How Paperbacks Trump Ebooks
filed in Publishing Industry on Sep.28, 2010
It’s no secret: I prefer reading text with ebooks as opposed to reading print books. For me the ebook is easier to hold and read in all sorts of lighting conditions from sunlight to total darkness (my reader of choice is an old eBookwise “eBook Reading Device” that I picked up years ago for just $100).
But not everyone feels this way. Nor do I with books having illustrations which seem to always suffer from all the ebook formats I’ve seen.
So I’ll concede that ebooks aren’t always the best choice for reading, and I understand why many folks are becoming vocal critics of transferring books to the ebook format.
If you find yourself in this latter camp, Carol Vertz’s “10 Reasons Why a Paperback is Better Than an E-Reader” will give you some ammunition. Vertz outlines areas where the “old tech” of paper and print can trump ebooks in many situations. As such, her points are worth considering before shelling out big bucks for an ebook reader.
Perhaps one day printed books will be about as popular as parchment scrolls are today.
Perhaps.
That day isn’t here just yet.
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Duncan Long is a freelance book cover illustrator for HarperCollins, PS Publishing, Pocket Books, Solomon Press, Fort Ross, and many other publishers and self-publishing authors. See his cover illustrations at: http://DuncanLong.com/art.html
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