[LINK] The once and future e-book: on reading in the digital age

[Michael Skeggs mike@bystander.net]

Interesting blog post from an author comparing the economics of self
publishing real books versus e-books.
Not sure I agree with the assumptions or conclusions, but interesting none
the less. Note, contains some profanity.
http://www.smartbitchestrashybooks.com/index.php/weblog/comments/the-cost-of-self-publication-ebook-vs-print-one-persons-story/

Regards,
Michael Skeggs

On 05/02/2009, Marghanita da Cruz <marghanita at ramin.com.au> wrote:
>
> Ivan Trundle wrote:
> > On 05/02/2009, at 1:04 AM, Kim Holburn wrote:
> >
> >>> Text
> >>> messages are short, you say? I'm willing to bet that the average
> >>> American will read substantially more text off his or her cell phone
> >>> screen this year than from a book.
> >
> >
> > 'substantially more' is probably not the point. Americans are well-
> > known for their paucity of book readers. That phenomenon is likely to
> > spread.
> >
> > I'm currently reading a series of classics by Joseph Conrad on my
> > phone (tele-prompt style) - it's an interesting experience, and not
> > one that is as enjoyable as a real book. As much as I try, there isn't
> > enough contextual information for me to absorb the details of the story.
> >
>
>
> Perhaps the novel will live on in book form.
>
> I still enjoy reading the Weekend Australian on a Saturday morning. Though
> for
> news I am fast becoming an RSS Feed Junkie.
>
> As Rik mentioned previously, hardcopy manuals are a thing of the past. In
> fact
> manuals seem to be a thing of the past - just ask google. Though I do
> confess to
> tracking down an online printer manual, to squeeze out the Inkpad. but
> that's
> another story <http://www.ramin.com.au/linux/>.
>
> and  it wouldn't hurt for poetry and drama to move off the text page to
> recorded
> words as intended by the author.
>
>
> > I regard it as being akin to driving a car at night in a complex
> > environment with poor lights and no street lighting, but with the tail
> > lights of the car in front remaining prominent - unlike daytime
> > driving, where it is possible to soak in the richness of the
> > environment.
> >
> > And yet I've got enough pixels, my eyesight is still good enough, my
> > comprehension generally more than adequate, but the whole experience
> > is not as rewarding as having pages that I can flick in and out of.
> >
> > Sure, it's possible to go forward and back, etc, in a digital book,
> > but there is so much contextual richness in knowing where you are, and
> > where you are going.
> >
> > Kindle2 might well help to diminish these problems, but until I can
> > replicate the book reading experience electronically, I won't enjoy it
> > as much.
> >
> > Incidentally, I read far more on-screen than in print, yet I am a
> > member of a very active book club, I have at least two novels on my
> > bedside table at any one time, and every room in the house has at
> > least one large bookshelf or more crammed with books.
> >
> > I do see an advantage down the track for e-books, however. My music
> > collection has been transformed into the digital age long ago, and the
> > shelves and drawers that I have full of CDs, cassettes and vinyl are
> > all simply gathering dust: if I want to play music, I simply grab my
> > phone, use its wireless link to the server which is now full of music,
> > and choose what to play. The replacement box and associated hardware
> > is 1/4 the size of my hi-fi gear, and once I ditch the old media, it
> > will free up more room for ... books.
> >
> > iT
> >
> > --
> > Ivan Trundle
> > http://itrundle.com ivan at itrundle.com
> > ph: +61 (0)418 244 259 fx: +61 (0)2 6286 8742 skype: callto://ivanovitchk
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Link mailing list
> > Link at mailman.anu.edu.au
> > http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link
> >
>
>
>
> --
> Marghanita da Cruz
> http://www.ramin.com.au
> Phone: (+61)0414 869202
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Link mailing list
> Link at mailman.anu.edu.au
> http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link
>