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I cannot stand them. Camilla Send a noteboard - 03/09/2009 08:59:03 PM
Okay, I'm going to ramble (I almost always do) so just hang in there and I'll probably get around to what I want to say.

I find the ebook thing very....interesting. I will be the first to admit, in my lust to get books, I have in the past *cough* obtained *cough* them from certain websites as .pdf or .html files and read them on my computer. I will not spend my time trying to defend myself, but I'll just say that I'm done downloading books. Authors need to be compensated, or I need to get my butt to the library.


I remember trying to read an e-book. I am never doing that again. They will have to pry my books from my cold dead hands. I say this, knowing very well that books take up space. I have a lot of them. I also move a lot (being a student), and I know that would be very much easier with an e-book reader. But. Never going to happen. I have a very tactile and olfactory relationship with books.

That said, the experience I had reading books off the computer screen was....not really that bad at all. I actually liked it. So, I'm assuming I'll be the perfect candidate for something like a Kindle. Mind you, I won't be buying a kindle or anything else until we settle on a format that can be read by ALL ebook readers. Proprietary=no no.


There is of course also that, but that is a side point for me.

So, all that said, I wonder how authors feel about the kindle, and about ebooks in general.

On the one hand, it might be argued that they won't make as much because they're not selling hardbacks at $25 a piece.

On the other hand, it might also be argued that if they really have a great piece of fiction they could stand to make even more because the entry price is lower. The Kindle sells books at $10 a piece, even brand new, and this appeals to be as a consumer.


Ah. You forget the midlist novel. And you are assuming that quality and quantity go hand in hand. Both bad moves.

On a third, and strangely smelly hand, I'd say that's only true for consumers that have a fair chunk of cash in the first place, because those Kindles don't grow on trees.

On a fourth, quiet and misunderstood hand that lives in its parent hands' basement, the electronic format could potentially be seen as somewhat of a revolution for the small-timers out there that want to get a book published. They've got something really great, and maybe they won't even have to have a publisher in the near future?


No. See, here be a problem. Publishers are a good thing. They come with editors. Editors are good for authors.

However, having people publish whatever they want could possibly just spell doom for the universe.


Not doom, but probably less quality.

Your thoughts?


I dropped them above. I am not a fan. I think it a bad thing. I mean, not necessarily evil (as it would seem to have some uses), but nothing I would want to be the standard of the book market.


Incidentally, since I appear to be linking Nick Harkaway's blog a lot, here are a couple of links:

