Karen Foley
Lynn Raye Harris
Ellen Hartman
Diana Holquist
Samantha Hunter
Shirley Jump
Dee Tenorio
Jeannie Watt
To e-book or not to e-book?
Submitted by LorieHartt on Thu, 2007-01-11 02:40.
For me there is no question.
When I was asked if I would like to do this blog I didn’t hesitate, until the geek and the number cruncher sides of me went to war. For days I flip flopped. Did I explain some of the technical jargon that would ease the fear of digital media for the uninitiated? Or did I use the opportunity to explore the sometimes heated topic of cost; i.e. Publisher vs author/reader profit/price?
Then I started pondering what I’d say if I decided which topic to touch on. Did I spend my word count covering the various eReaders and their functions in hopes that I could possibly cover them all? Or did I use it list the hidden costs to producing a quality eBook so that people had a better understanding of the business side of things?
Well, the more I thought about it the more obvious it was to me that I’d serve you better if I shared, instead, the many reasons why I adore eBooks.
The biggest benefit for me is the ease of access. I seem to be, despite my best efforts, a really busy person, so I’m a sucker for instant gratification. I love that I don’t have to rely on other people’s schedules in order to buy eBooks.
With the reader friendly internet eBook Boutiques, such as the one at eHarlequin.com, I can shop; while sick, from the comfort of my sofa, at 2 in the morning, and while it’s pouring rain outside. And best yet, I never have to worry about finding the book is out of stock when I get there, I don’t have to wait for it to be shipped and I didn’t even have to worry about my appearance.
Yes folks, there is a way to shop while in your pajamas, with wild hair and ducky slippers.
Because I am on the go so much, I also appreciate the portability of the eBook devices which allow me to read, any time, any where. They’re small enough to drop into a purse or pocket, and yet with the ability to change the font size, they’re still quite easy to see. Their illuminated screens even allow me to read at night, in bed, without needing a flashlight or waking my hubby with the bedside lamp.
I can bookmark as many pages as I want, just as easily as I can a paperback, and I don’t have to worry about the bookmark falling out. I like that I can use the handy search feature to quickly look up a specific phrase, name or word to help me remember a section I wanted to reference. I like that when I find that which I sought, I can bookmark it as well, without fearing my book will end up looking like a paper porcupine.
There is no limit to the kind of books I can get. Fiction, non fiction, research, you name it. I can get any genre, sub-genre there is. Given that I’m an avid reader, and I will devour just about any kind of literature, this opens the whole world of books to me, and all with a couple clicks of a mouse.
Storage isn’t a problem. My computer has a lot more room than my groaning bookshelves, and the easily purchased memory cards that most eReader devices support are so tiny I can load them up with books and still fit a few of them in my wallet.
Speaking of my wallet…
Okay, I admit it. Before I discovered eBooks I used to (occasionally) hide books from my husband. Not that he cared if I read or not, (I suppose, when it came to his televised sporting events he was quite happy to see me otherwise occupied.) but as there is only so much space in our house, the is only so much flexibility in the bank account. When I bought new books, which was (and still is) weekly, the physical proof was there, staring him in the face. Now when I buy eBooks, I at least get to enjoy them before the visa bill comes.
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the ultimate consumer is intrigued...
I jokingly call myself the ultimate consumer because I love to shop. Doesn't matter what it is, but Lori, your post has got me thinking I need one of those natty little e-reader gizmos! A new gadget would be very cool - and save on me having to carry more backbreaking book boxes when we move next time. I must admit, probably my biggest reluctance to e-indulge has been the fact that I would be reading off-screen. I work on a computer all day, and I like to give my eyes a rest from staring at back-lit screens at night, if possible. But the gadget factor and the storage factor are powerful persuaders... Thanks for opening my eyes, I look forward to hearing more from our other posters....
eBooks
eBooks
You're welcome Mads. I'm going to reply to the easier bits first, it's still morning for me. ;) And I apologize in advance for being long winded, some of these aren't cut and dry answers.
Lucky you. A 1gb jump drive does hold a fair number of eBooks, and it is super portable. I have one, that's also a pen (it's all about multi tasking these days). It already holds 6 books and there's still a ton of space for more.
