E-readers are filled with garbage?

An article in The Guardian on Sunday suggested that garbage, which they defined as genre fiction, was the big seller on Kindles and e-readers. See article here.

Prepare for the irony.

Okay, irony aside, The Guardian has published a number of articles extolling the inferiority of e-readers and e-books. For example, they deride romance and erotica as genres, yet they have always sold well. They deride horror, yet Steven King has been a bestselling author for 40 years. Excuse my cherry picking, but I can't be bothered digging out my stats sheets to bury this argument further.

For years the literary fiction and biography markets have been kept afloat by the gift and commuter sales. Commuters can't be seen to be reading anything other than high art or an intriguing insight into some mundane public figure, whose only claim to fame was being able to stand in front of a camera at the right moments. Similarly the books people received as gifts were always some intellectual boorish bunk posing as entertainment.

Now commuters don't have to have the cover of their book on display and are free to read what they actually enjoy reading. Gift givers are wising up and going to wishlists and giving download vouchers. This isn't just the end of snobbery, it is the start of truly great works of fiction.

E-Readers Are Cool

That's right, E-readers were the gift of gifts this holidays. Now the Pew Institute have crunched the numbers to look at who was buying them and how this has changed over time. Report here.

The researchers performed phone interviews with 2,986 people and asked them, "Are you cool enough to own the greatest gadget since Maxwell Smart's shoe phone?" With an error rate of 2.2%, the results were as follows:

• E-readers and tablets were owned by 10% of people in December 2011.
• This was 19% in January 2012.
• The proportion of people owning at least one of these two increased from 18% to 29%.
• Tablet owners are likely to be under 50 years old and have graduated college.
• They are also likely to make enough money to buy lots of apps and books.
• E-readers are more popular with women and the 30-49 age group.
• E-readers are still pretty popular with anyone under 65.
• College graduates and rich folks also love E-readers.
• You should own an E-reader.

I have my E-reader, the new Kindle. I still love my pile of dead tree books, but I also love my Kindle.

My Kindle and a DTB

E-book Prediction: Buy Your E-reader Now!

Do you have an e-reader yet? Well best go out and buy one in the next year. Books are going digital!

Want proof? Well how about Mike Shatzkin's speculations from his blog.

Here’s an assumption that is not documentable; it is my own speculation. I think we’re going to see a US market that is 80% digital for narrative text reading in the pretty near future: could be as soon as two years from now but almost certainly within five. We have talked about the cycle that leads to that on this blog before: more digital reading leads to a decline in print purchasing which further thins out the number of bookstores and drives more people to online book purchasing which further fuels digital reading. Repeat. Etcetera.
We’re already at the point where new narrative text units sold are well north of 25% digital (percent of publishers’ revenue is lower than that, of course) and we are still in a period that has lasted about five years (soon to end) where the penetration of digital has doubled or more annually. (I italicized that to emphasize that what I’m talking about doubling is the percentage of sales that are digital, not the absolute number of digital sales. Several people misinterpeted that when I made to it previously.)
Of course, penetration will slow down before it reaches 100%. I’d imagine we get to 80% in 2 to 5 years, then then to 90% in another couple of years, with the last 10% stretching out a long time. How long did it take after the invention of the car before the last person rode their horse to town? - Mike Shatzkin (Source)

Of course that is in the USA. In down-under land we like to be on the dull edge of technology and trends. I'm sure many of you are in a similar situation in your countries (UK, Germany, Canada, India, Netherlands, Russia, Malaysia, Philippines - who round out my top 10 visitor countries). So whilst we as individuals may be on the cutting edge, many of our compatriots are still wary of the idea of books that aren't made of paper. Suffice to say we will probably need to add a few years to these predictions and subtract the price of milk (full cream, not that white water stuff).

What do you think of these predictions? I think most countries will be e-book dominant in 5 years, I'm not sure about 80% though.

Why E-books Will Win

A few books from our favourite book store - Busselton Books.

I love books. I'm not one of those e-book fans that has denied his love of old fashioned books - I recently sat down to read a good scroll. But lets face it, we live in an electronic age.

Just because we have great new toys technologies doesn't mean we should be burning books like its 1933. There has to be a point, an advantage, in changing from paper to electronic books. Quite simply, this picture explains why.

NB: Picture explains nothing.

This is the photo of my latest book acquisition and my cute little dog-pie, Fox. I have pre-ordered 3 books in the last month, in order to receive them as they are released here in Australia. Matt's Dead Men's Harvest arrived in the post recently, several weeks after release, Fox was very possessive and wants to read it first. The approximate delivery dates for Matthew Reilly's Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves and Lee Child's The Affair are at least a week after their release.

Simply, I have to wait for my paper. I have to sit out in the pouring rain, waiting for the mail-non-gender-specific-person to bring my books. My imitation vampire skin (non-sparkly) will be burnt by our harsh Aussie sun waiting. I don't want to wait, I want my books now.

