I am very curious to know what all of you think about e-books. Do you read e-books? Would you buy an e-book?

I personally prefer a print book but I do read e-books.

They make e-book readers which are very portable and can hold many books. This makes it really easy for a person to go on vacation and take plenty of reading material without loading down the suitcases.

There is a huge market out there for them. I belong to some ebook groups and some people swear by them.

That is why that I offer both print and ebook versions of books at my publishing companies...to target both markets.

Maybe it is a generational thing why some people will not read an e-book. The kids who grew up on computers are possibly different from our Boomer generation. This is why I am bringing up this topic here at Boomers.

Any comments on this would be appreciated.

Kristie I have never purchased an e-book and I doubt that I ever would. I much prefer a book in print with a cover all nicely bound and sitting on one of my many bookshelves. You may be right about it being a generational thing - it might also be a money issue. E-books are less expensive for obvious reasons so people on a tight "reading budget" would find them appealing. I just don't find them appealing personally and unless there's absolutely no alternative way for me to read someone's book, I suspect I never will buy one.

My two cents!

I purchased a how to E-book once and it was worth the 4.99 plus I liked the "instant" e-mail after payment.

My opinion(subject to change) right now, is any "how to" information E-book would appeal to me, if I needed it pronto.

I too like to read from "books", but the future computer age will conform our younger, hip(?)generation. If we don'r are we old fashioned or should we follow suit.

I consider myself extremely lucky to have broken in ? to the computer when I did. I was on the cusp of never finding out what they were all about.My dear Mom wouldn't have believed what she missed, if she were still here.

Before I ramble on (who me?), I think I will keep myself open to the idea that I will get my book out there in any way I can and If that means catering to all readers, then so be it.

I really believe there's money to be made in "information E-books" right now.

Happy Jammie Day (self titled, rainy Sunday here in Oklahoma)

chickadee

[ February 06, 2005, 02:43 PM: Message edited by: chickadee ]

I haven't read any ebooks yet, but I may try one if I can get them on my computer screen?
The more time I spend on the computer writing, boomering, playing online, etc. the moreI enjoy reading from the screen. I think I am beginning to absorb more when I read from the screen also. I get my newspaper that way and have it set so I receive only the articles in which I am interested. It eliminates the papers strewn all over creation.
Also it would be convenient because my laptop only weighs 2-3 pounds and I take it everywhere.
Can you read them on a regular laptop?
smile

you can read e-books on a laptop, and you can also read them on a handheld computer (ie Palm Pilot) if you have the right software installed....

The only e-book I have is the God's Word version of the Bible for my handheld and I actually don't use it all that often, but its handy to carry around.

Not sure if I'll get into e-books - though cheaper and you don't need bookshelves for them, I look a good old fashioned book. Also, I find it difficult to read anything of length on the computer screen, and since I work on a computer all day I like to give my eyes something else to look at.

I have a few e-books and like the Microsoft Reader versions the best. They allow bookmarks, notes, etc. and it "looks" like a book on the screen. It will also read to you in a robot voice, which I do not like. However, given a preference, I prefer print books. The vacation thing is true, though - very convenient and doesn't take up space. I don't like the Adobe PDF books near as much. I've downloaded some freebies though - and for anyone wanting to give it a try, Ted Dekker's newest Book "Obsessed" is available for free as an ebook, as well as "Black". Great reads, even if you aren't a believer. Good tension, great mystery, loveable character, and a sense of urgency. I have the hard back of all his books that come in hardback.
www.teddekker.com.

Thanks so much, everyone, for your comments on e-books. As I said in my original post, I prefer print books myself. There is just something about being able to hold that book in your hands.

But, as a publisher, I know that there is a growing market out there for e-books. Some authors are published in e-book format only. I like to offer both print and e-books at my publishing houses so the reader will have a choice.

I do think that it is a generational thing combined with a financial thing for some people actually preferring e-books. I have many ebooks, both non-fiction and fiction. I do have a hand held e-book reader but usually read them from my laptop. Most of the e-books that I have are in PDF format and don't seem to be easily transferable to the hand held device.