Next, the cost, to the consumer, of eBooks. If you're an eHarlequin.com member, you'll find we offer monthly bundle deals of 2-3 books for less than buying them seperately. Also, if you were after a single, specific book, let's say a Blaze written by one of these lovely ladies, you can get a print version for $4.60(usd, includes S&H). You can get the same story, in eBook format, for $4.06. Mind you, these calculations are for a single book and the shipping charges vary as per purchase. You usually do need a credit card to purchase, although I'm told a debit card with a credit card symbol on it sometimes works.
I don't have an immediate answer for you as per the time it takes for dial up users to download. I'm on broadband, so I don't know from personal experience, but I'll check into that this afternoon. I do know download times will vary, depending on the traffic at the site and the speed of your modem. I do think it'd probably take less time than a trip to the store. ;)
As for an Author's possible income... well, it depends on a few things. One is the marketability of the name. Some writers are going to make more than others regardless of the format their books are available in.
There are ePublishers who offer an average of 35% royalties, whereas the larger, more traditional houses often offer considerably less, let's say 6% (to pull a number out of the air).
Now at first glance that 35% looks like the better deal doesn't it? However, let's look at the bigger picture, such as the fact that many ePublishers offer only the one option, eBooks, although some will, if the author pays for it, make a print version available. And let's not forget that with smaller publishers, the author usually has to do all of their own marketing.
A larger house, such as eHarlequin, helps the author market themselves, as a name, and markets their books. They also first a release the story in print, (without making the author pay for it themselves) and then they also offer the options of eBook and/or Audio formats as well. With the 3 formats available the author has already tripled his/her possible sales.
So in the long run, what comes out to more? 35% of 5,000 or 6% of 50,000?
Ebooks and an author
Welcome Sarah!
Paranormal and erotic westerns? I'm in awe. :) Congrats on the contracts! I hope you'll come by and see us often and let us know how it's going!
You know, I hadn't thought of saving the books to CD. To be honest I don't re-read a lot of my paperbacks, but it would still be nice to have them on hand for reference. Thanks for the tip!
Sam
Backing up ebooks
word verify
So sorry Sarah -- it is a problem sometimes, for some reason, it's just a tough one. Mike can create an account for you, though you still have to go through the word verify to change the password. Can you take another stab, and email me at samhunter@samanthahunter.com and we'll help you work it out. :)
Sam
Wow!
Thank You
No need to thank me Mads, but you're welcome just the same. I love talking about reading eBooks and the different gadgets you can view them on. And I love that my enjoyment of them can infect others. Kids are hard to raise, even the four footed ones sometimes.
(((Sarah))) Ugh, I was only 6 chapters in, both times but I feel your pain. I haven't touched that story since, I'm half afraid to ;) but one day... I am what I'd call a Plonster. I "see" the entire story in my head, kinda like a movie, so it is plotted, but I also just sit and write.
Word verify
Backing up
Yes, I use multiple resources to back up well and I
back up EVERYTHING I want to be sure to keep.
I also write (when I'm not being a tech geek) and I had the unfortunate experience of losing half of my book not once, but twice. The first time was a system crash, the second was to a failed flash pen. :(
My worst back up story
EEK!
I am a rabid backer upper of everything I write, have been for years after chanting it to students for so long over the years and telling them losing their paper was not an excuse for not having it (LOL -- See what a hardass I am???).
But I thought with the ebooks, at least at eHarl, you could re-download them from your shelf if you lost them? So far it hasn't been a problem, but just wondering?
Sam
Har Bookshelf
I know from personal experience that you can re-download the The MS-Reader files.
I had to download your Untouched twice Sam, because when I got up to refresh my coffee my beautiful (but not overly bright) furbaby flopped onto my laptop and rebooted me before it was finished.
I also had to double download another book a couple of months ago b/c I had an unrelated system crash before I'd had a chance to back it up.
I've heard you can do the same with the mobipocket versions although I haven't tried it yet b/c I'm having issues with Dell about my pda, (but we won't go there today) *happy thoughts... happy thoughts*
It's only the adobe versions you can only get once.It's some adobe thing as I understand it, I haven't investigated it further since I prefer the MS-Reader myself.
eBooks and an Author
Hi Sarah, well, you popped into the right blog today because I'm also the hosty for the eHarlequin.com Spice line. *grin*
I LOL'd at your description of dial-up. Now that I'm using the cable broadband I'd never be able to switch back, sometimes even nearly instantaneous is not fast enough.