I live on the corner of Middle and Nowhere, so my online book stores are actually closer than my physical stores. But still I wait. Given how popular book stores are at the moment with receivership's I'm sure many of you will also be losing your physical stores too. You too will wait.

E-books just won.

E-reader screens: better than a paperback.

Have you ever wanted to know more about your e-reader? This is an interview with the vice president of E Ink, Sriram Peruvemba. E Ink is the company that makes the displays for all the leading e-book readers worldwide.

I found this interview on e-reader displays very interesting. Did you know that:

• E ink Pearl display panels are only 200 microns thick.
• The newer Triton displays are half as thick as the Pearl displays.
• E ink expects to sell between 25 and 30 million e-reader displays this year.
• That's up 10 million from last year and 3 million the year before that.
• Current displays are 167 dpi and they are hoping to increase that to 300 dpi soon.
• Current displays actually have better contrast than a paperback book!
• Older displays were only better than newspaper.

In case you didn’t know, E Ink also makes screens for a bunch of other things besides e-readers. They have E Ink watches, advertising signs, secondary displays on cellphones, USB sticks, and they are even moving onto credit cards. Essentially anything up to a kilometre long, they can make it!

Better than paperback contrast! Imagine the future of these displays.

E-books: Return of the Reader

Just like the previous two installments of this e-book saga there will be allusions to some non-existent struggle, my thoughts on the changing publishing industry, no Leia in a bikini, and definitely no Wookie. When we left our hero writers, they were diligently trying to decide whether they wanted to sign with a traditional publisher or self-publish like an indie rebel. Publishers had the track record, the self-publishing indies had the jump on the fastest growing segment in the industry: e-books.

Now hold on just a second. Traditional publishing is behind? As has already been stated in this blog, his mouth to my post, Michael Connelly is selling 45% e-books. His publishers are clearly on board of this new market place. James Rollins and Steve Berry have both released exclusive e-book short stories on Amazon and B&N as lead-ins to their next books (pity non-US people can't buy them, not being close enough to the centre of the universe and all). I even noticed that Aussie authors like Tara Moss and Matthew Reilly are available on Kindle for under $10. Behind isn't quite right.

On the other side of the great divide, all the cool kids authors are self-publishing. People like Konrath, Eisler, Mayer, some guy named John Locke, are doing well out of self-publishing and doing all the work themselves (or hire for service). Clearly all authors should be grabbing their manuscripts and uploading them now.

I'll pause so you can upload your book now. Don't forget to spell check first!

Well it seems that 10's of thousands are doing just that. Given that 90% of everything published is probably crud, you have to question how wise it is to rush to publish. We also have to remember that e-books are still a minority share of the market place (this will change of course). Shouldn't quality come first? Spend the time on crafting a fine book, see what industry professionals have to say about it, then publish? Preferably not the professionals that published Snooki. Basically writers will have to find the best publishing deal for them, even if it is swapping their novel for a packet of magic beans.

And here is a startling fact: readers don't care if writers are traditionally published, indie published, self published, or published by a small Scottish Terrier named Rolf. Readers want to read something entertaining and well written. So writers shouldn't care how they are published. To quote Nick Spalding:

"Writers on the traditional publishing side of this particular conflict want to be successful and earn a decent living as a writer, appealing to an audience with their work. On the other hand, writers on the self publishing side of this particular conflict want to be successful and earn a decent living as a writer, appealing to an audience with their work."

What I love about e-books is that they are made for readers. Well Duh! Stick with me on this one. Lets say that it is August 2010 and I've just finished 61 Hours by Lee Child. Now Lee may or may not have finished with a cliffhanger in that particular book. Despite the fact that the next Reacher novel is finished and ready in boxes to go on shelves, I have to wait until the end of September to read Worth Dying For. With e-books there is no need to delay because of printing, shipping, and shop displays still being filled with James Paterson's books. In fact, with e-books I can have the entire Reacher series downloaded the minute after I've finished 61 Hours to keep my spirits up while I wait.

Essentially the gap between writer and reader has been shortened. The reader is King.

So what about publishers? Well they sell books. Authors write those books for them. I don't think that in the long run they will particularly care whether they are selling an e-book or a DTB. In fact e-books could really cut out a lot of their middle men costs.

A lot has changed in the past year or two, some of the big companies are behind to some extent, but are more likely to catchup. I still can't believe that e-readers weren't dreamt up by publishers and bookstores. But then again I can't believe that Australia - lots of sun - has sent solar technology to Germany - no sun - and politicians are wanting to move from coal to gas.

As long as publishers are paying advances, advertising/promoting authors and fronting costs they will be who most authors will turn to in order to publish. And when the publisher rejects it, and the crying has finished, the author will release it, plot holes and all, on their own.

Bookshops look like the real loser here, despite their claims to the contrary. Apparently people love the smell of books. Solved. Apparently people like to browse in bookstores. Yes, nothing like spending hours in a store with your head at a funny angle to find the store doesn't stock what you are looking for. Apparently people love the feel of books. Admittedly books are much better to throw at an intruder, although War & Peace is regarded as a lethal weapon.

