In September 2010, Dorchester Publishing, the publisher of Leisure horror books, will cease publication of mass market paperbacks, replacing them with e-books and print-on-demand trade paperback copies.
I've been a subscriber to the Leisure Horror Book Club for a couple of years now and I'm pretty upset about these changes. First of all, I'm not fond of trade paperbacks. They're more expensive (Leisure has already stated they'll cost $15.00 vs. the $7.99 they cost now), too big to fit in my purse (I always carry a paperback with me) and won't fit on my horror bookshelves, which consist of mostly paperbacks.
First of all, how long do they last? I drop books all the time, splash water on them and they get pretty beat up in my purse. I don't know how long an e-reader could sustain through all the punishment I give to my paperbacks. Secondly, owning an e-book isn't the same as owning a real book. I won't be able to display my books on a shelf with the rest of my horror collection and it will feel like I don't really own them. Thirdly, grabbing a book and reading it is so simple. It doesn't need to be needlessly complicated by having to charge your e-reader or load books onto it.
I don't think that an e-reader could ever replace the feel of a book in a reader's hands. But I guess I shouldn't say that until I try one.
What are your opinions on e-readers? Are my complaints valid? Or are e-readers just as good as reading a regular book?
8 comments:
I LOVE my Kindle! But lately I almost always use my Kindle App for iPhone instead. We have a small house, so no room for books anyway. I've never ordered trade paperbacks, so I don't know the issues, but they may get hammered out in the future.
I owned a first gen Kindle and though it survives the occasional splash of water from the tub, it did break when I dropped it. My newer one i got for X-mas is much tougher, plus they cave covers for them like iPhones. (I don't use a cover and my Kindle survives being mostly used by my kids.)
I say, don't knock it till you try it. e-Readers are great, and just as much fun to curl up with in front of my TV-fireplace as a real book.
It's easier to carry a mess of books on an e-reader. Searching, marking up, it's easier, so for college text books especially (and all those horror analysis books), it really provides a good learning experience and reading one.
But you're right: no smell, feel, texture, and collection of tomes to appreciate. Especially with horror magazines, I like to collect them. But maybe having an electronic library will be a better thing.
For instance, I envision most mass market mags/books hitting e-ink, but special editions, value-added ones, will still be printed. And those will be more fun to collect and cherish on a shelf.
At least I hope it goes that way. I'm about to get the digital Rue Morgue instead of print versions: let's see how long that will last for me.
I am interested in this for 2 reasons. I am from the UK - that's NOT one of the reasons! - and I am currently on vacation in Florida. I read about 15 books usually and to cut down on weight I bought a Kindle. I've already read the books I downloaded onto it - but with the wireless connection to Amazon I have bought a few more in less than five minutes.
I invested in a leather case - from Amazon - and using that improves the experience. It helps to have a cover to hold and also protects the Kindle. Reading is easy and having read books for over fifty years I have found the transition painless.
I agree they will never replace the feel of a book. I collect old ghost and horror books and the smell and touch of a book, and the thrill of finding a lost gem in a second hand store is priceless.
My second reason is that I am a Leisure author. I wonder how this will affect things going forwards. My fourth novel - Night Souls - has just come out. What will happen if they take a fifth from me?
The future beckons
I try to support small presses. Cemetery Dance, Subterranean, Gauntlet, etc. I have dozens of Hard Case titles, published by Dorchester.
I haven't purchased a Kindle yet. My suspicion is that I won't value Kindle books as much as those on my bookshelves.
Is there a difference between a natural book and a virtual book? Between a friend you have lunch with, and a Facebook friend?
Time moves on, however. I'll buy books as long as I can. Yet I suspect books, CDs, magazines, DVD's, and US Postal mail will be gone in 20 years or less.
That's bullcheese! I certainly understand the convenience of having a little thin thing as opposed to 25 paperbacks, but it's so much better to have an actual book in your hand. Oops! I dropped my Kindle! Now I have buy 25,000 books again. There's definite downsides to technology taking over the world.
Daisy - It's good to hear that you can read it in the tub (that was one of my biggest concerns), but I'm still worried about dropping it. I guess I would just have to be careful. I think I'll jump on the bandwagon and try one.
jmcozzoli - Cool, they have a digital edition of Rue Morgue? Yeah, I think that I'll get an e-reader but still buy copies of special editions or other books that I want to add to my collection.
Mick - Ah you're M.P.N. Sims? Nice to meet you! Yeah, being able to carry multiple books at a time is a plus. I doubt I could read more than two books while on vacation - definitely nowhere near 15! If you can get used to it after reading books for 50 years, I'm sure I can too. As a Leisure author what will you do now? Stay with them or go to a different publisher?
error7zero - Yeah, I would too if I could afford it but those are too expensive for me. I like Leisure Horror because they publish great authors like Brian Keene and Jack Ketchum for cheap. Haha, I like your analogy of a friend you have lunch with vs. a Facebook friend.
TheGirlWhoLovesHorror - Haha, I know! That's what I'm worried about if I get one.
I love books. I love their smell and feel and simple nature.
I've been upset for weeks about Dorchester moving to e-Books.
I don't own an e-reader and don';t feel inclined to buy one.
The Dorchester authors will suffer more than the readers, I feel.
Very sad.
What about the Fresh Blood comp! Fingers crossed for the winner! I hope the winner and all the other Dorchester authors come out of this okay!
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