As I sit down to (finally) sneak a few minutes of reading time in, my first instinct is to reach for the good old fashion paperback book. How about you: Paper or Plastic?
What am I reading right now? A Game of Thrones. Since it is GOT season on HBO , and since I do not have HBO, this is as close as I'll get to pretending I'm part of the fun. No Spoilers Please!! It is pretty fun reading, though I think the season will be over before I have a chance to finish these massive books. They are huge. And kudos to George R.R. Martin for penning these intricately detailed plots.
But, back to my original question. Paper or Plastic? As a reader, I do still love the feel of a book in hand. I have a kindle. I use my kindle mainly when travelling. I download books and have a library of books I may never get too because, lets face it, there are millions of books to read and only one lifetime to read them in. But I'll put in the old college try. As I'm sure you book lovers are doing as well. So, personal preference is and will always be print! I love the look and the smell. I love the feel of holding that book in hand. But convenience, and price usually dictate that ebooks are my primary purchase.
The driving force behind the popularity of ebooks is price. We all crave entertainment, and we all want a deal. We readers demand more and more words to feast upon, and because of that, when it comes to a decision over a $5-$10 print edition (softcover) or a $0.99-$3.99 ebook, (correct me if I'm wrong here) the decision on how to consume those words often down to the numbers. There are some cases where we collect specific editions of books because we are in love with the authors or because we are OCD about our book shelves. If I buy a book series in hardbound, for example, I must have all books in that series in hardbound. However, that said, I often have them in ebook first to read for the lower cost until I can afford to buy the alternate edition.
As an author, I understand well the fact that price and good deals are often the driving force in getting readers to take notice and even purchase our books. The added benefit of being an indie is more control over pricing and the ability to offer special sales and incentives to readers, further driving down the cost of consumable words. So, it goes without saying that I try my best to make sure you, dear reader, are made aware of any deals (from me or other authors). I want you to know the best time to pounce on a sale to feed your need for a read.