download it.
I’m an ebook reader and an audible subscriber and sometimes buy both in a title, the convenience of audible is growing on me. I’m a big pre-order person.
I do just want to note that if I love the book I will buy a special edition like the ones issued by subterranean press. I have the lettered innkeeper and kinsmen. When it comes to hardcover or even paperback, space constraints mean I only buy what I love. I realize it’s a small market but it balances out for me my love of convenience with that traditional love for books.
So …. back in the day
I seriously hurt myself moving boxes of books (hardback)
SO …, changed to paperback (mostly)
Last time I moved, I had 27 boxes of paperbacks
SO …. I gave in and checked out e-readers …. amazon fire,2 paperwhite, & 2 nooks later, the downside of carrying those books home and finding space is gone.
WHY!!!! do B&N and AMA ….
“as a courtesy to our customer “ NOT CHARGE a preorder to my card “until the day of release”
I preorder in May/June book is due Oct/Nov!
To preorder purchase you have to buy gift cards.
Who is going to remember, Wellll I did, after they deducted the book charge in the middle of my holiday reservations & travel.
I personally preorder so I don’t have to remember. I don’t get their reasoning ????
I buy your books in both ebook form and audio. I do have a hobby though of looking for the hard copies in used book stores so I can buy one “in the wild”. I plan to have all three formats of all your books at some point.
I need those hard copies for when the power goes out. Distressingly common here in California.
I read all the time on my Samsung Note 8. I still have many books but I prefer ebooks because I can’t see close up anymore. I preorder everything you write via amazon. I even bought your backlist (of which I own all the physical books) so I could have digital copies for rereading.
I loved physical books. After downsizing and getting rid of tons of possessions, I have a storage unit filled mostly with books. Probably 35-40 boxes from the past 40 years that I have trouble letting go.
Unfortunately, my eyesight is not up to the small printing in most books anymore. I love ebooks that allow me to fit two words per page….just have to be careful that no one is reading the “good parts” over my shoulder from across the room.
More considerations – if you ask your readers to preorder on Amazon, Amazon doesn’t count the sale until you actually publish, so you have an avalanche of sales showing, which may encourage more readers to buy. Also if you preorder at your local indie book store and they order copies which do not sell — uhoh: returns to pay for. So Ms. Andrews seems to be on the right track for her own works.
The love of the indie store is a different matter altogether — encouraging readers to buy there in general while still providing that preorder link to Amazon — not so bad a compromise.
“The love of the indie store is a different matter altogether — encouraging readers to buy there in general while still providing that preorder link to Amazon — not so bad a compromise.”
The elephant in the room, PRICE. I love bookstores, I read a lot of books, I read physical books, books can be expensive, indie bookstores usually have the highest prices. It’s sad but true. I don’t even buy books from the Barnes & Noble store because the prices in the store are so much higher than the online prices (especially without the coupons which is a whole nother rant). Given a choice between spending $16.00 for a book & $26.00 for a book, I’m going with the cheapest price.
I used to have a large bedroom-turned-library devoted to physical books. Eight bookshelves, floor to ceiling, usually double- or triple-stacked. Then I sold the large house and downsized to a condo, at age 66. Packed over 110 boxes of books, and instead of moving them, donated ALL to various senior centers and charities. I own a 3rd generation Nook, and no physical books at all anymore (ok, except cookbooks. About 10 of them.) So I’m part of your hard-core eBook reader group. FYI, I always preorder favorite authors, of which you are one, and check every couple weeks to see when the next release is. (oh please oh please oh please??) I still enjoy going to Barnes and Noble, but it is usually to scan the shelves, then order a latte and sit down sipping the latte while ordering the eBook version of whatever I saw I wanted. eBooks are simply more convenient (and when I’m tired, I can make the font larger!!)
Living in south east Africa, the closest bookstore that sells Ilona Andrews books is in a neighboring South Africa. For obvious reasons I am a huge fan of E-books, I will buy the paperbacks at the bookstore eventually but usually, it is months after the books have been released that they appear in the bookstore if at all.
I but mostly Ebook versions nowadays, mainly because of price because I make shit at a job i love. But for my favorites i buy a realife copy to, usually hardback if I can find it, because the end of the world might happen and I’m reasonably sure my power will go before I die and God forbid i die bored!!????????
