Book Viewing Preference by Paty Jager

 

I have been publishing ebook, print books, and audio books. I do sell more ebooks than the other two, but I see where a good number of people still prefer print books over the ebook and audio. Then there are those who prefer audio because they can experience more books because they can listen while doing other things.  

For me, there is some convenience in having ebooks. An ereader weighs less than several books, which is nice when traveling, but my ereader always seems to die and I'm left with nothing to read until I can get it charged back up, which makes me wish for a print book.

I love print books. Because, well, they are print. You can hold them and riffle the pages. I always purchase used books for research books. Because I highlight them, bookmark them, and sometimes even scribble in the margins. I like being able to look at a tab I've added to the book and flip the information I want without having to scan or scroll down a screen. 

I like audio books when I walk. Getting caught up in a story, allows me to walk longer without getting bored. Sometimes, I'll listen to an audiobook when I clean house. Again, it makes the boredom of a not fun job, more interesting. 

What is your favorite type of book? Ebook, Audio, or Print and why? 

I have free audio book codes for either a Shandra Higheagle Mystery or Gabriel Hawke Novel for one of the people to says they like audio books in the comments. 

OR if you pick ebooks as your favorite in the comments, I will pick a person or two to win a free ebook, their choice from my website. 

OR if you pick print book as your favorite in the comments, I will pick a person or two to win a copy of my just published print copy of the first 3 Tumbling Creek Ranch novellas. 

Paty Jager is an award-winning author of 47 novels, 8 novellas, and numerous anthologies of murder mystery and western romance. All her work has Western or Native American elements in them along with hints of humor and engaging characters. Paty and her husband raise alfalfa hay in rural eastern Oregon. Riding horses and battling rattlesnakes, she not only writes the western lifestyle, she lives it.

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Battle of the Book Formats

Oh how the battle thickens.

It’s no longer a question between paperbacks or hardbacks. It’s evolved past physical book vs e-book. Oh no, my friends. It’s become so much more complicated.

You can’t just choose ‘e-book’ anymore. Now you must choose which format of technology to read these precious stories.

Kindle, Nook, Kobo Mobile (iPhone or Android), laptop, tablet.

.pdf, .mobi, .epub, and probably 10 more I can’t think of right now.

The choices expand every month. 

Forty years ago, you still had options of which material you wanted your book printed on, but imagine…what if not just paper, but perhaps cotton, leather, wood, chocolate (yes please!), or stone (try balancing that on your head!).

And the battle continues, with additional, equal amounts of confusion and choices.

Which do you prefer? Physical books or e-books?

If you prefer physical, the main choices are hardback and paperback.

If you prefer e-books, which format do you use most?

And an even more dangerous battle to wage: what price are you willing to pay?

I’ve realized that most e-books $2.99 and under are significantly shorter than full-length novels from just 5 years ago. My normal expectation is anything less than $3 is a novella or dime-length novel (pretty sure I just aged myself with that term). Perhaps my expectation is inaccurate, but that’s the impression I have. Or perhaps its because everyone’s attention spans are significantly shorter than a few years ago…

What was I saying?

Wait, one battle at a time.

Personally, I’m still 70% physical books. At first my reluctance to move to ebook was because I loved the feel of the paper in my hands, turning the pages between my fingers, and more importantly the smell. There are not so many things in the world better than that new book smell. But now my excuse is far more superficial. It’s more along the lines of maintaining a full battery in my electronic devices long enough to read what I want, and the data usage charges my wonderful wireless carrier imposes on me every time I download a book.

The remaining 30% for ebooks (if I actually have a charge on my device and I’m not over on my data usage), I go back and forth between iPad and my iPhone. I have evolved (slightly), as is the publishing industry.

Just in time for me to purchase my first pair of reading glasses, which I’m sure is just around the corner for me.

By Susan Sheehey

Author of Audrey's Promise and Prince of Solana

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