Timing *G*
Comes with chocolate.
Hi Sarah.
When you get a chance, pop on over to eHarlequin.com. You will see, on the bottom of that page a blue Talk Link and a speech bubble. If you follow that it will take you to the eHarlequin.com Community. Once there, if you look on the right you'll see more links, one of which is Book Buzz. There you will find me, and info on the Spice books.
Small Epubs PSA
E-Pub books
Bricks and Mortar
"I agree, I think just like with books a reader buys in a brick and mortar, there will be some that are keepers and others that leave the reader thinking, "Well, that was different."
LOL Sarah.
"They provide an outlet for stories readers want, but that might have cycled out of the current hot market"
This was true as well.
I know myself, I love paranormal romance stories, and for a long while there the only place you could find one was from an ePublisher. If it weren't for them I'd have gone int withdrawal, and it wouldn't have been pretty.
PSA
LOL.
True enough Cindy. I do think that ePublishers have indeed given us many wonderful authors that hadn't had a home before simply because the "shelves" hadn't had a place for them. There are many gifted writers who've earned their stripes by beginning with ePubs (A number of my best friends included).
I also agree that eBooks have had a bad rap.
Unfortunately, for those writers, editors and ePublishers who honestly cared about what they were producing, there were just as many who'd decide to just slap something up there regardless of it's quality. As with any purchase you can find vendors with superb merchandise as easily as you can those with less than stellar pieces. You just need to know what you're buying, and from whom.
As for print options in eBooks. Yes, most are upfront about what they offer you with your standard contract, and I've got friends who've been pleased by the contracts they'd signed, the income they've been able to generate and the fact that they've been able to see themselves in print. But I also know just as many who were disappointed to learn that they'd only be put into print if... If they sold X number of books, (which they had to market themselves)... if they paid X number of $$, etc.
I'm not here to point fingers, or to pat backs, merely to express my excitement about eBooks as a great way to enjoy a book. By all means people should explore the world of ePublishing. It's a fast growing media.
Intrigued
Hi Sarah.
I understand your reluctance, believe me I do. I almost didn't explore the world of eBooks for the very same reason. I'm glad I did though, because most days I'm fine switching to the eReader. It's somehow different enough that it works.
Honestly though, there are times, after easily spending 12 to 14 hours on the computer that I just can't stand the thought of looking at another screen, for any reason.
That's when I either pick up a print book, or better yet, switch to audio. (It's so nice, to have the different choices.) I love it when I can just sit, with my eyes closed and the headphones on, and be carried along by a wonderful story while the world keeps running around me. Of course, it's not often I can just sit, usually I'm listening to the audio books while I tackle all the everyday tasks in life that require the use of hands... but a gal can dream. ;)
I love eBooks
A side note: Lorie is a host at eHarl during the day hours, and right now they've had a week of IT emergencies, so she's busy putting out fires and promises to come by later and tomorrow to answer questions...so keep chatting, and she'll be in. :)
I have to admit, part of the reason I stalked, uh, I mean, asked, Lorie to guest blog is because I am a recent convert to ebook, and I can't recommend it highly enough. I also wondered if people might be confusing ebooks with epubs. epubs are publishers who release books primarily in e-formats, but ebooks are traditional print pubs who are offering their books in e-formats. There is some overlap, but not entirely.
I do still buy print books in some cases, so it's about 50-50 for me. Mostly I only buy books I know I'm going to want to keep around the house. The other advantages are as she stated -- ease of purchase, portability, and for me, not having a lot of books piling up that have no where to go after I read them (fewer and fewer donation spots in our area are taking used books because they keep getting dumped on). I use my husband's decommissioned Treo, it's not a working phone, I just use it as an ereader, and it works very nicely. However, you don't need it -- you can read on your laptop, though that didn't work for me -- reading on the laptop for me equals work, so reading for pleasure didn't appeal. I also couldn't take it with me, to bed, in the car, etc.
Unless you are reading in the pitch dark, is very much the same as reading from a page, and doesn't really have eye-burn. However, I found in at least one case that when I couldn't sleep in the middle of the night, reading my ebook allowed me to stay up and read in bed without bothering Mike; I didn't have to turn on a light, and the eye strain was minimal. ;) I could imagine it would make reading in other low-light environments, the car, etc easier.
For whatever reason, I found I also read faster. My eyes scan the Treo screen much faster than a written page.