I LOVE paper books, grew up reading them and still do, but in paperback I buy only those books I absolutely love and are my favourite favourites AND I’ve read it before; otherwise, there have been times I bought a book without reading it prior because it seemed interesting and it ended up being not that good or just good, thus I regretted the buying, so I’ve learned from past mistakes.
Only exception to this now are series I love, for those I do buy sequel books without prior reading and/or are books from my favourite authors; in them I trust 😀
(Needless to say, IA is among my fav-fav authors and I fully trust you two 🙂
All of your books are ones I love or absolutely love.)
Back to the topic:
That being said, while I do love my paperbacks, I’m a practical sort and e-books are more convenient for space, be it at home or taking along for the road. And they tend to be cheaper.
Also, if I bought physical copies of ALL the books I’m reading (though not all of them even have paperbacks), I’d have a personal library of my own by now,(thou…not a bad idea ;D), but that’s just unreal because I read over a 100 books a year:
1) that would be too expensive, I look for the cheapest option available and often that includes a library or borrowing from friends, a book group.
2) like I said, don’t want to buy a book I didn’t like or was good, but nothing exceptional, mediocre – so not just paperbacks, but even for e-books, I look to first read it for free aka library/friend/club (unless it’s super cheap, those I then do buy beforehand even if it’s a new author) and only AFTER reading it will I buy it.
If it was good – ebook, good enough to wish to support the author and own the book for re-reads, but don’t want it to take up space or spend too much money.
If it was fantastic – paperback. MUST support the author so they’d hopefully write more goodies and have it grace my bookshelf for future re-reads.
3) like I said – space. Adding a 100 books a year to my bookshelves would be…not good. Because:
a) even if I had a house, that would’ve made my room into a library by now and I’d have over 1000 physical books in my home.
b) I don’t like to own books I didn’t enjoy or were just good and won’t re-read. Sure, I could buy it and then resell but that would take up time I could use better and I’d end up with a monetary loss, since most of the time I’d have to resell it for a cheaper price than I bought it.
And for a 100 books that would end up being a big sum.
All in all, if I enjoyed the book, I will buy it. Just depends on which format 😉
I guess for most books I’m not among those who support new releases, since, like, 80% of the books I read are not new releases, just simply found out about them now, but for those 20% that ARE new releases I’m 50/50:
On one hand, if it’s a new series/author…even if the blurb seems good and I AM looking forward to the release…I’m skeptical to buy it beforehand, because what if I don’t like it? So I wait till I can get my hands on it for free and see for myself whether it’s worth the money or at the very least wait for some reviews once the book is released, so might buy it a few days later.
On the other hand, if it’s an author I’m familiar with and the blurb/snippets/preview/world setting/etc are to my liking and ARC’s reviews seem good-ish, I will pre-order it or buy it right as it’s released without prior reading.
Though even with the familiar authors I have 2 variations for pre-orders.
Case in point:
a) Burn for Me.
By the time it came to be I was already a fan of IA and all the snippets made it look mighty appealing, so I had it pre-ordered on Kindle. And after reading it, it became even better, fabulously fantastic! so I was willing to also buy a paperback (even though the cover was hideous).
However, in the same situation with Nalini Singh’s Wolf Rain where I was even familiar with the world/characters (somewhat) and blurb/snippets did seem appealing and thus I DID pre-order Kindle, it ended up being just good, so no paperback.
b) Iron and Magic. I’m a fan of the authors + loved all their previous books + am familiar with the world setting and character and absolutely love them + the blurb and snippets were awesome = automatic paperback pre-order.
Same with Hidden Legacy sequels: absolutely loved the first book and so an automatic paperback pre-order.
Also same situation with Nalini Singh’s Archangel’s War – beloved series, beloved characters: pre-order paperback. No disappointment in either cases.
…well, so I do end up supporting at least my favourite authors with pre-orders. Good to know ????
> but you can, in theory, keep them long enough for your grandchildren to read them when they are grown.
This is only true if the ebook isn’t encumbered with DRM. Since I would never ever buy a DRM infested ebook, my library consists of nearly 2000 physical books and <10 ebooks.
So sorry to bore you with this , but if you wouldn’t mind, I would really like to know about DRM. Not a clue here. Thanks.
Please, what is DRM.
