Sunday, March 7, 2010

Read An Ebook Week!

Electronic Books Are Here To Stay!
By
N. J. Walters


March 7 – 13th is Read An Ebook Week! Like it or not ebooks are here to stay. It’s unlikely they will ever totally replace the printed page, but they do allow readers easy access to books, wherever they are in the world, at any time of the day or night.

No more do readers have to lament that their local store doesn’t carry their favorite authors. No more special ordering. No more being snowed in and having nothing to read. A few clicks of the mouse and books can be downloaded to your computer or your ebook reader. It’s fast and it’s easy. And it takes away the need to live near an actual bookstore. No matter where you live in the world, as long as you have computer access, you can order books.

I am an avid reader and have been for years. There is nothing I like more than to curl up on the corner of my sofa and read a good book. But even for someone like me, there is a place in my life for ebooks. And the big companies have finally gotten on board so there is no looking back.

The Kindle, Sony Reader, Nook and eBookwise Readers are readily available to many readers. And the price is getting more affordable. For those of you who can’t afford ebook readers, you can download free software from MS Reader and Adobe so you can read straight from your computer.

No longer will you have to lament the lack of space on your bookshelves. You can store thousands of books easily on a flash drive or memory card. Your bookshelves can be kept for your favorite authors that you must have in paperback or hardcover. I know there are many authors that I will continue to buy their paperback books for as long as they keep writing. However, I would be more likely to try a new author in an ebook because it costs less than a paperback.

And that’s good news in this economy. I know most, if not all, of us are tightening our purse strings. That doesn’t mean not buying books. Just the thought gives me the shakes. No, it means being more selective on how I do spend my book money. I want the most bang for my buck. And that means buying more ebooks.

A word of advice for those of you new to ebooks—remember to check the individual publishers, as well as the larger shops like Sony and Amazon. Many times the ebook will be cheaper on the publishers website because you’re cutting out the middleman. But you can buy your books wherever and whenever you choose. That’s the beauty of it. And some websites occasionally offer ebooks for free to tempt you to try one or two.

The world of ebooks has changed dramatically since my first ebook was published by Ellora’s Cave back in October 2004. They are much more readily available now and many of the large New York publishing houses that first disparaged ebooks have now seen the limitless possibilities and are offering the books of many of the best and most popular authors in ebook format. Newspapers and magazines are also being offered at a reduced rate in electronic formats. And why not? It’s simply another form that allows readers to access and enjoy books.

What can be wrong with that?

So, celebrate Read An Ebook week. And if you’ve never purchased an ebook before, maybe this is the week to give it a try. And if hot, spicy romance is your read of choice, maybe you’ll even consider trying one of mine.

http://www.njwalters.com
http://www.njwalters.blogspot.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/awakeningdesires/ (newsletter group)

13 comments:

Unknown said...

I love ebooks and did so even before I began writing them. But I used to be a total snob about it. If I couldn't hold it in my hand it wasn't worth it. Then one night, when everyone else was asleep and I was up sick and feeling lousy, I started surfing the internet for something to take my mind off how I felt and I came across an ad for an ebook site called Ellora's Cave.

I decided to check it out. I looked through their lists of books and was surprised at how many stories looked interesting. So I decided to get just one and check it out. I downloaded an e-reader and purchased my first ebook which just so happened to be Christina's Tapestry. I LOVED it and immediately bought the second in the series and then purchased both when they went to print. I've lost count of how many ebooks I've bought since then.

I still like my print books, but I like ebooks too. There are so many good stories out there that you'll be missing if you don't try em. And big name print authors also publish ebooks like Allyson James, Cheyenne McCray and Shiloh Walker just to name a few. Plus, it's a growing market because ebooks cost less than print books since there is no paper and binding expenses. They're good when you are on a budget.:-)

s7anna said...

I started reading ebooks a few years back and have never looked back. I absolutely love the vast selection of titles and authors that are available...I mostly shop at the publisher sites (i.e. EC, Samhain/MBAM, Loose Id, Changeling Press, Amber Quill and a couple of other smaller publishers) and Fictionwise (more bang for my buck). I've got such a huge ebook wishlist...it is constantly growing. I still purchase a lot of print books...but my ebook collection is certainly rivaling my print collection.

Happy Ebook Week!
Anna
s7anna@yahoo.ca

Maria said...

I only got into ebooks a year ago and have not looked back...I still buy print books but now also buy ebooks and love the convenience of always having something to read in either format.

Nancy G said...

This event (last year) got me into ebooks in a big way, and I have never looked back. I have two devices to read on (Palm TX pda and Libre ebook reader) and my new phone is a droid, and I have fifty books on it. I love the instant accessibility of ebooks, none of the long waits for delivery and such. I still buy print books, but love the chance to read readily available material.

TK Winters said...

I love being able to buy a book and not wait for it. I used to read e-books almost exclusively, but I missed many of my favorite authors who weren't on e-books and now I'm back to paperbacks. I actually wouldn't have a preference if I could reliably find an e-book reader that gave me all the books I want without going through a conversion program that messed up the formatting, which causes my poor dyslexic brain problems with reading. LOL I love e-books, I love paperback books! I just plain love books!

Armenia said...

I enjoy ebooks. I've only started reading them in the last year. Hopefully, I can put all my yummy books on an ereader.

N.J.Walters said...

I'm honored that one of my books was the first ebook you ever bought, Kat. There are so many great authors available on ebook.

My first ebook was Violet Among the Roses by Cricket Starr.

N.J.Walters said...

I'm like you, Anna. I still buy a lot of print books, but I buy ebooks as well. The variety is wonderful!

N.J.Walters said...

I love the convenience of ebooks too, Maria.

Hey, Nancy G. Availablity is a huge thing. Plus, I love being able to buy a book whenever I want.

Hey, TK! I buy both print and ebooks. I think it's wonderful to be able to buy both. :-)

That's the beauty of ebooks, Armenia. You can walk around with 50, 100 books or more on a tiny ebook reader. Gotta love it!

DesGreene said...

Hi You Guys! You may like to read 'Couples' free for 'Read an eBook Week' at www.smashwords.com/profile/view/desgreene - hope you enjoy your free reading!

Fedora said...

Very true, NJ! While I still love print books, I find myself reading more and more ebooks! I'm glad for the instant gratification and the variety!

N.J.Walters said...

Thanks for passing along the free read, Des.

N.J.Walters said...

That's what makes ebooks so wonderful...instant gratification and variety!