Kindle vs Books?

I’ve always loved reading and writing, as a kid I always had my head buried in a book. Even now as an adult, I read love to read whenever I get the chance. I’m a speed reader and love nothing more than staying home on weekends, ditching the social side of my life to read the latest release of a series I’m engrossed in. I love second hand book stores, library book sales and talking about books to anyone that would listen.

Buying new books in Australia is expensive and well space consuming too. I’m what I refer to as a comfort reader also. Shitty week at work or having a bad day, I’d buy a shiny new book. There are far worse things to be addicted too I know, but it really can add up. While now I focus more on my business or my own writing projects, than reading for fun (strictly keeping it for a much needed un- wind, commute or holidays), I have to confess that I’m a now converted Kindle lover.

At first I was hesitant in embracing the e -reader. As a self-proclaimed book snob, I favoured the smell of old books and enjoyed the satisfaction of turning over the final page and feeling a sense of accomplishment. The books I enjoyed made it to the shelf for another read at a later date, or I’d gift or sell the ones I didn’t really enjoy. I finally succumbed to purchasing a Kindle and well, it’s the best thing I ever did. Let me give you my top 10 reasons on why I love the e -reader and why it works for me.

1) You have a plethora of genres, styles and authors at your fingertips.
No having to wait for it to be ordered in, no waiting in cue at the book store or walking up and down the aisles. No inter library loans or waiting for a book to be returned. So many titles to choose from and so so convenient.

2) Within seconds, the full book you’re reading a description of can be there ready for you to read.
Convenience and efficiency; got to love it.

3) No one knows what you’re reading.
Let’s be honest ladies, didn’t we all look around over our shoulders when reading 50 Shades of Grey on the train? Were we paranoid our fellow commuters were condemning us as perverts? If you like your books raunchy, if you’re self-help junk or a hopeless romantic, then no one need ever know again. Kindle- The brown paper bag for your book.

4) Free Classics.
You’ll find that most of the classics have been listed and are available to download for free. There are hundreds of books you can download which are real quality literature that won’t cost you a thing.

5) Pre -Order and Automated Delivery.
Gone are the days of cuing in line at midnight to purchase a latest release book. Pre ordering is the way of the future. When your novella, book or latest installment is ready to go, the item will automatically be sent to your device. No more marking your calendar or having to go out of your way to purchase. Your new friend will be there waiting for you.

6) If you’re visually impaired like me, then the Kindle is perfect.
Select a font size that’s right for you. Gone are the days of purchasing larger print copies, of looking as though you’re reading with your nose. Mind you I do have to turn the pages more often but at least there’s less squinting or looking like a freak.

7) It’s not just for books.
Magazines, newspapers, text books and training materials can all be purchased and accessed on the e -reader. You can also download PDF’s to the device.

8) Recommendations.
One of the great things about the kindle is that based on the purchases you’ve made previously and any ratings or reviews you’ve given a book. I find this greatly beneficial for when I’ve finished a book and am looking for something else to read. There is a however a downside to this though. When you’re looking for a new style or genre to read, you need to branch out a little bit more for sourcing suggestions as the recommendations can be bit stagnant sticking to one genre only.

9) Cost.
One of the great things about e readers is that the cost is generally far less than that of purchasing a paper book. Cost and production is lower. No printing, zero paper or transportation costs. One of my favourite things is purchasing Kindle Singles or novella type series’. 99 cents for a book or free introductory offers are great. The price for a Kindle version vs. a print copy is always far less. Less money = more books.

10) Compact and Convenient.
Gone are the days of having to lug around a giant hardcover or paperback. Regardless of the number of pages the book has, the device is one size. Convenient also is that the e- reader marks the page you’re at. No doggy earing the pages (huge pet hate of mine), busting the spines of books or losing your page again. Another great feature is that you can also mark and highlight passages and sections of text. If there’s a word your not familiar with too, you can check the word by highlighting and then use the dictionary to reference.

While you’ve of read this just now and may be thinking to yourself is Chrissy getting a commission from Amazon from this blog? I wish! One of the biggest things I miss about old school books, which I haven’t come to grasps with just yet is that you can’t see how many pages you’ve got left to read before finishing the book. I love the satisfaction of knowing I’m half way through or almost finished. While the e -reader gives you a percentage and also a time frame of expected reading time (I hate this feature as I feel sometimes I’m never going to get it finished) I do miss books sometimes.

If you’re a self-publishing author, then using Kindle and other online programs  to publish are far more cost effective. A very laborious process as one of my good friends and clients J.B McCauley can tell you. He did the entire self-publishing journey himself; both print and online with plenty of profanity along the way to get him through.

So what are your thoughts? Convert or purist? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Leave a comment

Thanks for reading.

Chrissy