Dear Pyrokar,
What is a DRM. Sorry , this is the 3rd time I’ve asked, but my reply won’t print.I hope my replies don’ annoyingly all pop up at once????
DRM stands for Digital Rights Management.
I guess for most books I’m not among those who support new releases, since, like, 80% of the books I read are not new releases, just simply found out about them now, but for those 20% that ARE new releases I’m 50/50:
On one hand, if it’s a new series/author…even if the blurb seems good and I AM looking forward to the release…I’m skeptical to buy it beforehand, because what if I don’t like it? So I wait till I can get my hands on it for free and see for myself whether it’s worth the money or at the very least wait for some reviews once the book is released, so might buy it a few days later.
On the other hand, if it’s an author I’m familiar with and the blurb/snippets/preview/world setting/etc are to my liking and ARC’s reviews seem good-ish, I will pre-order it or buy it right as it’s released without prior reading.
Though even with the familiar authors I have 2 variations for pre-orders.
Case in point:
a) Burn for Me.
By the time it came to be I was already a fan of IA and all the snippets made it look mighty appealing, so I had it pre-ordered on Kindle. And after reading it, it became even better, fabulously fantastic! so I was willing to also buy a paperback (even though the cover was hideous).
However, in the same situation with Nalini Singh’s Wolf Rain where I was even familiar with the world/characters (somewhat) and blurb/snippets did seem appealing and thus I DID pre-order Kindle, it ended up being just good, so no paperback.
b) Iron and Magic. I’m a fan of the authors + loved all their previous books + am familiar with the world setting and character and absolutely love them + the blurb and snippets were awesome = automatic paperback pre-order.
Same with Hidden Legacy sequels: absolutely loved the first book and so an automatic paperback pre-order.
Also same situation with Nalini Singh’s Archangel’s War – beloved series, beloved characters: pre-order paperback. No disappointment in either cases.
…well, so I do end up supporting at least my favourite authors with pre-orders. Good to know ????
eh, sorry for the double comments, something went wrong for a moment and it didn’t show the comment as posted on my phone. All’s good now 😉
Thanks for sharing tidbits about business of writing! They are very interesting.
As to book formats – I used to be a stanch paper book supporter. I have large personal library and love going to bookstores. But several years ago I switched to ebooks because of sore shoulder. I still occasionally stop by at book store and buy art books or some antique edition. But my library is 80% ebooks nowadays. Actually, I bought more books per month since switching to electronic format. It’s just much more convenient.
I am thrilled to have the above statistics.
Our county library system has a policy of not reimbursing the individual libraries
in the system when they purchase Ebooks, so most of the time a librarian
can’t justify doing it. Even though I hate to support Amazon in any way because
I feel that it is unAmerican to do business here and Pay No Taxes, the simple fact is that Ebooks are much easier for me to read.I can enlarge the text, change the font, and even the background to make the print much more legible. The hands free aspect allows me to knit or use the treadmill, etc. etc. while reading. I am unable to use audio books because in addition to having my mind wander, I can’t.
be immersed in the the book in the same way as actual reading allows. For me, the voices of characters in a book are actually heardin my head as those of the characters in a movie.For me books are very much like my own personal movies.
So I hope these statistics will be helpful in changing the library’s policy. Thank you so very much for all the help you give about the writing world.
Thank you for this detailed explanation and break-down.
I’ve written two books so far (last one self-published), third in process, and some of my fave people are authors – and a lot of our conversations deal w/ marketing and sales. So this breakdown is useful not just for me and for them.
I will definitely attend to doing more pre-orders, and also will specifically visit my local bookstore – which DOES have author events, etc. – and show them a list of your books, and order some copies direct through them. (I’ll do this, even though I’ve previously ordered my hard-copies through Amazon.)
It helps to know how to play the game so that I can be supportive of you and other authors.
Really appreciate your extra attention to this.
All my best!
Until ebooks happened, my future demise was likely to be from an unfortunate book-alanche! I read, A LOT. So for me, ebooks were a hallelujah moment. I still have several bookcases and boxes (&boxes) of books. But my book hoard is now under control. Plus it’s so much easier to “lay hands” on a particular book by just searching my e-reader (instead of several locations). Happy, happy!
That said, I do still buy print books in series I really love.