If any of you would like to give it a try with e-books, I have 4 of them downloadable for free at my personal website. Two of them are cookbooks that I participated in some time back. One is interviews with over 50 authors, myself included, and compiled and edited by Dallas Hodder Franklin. The other one is sample chapters of books published by a group that I founded back in 2001, NUW (Not the Usual Way) Independent Authors Community.

If any of you want the free e-books, go here to get them:
http://kristieleighmaguire.com

You will see the book covers. Just click on the covers for more info on each book.

Hi, Kristie!

I have purchased numerous e-books. For example, I just purchased Carolyn's book, The Frugal Book Promoter, from you. I print them on my printer and then read them. Rarely do I read them from the screen.

What I like is the price. And, to date, I've primarily purchased books that help me with writing or marketing. I don't think I would purchase fiction that way? At least, I haven't yet.

I also have an e-book that I give away on my site and numerous people have reported reading it.

Hope this helps ...

BTW, glad to see you here Kristie:).

Queen Me, I am one of those that read your e-book from your site.

Kristie, as an author, I started out in this business just when e-books were beginning to appear. I went round the discussions about e-books not really being books and how they'd never be accepted and look at them now. They're still not a primary publishing tool, but they are accepted and a fast growing market.

Just go to www.fictionwise.com and see for yourself how e-books have grown and increased in popularity.

My novella MARCH MADNESS is available as an e-book in either downloadable format or on disk. Look here for a chance to read it, if you'd like: http://www.diskuspublishing.com/quickpick3.html

My publisher, MUNDANIA PRESS, makes all of it's books available in e-book along with trade and hard cover.

Students in college are used to purchasing e-book textbooks. That generation has the best chance of becoming the generation that reads books on computer.

Will paperbooks ever go away? Not hardly, and if never, not for a very long time. I can see the publishing industry flipflopping (very far into the future) and offering all books in an electronic format and then as an option, having it printed.

Books are very precious, and those with collections should keep them. I predict that one day, you can walk into a bookstore and download a new book to your favorite reader or purchase a CD version of it, while others will be standing in line waiting for their favorite new book to print right off the POD machine.

By the way, I believe the second week in March is Read an E-Book week. Check Chase's Calendar Events to be sure.

I'm very interested in this topic. I have a children's book that a friend of mine who's an illustrator fixed up in a .pdf file just this week. The illustrations are great! I'm very excited, but thinking...now what? I was thinking of offering it as an e-book. Kids are used to looking at the computer.

I'll check out your ebooks. Thanks!

This is definitely a generational issue. Don't you think?

My dad would never read a book on a computer. Nor would he print it and read page by page.

I admit to having done it, but I didn't like it one little bit. I had a stack of papers to read that couldn't be held at the same time. It was awkward. They stack I wasn't reading slid off the ottoman and went all over the hardwood floor. Now I still have the stack of ugly white paper and how do I put that on my book shelf?

However, it's an option for the younger generation. It's new, fun, trendy, and easier for them because they live attached to their lap tops.

Donna, your comments about your childrens book is a great example of why an ebook would do well in your case.

For one thing, if your pictures are in color, publishing with color pixs is very expensive. I don't know of any POD publishers who publish with color interior pixs. And even traditional publishers dont do much of it as far as I know.

And as you said, kids nowadays are used to computers and working with them.

If you do want to offer your book as an ebook, you already have the main thing that you need for it...the PDF file. All you need to do is to add the front cover to the file before the text begins and you have a PDF ebook. Or if you don't want to do a cover, then there is nothing stating you have to. Be sure to code your PDF file so that it can only be printed and not copied or changed.

You can even pub it yourself if you want to. You can sell it as a download from your site and you won't even need an ISBN. YOu can go through PayPal for a way to get paid for your book. Works like a charm.

quote:

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Originally posted by DonnaJ:
I'm very interested in this topic. I have a children's book that a friend of mine who's an illustrator fixed up in a .pdf file just this week. The illustrations are great! I'm very excited, but thinking...now what? I was thinking of offering it as an e-book. Kids are used to looking at the computer.

I'll check out your ebooks. Thanks!

---

Thanks Kristie, I was wondering about that. So if I wanted to put out my poetry into an e-book, then all I have to do is make a pdf file? (I say "all" -- I have absolutely no idea how to do this.) The books are already self-published in print editions.