http://www.nickharkaway.com/2009/07/insulting/
http://www.nickharkaway.com/2009/07/ebooksii-epistle/
*MySmiley*
structured procrastinator
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Let's Discuss: Ebooks Bryce - 03/09/2009 06:19:42 PM 1663 Views
I don't think I could ever use Ebooks. Spriteling - 03/09/2009 06:51:47 PM 1062 Views
It's not necessarily one or the other. Ghavrel - 03/09/2009 07:32:56 PM 1112 Views
This is so. Spriteling - 03/09/2009 07:53:41 PM 1197 Views
You probably will be able to soon. Ghavrel - 03/09/2009 07:58:52 PM 1001 Views
You can with some of the more expensive models. Aemon - 03/09/2009 11:19:01 PM 1194 Views
Ideally, universities will start renting out eTextbook readers, or something. *NM* Ghavrel - 03/09/2009 11:30:29 PM 568 Views
That'd be great. My school rents out standard ebook readers now, so it won't be long. *NM* Aemon - 03/09/2009 11:32:27 PM 582 Views
Re: This is so. Camilla - 03/09/2009 09:02:21 PM 1205 Views
destroying books? jh - 03/09/2009 10:26:46 PM 1201 Views
Re: destroying books? Camilla - 03/09/2009 10:59:39 PM 1178 Views
I can read ebooks, jh - 03/09/2009 07:17:55 PM 1339 Views
Actually... Kylia Skydancer - 04/09/2009 01:19:40 AM 1119 Views
actually, I disagree with something you said. everynametaken - 04/09/2009 05:48:57 AM 1036 Views
Regarding pricing... Ghavrel - 03/09/2009 07:40:02 PM 1196 Views
Not so Camilla - 03/09/2009 09:01:32 PM 1214 Views
That's a fairly horrible blog post. Ghavrel - 03/09/2009 11:05:22 PM 1250 Views
Re: That's a fairly horrible blog post. everynametaken - 04/09/2009 05:54:19 AM 1276 Views
It's called "price discrimination." Ghavrel - 04/09/2009 07:47:32 PM 1329 Views
Re: Let's Discuss: Ebooks cookie_maker - 03/09/2009 08:42:26 PM 1553 Views
Now that is a clever idea. Ghavrel - 03/09/2009 11:14:07 PM 1004 Views
Amazon has actually been using that idea for a while now, in a limited sense. Aemon - 03/09/2009 11:22:00 PM 1046 Views
Amazon is quite clever. *NM* Ghavrel - 03/09/2009 11:25:35 PM 585 Views
Wonderful idea. Jayhawk - 04/09/2009 12:29:42 AM 1192 Views
I cannot stand them. Camilla - 03/09/2009 08:59:03 PM 1275 Views
Regarding the "Insulting" blog... Ghavrel - 03/09/2009 10:22:43 PM 1141 Views
Re: Regarding the "Insulting" blog... Camilla - 03/09/2009 10:58:18 PM 1015 Views
I did, and I have decently extensive criticism of it above. Ghavrel - 03/09/2009 11:08:23 PM 1042 Views
Re: " I have a very tactile and olfactory relationship with books." Tashmere - 04/09/2009 09:38:22 AM 1022 Views
This. . .is quite long. I feel pretty strongly about this subject. Aemon - 03/09/2009 11:14:11 PM 1313 Views
No, it's a cool post. Ghavrel - 03/09/2009 11:29:33 PM 1123 Views
More than fair. Aemon - 03/09/2009 11:39:29 PM 1062 Views
Now there's something I hadn't thought of Bryce - 04/09/2009 01:00:06 AM 1142 Views
Well, it's easier, just slightly less legal. Aemon - 04/09/2009 06:04:03 AM 1176 Views
No, it's a double post. *NM* Ghavrel - 03/09/2009 11:29:34 PM 455 Views
lovely! this is what i would have wanted to say had i gotten here earlier... temeraire - 04/09/2009 12:44:55 AM 1252 Views
Do you have a blog where you review books? Bryce - 04/09/2009 01:02:13 AM 1067 Views
aw, shucks... temeraire - 04/09/2009 05:41:29 AM 1144 Views
Thank you for the education. I had a completely different idea as to what e-books were. Tashmere - 04/09/2009 09:35:11 AM 1153 Views
No problem. And thanks! Aemon - 04/09/2009 03:15:14 PM 1201 Views
A possible selling point for me was when you said it was lighter than a paperback Tashmere - 05/09/2009 12:25:18 AM 1150 Views
Yes and no. Aemon - 05/09/2009 02:49:26 AM 1378 Views
I'd love to have one PhotoJim - 04/09/2009 01:05:05 AM 1070 Views
Re: Let's Discuss: Ebooks Kylia Skydancer - 04/09/2009 01:39:31 AM 1219 Views
That's great, I've read one or two on my computer as well. Aemon - 04/09/2009 06:31:25 AM 997 Views
Unfortunately, I don't have an ereader. Kylia Skydancer - 08/09/2009 08:23:10 AM 1120 Views
I hate ebooks and everything they represent Сталин - 04/09/2009 03:50:48 AM 1024 Views
Hold on a moment now. Aemon - 04/09/2009 06:28:09 AM 1219 Views
Your logic is seriously flawed Сталин - 04/09/2009 02:28:21 PM 1454 Views
I see your sceneclips, and raise you a New York Times. Aemon - 04/09/2009 02:59:33 PM 1249 Views
You have an almost cult-like enthusiasm for e-books. Сталин - 06/09/2009 12:53:04 AM 1163 Views
Re: You have an almost cult-like enthusiasm for e-books. Aemon - 06/09/2009 05:24:48 AM 1191 Views
I know we're on a message board. That's why I'm still debating. Сталин - 06/09/2009 03:15:55 PM 1151 Views
Perhaps you mis-read the graph. PhotoJim - 04/09/2009 03:14:06 PM 1161 Views
No, I didn't mis-read the graph. Сталин - 06/09/2009 12:56:15 AM 1001 Views
You must be talking percentage of the population who attend theaters? *NM* Aemon - 06/09/2009 05:26:43 AM 534 Views
Yes. Сталин - 06/09/2009 03:06:14 PM 1163 Views
I second Aemon but a couple drawbacks dadof5 - 04/09/2009 04:25:50 PM 1280 Views
Re: I second Aemon but a couple drawbacks Aemon - 04/09/2009 04:50:01 PM 1417 Views
I don't have any fancy reasons for you. Craig - 05/09/2009 01:47:09 AM 1310 Views
Craig, you're incredibly interesting Bryce - 05/09/2009 01:59:27 AM 1060 Views
... Are you hitting on me? Craig - 05/09/2009 03:02:06 AM 1582 Views
Depends...what's in it for me? *NM* Bryce - 06/09/2009 12:20:23 AM 536 Views
AbsoLUTEly nothin'. Sorry. *NM* Craig - 06/09/2009 02:29:59 AM 461 Views
I do love the feel and sensation of books. Cockatiel of Doom - 09/09/2009 02:38:57 AM 1037 Views
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