As an author, the one thing that really attracts me is the increased security -- I know it's a touchy subject, but ebooks cut down on book sharing/trading, which translates to more sales for authors. It's not impossible to share ebooks, but it's a heck of a lot harder. Since author's writing lives literally depend on sales numbers, I feel much better that our intellectual property should be protected and paid for much like music, videos, etc.
Anyway...I'm also very interested to hear what people are thinking/doing re:ebooks...
Sam
I love eBooks
A side note: Lorie is a host at eHarl during the day hours, and right now they've had a week of IT emergencies, so she's busy putting out fires and promises to come by later and tomorrow to answer questions...so keep chatting, and she'll be in. :)
I have to admit, part of the reason I stalked, uh, I mean, asked, Lorie to guest blog is because I am a recent convert to ebook, and I can't recommend it highly enough.
I do still buy print books in some cases, so it's about 50-50 for me. Mostly I only buy books I know I'm going to want to keep around the house. The other advantages are as she stated -- ease of purchase, portability, and for me, not having a lot of books piling up that have no where to go after I read them (fewer and fewer donation spots in our area are taking used books because they keep getting dumped on). I use my husband's decommissioned Treo, which is not a networked phone, I just use it as an e-reader. It works very nicely, and unless you are reading in the pitch dark, is very much the same as reading from a page, and doesn't really have eye-burn.
However, I found in at least one case that when I couldn't sleep in the middle of the night, reading my ebook allowed me to stay up and read in bed without bothering Mike; I didn't have to turn on a light, and the eye strain was minimal. ;) I could imagine it would make reading in other low-light environments, the car, etc easier. You can also use your laptop, but that didn't work for me, it was too inconvenient and that's my work, not where I read for fun.
For whatever reason, I found I also read faster. My eyes scan the Treo screen much faster than a written page.
As an author, the one thing that really attracts me is the increased security -- I know it's a touchy subject, but ebooks cut down on book sharing/trading, which translates to more sales for authors. It's not impossible to share ebooks, but it's a heck of a lot harder. Since author's writing lives literally depend on sales numbers, I feel much better that our intellectual property should be protected and paid for much like music, videos, etc.
Anyway...I'm also very interested to hear what people are thinking/doing re:ebooks...
Sam
A touchy subject.
Hey Samantha.
Thanks for inviting me. I'm glad I could make it.
You touched on one of the topics I'd neglected to mention; the Security protections.
Okay, so the reader in me was a little bummed to learn that it's pretty difficult to share eBooks. I've been known to pass on a great book myself. And I'm all for libraries, I think they provide a unique service and allow people who couldn't otherwise read to join our world.
However(again, no matter how I try to escape the number cruncher she speaks) the financial side of it, from an author's point of view, makes sense. I can only imagine how much in revenue authors lose every year because people pass books on instead of buying new.
Who else besides me actually
Freedom
"The family seems to think that since they can't see a book in my hands that I am not reading. So they don't interrupt as much."
You discovered my guilty secret Dawn. I lie to my family... shhh. I have no idea how many times I've told the kids to shoo because I was "working" when I was really reading. *grin*
I have this pen I was given it as a gift, so I don't know where it was purchased nor what the average price is, you'd have to shop around. I do however know that I love it.
Unique pen Lorie, Thanks. I
Storage
Hi again Dawn.
I know that most e-publishers, including eHarlequin's eBook Boutique keep a personalized bookshelf for their customers.
Provided you are on the computer the purchase was registered to, you can usually re-download the ms-reader(microsoft) and mobipocket versions. I have had to re-download a specific ms-reader file a couple of times, so I know from experience it can be easily done. Unfortunately you can only download Adobe files once, so it's a good idea to back those up if you intend on keeping them.
Most eBooks come with protections that ensure they can only be opened on the computer they were purchased with. This is to reduce pirating of the novels.
Once they're opened though, the files are easy to transfer to flash pen, device or memory card. Flash pens plug into the usb port on your computer, and are visible on the My Computer section of your system.
Devices all have their own software, which will guide you in the transfer process, but I've yet to find one that's overly complicated. The devices also plug into your computer's usb port, much the same way an mp3 player or digital camera do.
Memory cards, like those found in digital cameras, plug into the device, again, similar to the one found in a digital camera.
Did that answer your questions? Did you have any others?