So then someone would have to go to my site to download? Are there e-book sites where people can list their books?

Sorry if someone answered this in a previous thread. Until 15 minutes ago, I hadn't thought about this at all.

I should add that I have no money for publishing whatsoever, but would be interested in sites that charge a percentage of downloaded books.

Just a thought.

Hello,

Just wanted to add my two cents to this discussion. I published my first book in softcover and as an e-book. About 10% of my sales are e-books. They're cheap and so many of us spend half our lives online or on the computer that we're used to reading things on the screen.

Personally, I have never bought an e-book and probably never will although I have been tempted by the price. After my long day of writing on the computer, I just want to get off the machine and sit down with a good movie or a book in print. I'm old fashioned that way :-)

I think it's great that you offer both options. I'm planning to publish my second book as a softcover and as an e-book. Those e-books definitely attract a different type of consumer.

Best of luck!
Sigrid

I wrote a children's story called "Topsy Turvy Land" that an illustrator (Kevin Collier) took on as a project transforming it into an ebook. What a joy to see my vision come to life!

I'd like to offer it on a website as a download using a portion of the proceeds for charity, and using the rest to publish in print form if there turns out to be a demand for it. Anyone got advice? I thought of submitting to ebook publishers, but there are so few of them. It's more advantageous to offer it myself from what I've learned. The book is in .pdf and ready to go. I just need to know the logistics of it all. I never thought I'd self-publish, but I'm very excited about doing this.

The cover art is on my Topsy Turvy Land site if you want to get a sneak peek:

www.donnashepherd.blogspot.com

Help! LOL!!

Merideth, yes you can self publish your book of poetry as an ebook and you won't even need an ISBN for it if you aren't planning on selling it anywher except from your site, and some places that let you sell your ebook at their sites don't require an ISBN either.

You can offer it as a PDF ebook only. You can get yourself an account at PayPal, if you don't already have one, and accept payment through them. They have a "Buy" button that you can code to place on your website for purchasing purposes. I have never had a problem with PayPal.

What you could do is to have it for payment through PayPal and when you receive notification that someone has purchased your ebook, you would send them an email with the ebook as an attachment.

There is a way for it to be put onto your site and automatically downloaded when someone buys it but I am not really up on that.

I have my Star ebooks set up to sell through PayLoadz (with PayPal for payment) and the uploaded ebook is at PayLoadz. When someone buys it, they automatically receive an email with a download link and I don't have to do anything.

There is a site called eBookAd.com where you can place your ebook for sale and not have to handle anything. But they take a percentage of your purchases for handling it. I used to use them but I had a major problem with them recently collecting my money.

I hope this helps.

There's also one I think called ebookonline. It's free but they take a percentage too. I was thinking of a poetry book myself that way.

Kristie, you said you don't need an ISBN number that way. I'm typesetting my book myself and I have a local printer who does POD. My group has used him for our anthologies. I was debating about the number thing. I'll be marketing the book mostly locally. Chances of it getting into bookstores are so small I don't think I need the number. If I go another route later on, I can always get one, can't I?

I also have a question. I've designed my own cover. As long as a photograph is one I've taken myself, can I use it even if it is a carousel in a well-known amusement park?
Louisa

Louisa, if you do not plan on trying to get your book into bookstores or to sell your book at the online bookstores but plan on selling it locally or from your website, then it is not absolutely necessary to get an ISBN for it.

Yes, you can always get one later if you decide that your book is selling well enough that you want to market it to bookstores and online bookstores.

The place to buy ISBN's is from Bowker. The minimum block that you can buy, as far as I know, is 10.

To follow the rules by the letter in assigning ISBN's to books, you have to have a different number for each version of your book: ie -- ebook in each different format needs a different ISBN for each version; the print book needs a different ISBN; etc.

If you took the photograph, you should own the rights to it. However, it might not be a bad idea to check with the amusement park to make sure they have no objections to you placing a photo of their carousel on the cover of your book. I use the CYA philosophy myself. Besides they may want to put your books for sale somewhere in their amusement park if they know the carousel in their park is on the cover.

Thanks, Kristie. I found one of my photos that I like that is not the whole carousel, just one horse. The colors are sharper and I like the photo better.

Louisa