I had hundreds of scifi & fantasy books, mostly paperback, many of which were purchased during the 80s, 90s, and early 00s; then there was a house fire in 2018. Everything was lost, including all of my IA books. It was the only time I was grateful for missing out on the Subterranean Press issues.
Some of the books were never released in ebook format, a few of the authors have died and are now out of print. Replacing my lost library is for me, at this time, too cost prohibitive to consider much less undertake. Do you know what my costs were to replace my ebooks? Just that of a new reader.
So although there are a few books I truly wish to replace, each one is at least 35 years old and OOP. I’m going to have to figure out which ones mean the most to me and begin searching for them but honestly, things like my pulp fiction collection are gone for good. However, the oversized omnibus Disney storybooks published before 1970 may be doable. I’ll have to see.
I read pretty exclusively on my kindle paperwhite. I love that out holds tons of books and i can click to get the next in a series when finished. While I am certainly a fan of paperbooks, I live in a smaller town and pretty much any book would be a special order. My genre is not carried as much as others. Additionally, I can manipulate the font size and brightness to save my older eyes. Finally, it saves space. I simply couldn’t hold on to as many books as I read. I do hate that I can’t lend things out most of the time but the other plusses work out in balance for me.
In other news, just took a class on flat syncopated brioche knitting. Joy!
I think this is a US accounting requirement (not sure of other countries). Until they ship the product they can’t/don’t charge you. I don’t know the nuances (I’m sure someone can share those), like why they can charge a deposit (maybe when a service or custom item?).
My issue with the suggestion that I buy at a local bookstore is until VERY recently we didn’t have a local bookstore that sold new books here in Pensacola. Our choices were used bookstores, Christian bookstores, Books-A-Million, and Barnes & Noble. Given those choices we either go to B&N, or we buy digital. I just recently found out we have a local bookstore now, but I haven’t gone yet since pay day is this Friday. Going to a bookstore before payday makes me feel sad. 😀
I saw the picture for the blog and instantly recognized it – that’s from the upstairs of the Last Bookstore. Not sure if that’s just a happy coincidence that the picture just happens to be from an independent bookstore – but it’s an awesome bookstore in downtown Los Angeles. They also have a tunnel of books that is Instagram-worthy.
I have read in all three formats and I just wanted to share relevant reasoning as to why I buy which. Also I am not a writer and tend to use run-ons. My apologies in advance.
Paperback/hardback: This is how it all started out for me! There were no ebooks, kindles, nooks. It was books on tape that came in VCR boxes or hardcopy. Also school and public libraries were a huge part of my childhood. I once had my name up on a wall for reading the most books during the summer reading program. At the times when money is tight I still fall back on paperbacks from either a library or a secondhand book store as sometimes used books in great condition that you can keep and place on a shelf can be cheaper than a kindle price.
Audio Books: I started out as a reader and still prefer to read over listen. It a narrator isnt engaging to me then I tend to zone out and never read the story. Since I’m a young adult / student and only have a budget of $25 / month for recreational books, I feel like I wasted my money. Don’t get me wrong, some narrators are FANTASTIC and others are just meh to my ears.
E-book: I love for all the reasons you already stated above BUT also I love the search-ability for certain scenes or quotes in your eBook app of choice. There is also the benefit of highlights. A lot of young adults share a 2 line quote or highlight that hit them in the feels. They share what book it’s from and that’s how I find a few new authors. It’s how some of them unintentionally turn someone into a member of the BDH. Also just if an appointment is running late then I have a whole new world to disappear into and pass the time at my fingertips.
Given a choice I will buy the book. If I cant find it and I am on book 8 of a series I will buy the ebook just to have it right now. Did this just the other day, But I still prefer real books.
I am in the camp of thanking the Lord for ebooks! I have severe arthritis with very limited mobility. If I had to go to a bookstore , I simply would not be able to feed my voracious appetite for books. And believe it or not, even the weight of printed books can sometime be a detriment to holding it for the long periods of time which I read. I average two normal size books a day (I’m a speed reader) and I often reread favorites simply to cut down on the expense of constantly buying new material. I still usually purchase an average of at least five to seven books a week. Ebooks are usually a bit less expensive and I can call up a favorite from my recliner. this is a huge blessing to me. Thank you for alleviating the guilt I sometimes feel for no longer purchasing paper books!