Can I just point out that an e-book is a book. That you can read. Thanks for letting me clear that up.

Tenuous reasons for bookshops continued existence aside, I don't see why there won't be purveyors of fine literature, and the stuff I like reading, into the future. Online stores are often seen as more reputable when they have a physical storefront. Even if that storefront is never visited by anyone because it is located down a side street, off a back alley, near a crack den. Plus POD could make book buying like a trip to the deli counter for lunch.

"I'll have the new best-seller and a long white to go thanks."

"Did you want that signed or unsigned?"

"Hold the signing, but I will take the first chapter of the sequel at the back."

As a reader and as a some-day published author, I think that the future is so much brighter for readers and writers. Readers will have access to more good books than ever. Writers will have greater access to an audience than ever. The future of books is very bright and may even step out of the shadow of DVD's, when DVD's become obsolete.

Observations from the Sydney Writers' Festival 2011

I'm safely home again after my trip to this year's Sydney Writers' Festival. I really enjoyed the event and the people I spoke to also enjoyed it. While I was at the event I had an hour between sessions to have a beer and do a bit of writing. I made a few notes on the event that I thought I would share:

• Writers' festivals are predominately attended by middle aged women who dream of being an author.
• Everyone fancies themselves as an intellectual (me included).
• Actors have to dress eccentrically.
• Publishers are continually being pitched books, especially by writers who haven't actually finished a first draft. Publishers refer to random pitches from strangers as “another one”.
• Writers are always being asked the same 3 questions.
• Some writers love the crowds, others would clearly prefer to be at home writing. It sucks being a famous/successful introvert.
• Sessions about writing are very popular, especially amongst those still working on their first book.
• Sydney has an obsession with coffee culture.
• Due to the coffee culture they have no idea what a cup of tea is meant to taste like.
• The smallest population at the event is the male under 40 crowd. I'm sure I was meant to have a minority discount token as a result.
• Apparently you have to be a feminist to be a female author, even if you write romantic fiction about finding the right man to take care of you.
• Judging by the Sydney Dance Company's posters I need to see more productions: all the female dancers are hot and naked.
• Handing out promotional bottle openers at a writers' festival is a poorly thought out strategy. It should have been a coffee mug, book mark, or cork screw.
• Handing out promotional pens is a great idea, the lovely people at Pilot pens gave me a Frixion Clicker that isn't even on the market yet.
• Politics at the writers' festival tends to be a more neutral topic than you would think. The older population and the education level tend to lean towards rational rather than partisan divisions.
• Most people in the publishing industry are passionate about books, just like the readers. The least passionate people seem to be the ones who make the marketing and buying decisions.
• People who like dead trees are a largely unaware of what is happening in e-books and the progressions they have made.
• Readers at the festival were spotted reading on their phones, tablets, e-readers and of course DTB. DTB are still the most popular, but even e-readers are taking off among the older readers.
• The sales of Michael Connelly's latest book are apparently 45% e-books.
• Julian Morrow (The Chaser) and his wife Lisa are really nice.
• The Chaser, despite the best efforts of Channel 7, 9, BBC and the Queen, are still hugely popular.
• Shamini Flint probably sold more books and garnered more fans from chairing a crime writers' session than her advertising for the past year. Witty + Funny + Getting Michael Connelly telling jokes = Sales!
• Gail Dines probably alienated more people with her polemic vitriol than she intended. Then again she is blind to facts and probably doesn't care.
• The people of Sydney were very friendly. They were just like Western Australian's, except for their constant IV drip of coffee and lack of familiarity with sunny days.

More on the Sydney Writers' Festival tomorrow; my dog - fur-kid, who am I kidding - needs more attention.

Some light reading

My 'To Read' dead tree pile.

I had a few books arrive today. If you don't have regular arrivals then the pile pictured above dwindles suddenly and before you know it you don't have anything to read. Suddenly you are desperate for another hit and turn towards the cereal box and the DVD instructions booklet. Fortunately I have 120 or so books to read on my e-reader as well. But after the books pictured above, and the books on my e-reader, I'll have no books left to read!

Yes, despite being a fan of e-books, I am still a fan of dead trees. I have many fond memories of dead trees. The time I used one to level a table with an uneven leg. The time I threw one at the TV for showing "CSI: Miami" instead of "Burn Notice". The time I used a bag full of them to prop open a door with a hydraulic hinge. Good times. For the people that haven't gotten on board of the e-book I thought that I would run through the pros and cons of each.

Dead Tree Pros:

• They are a book.
• You can read them.
• They make you look smart/nerdy when you have lots of shelves of them.

Dead Tree Cons:

• Being a physical entity they have to be physically moved to your house.
• Generally more expensive than an e-book.
• Can't stop a .45 slug, despite claims to the contrary.

E-book Pros:

• They are a book.
• You can read them.
• When you want another you just download it.
• Everyone thinks you are reading the latest political biography when you are really engrossed in the love triangle between a teenage girl, a 100 year old pedophile, and a smelly dog (yes I got dragged to the Twilight films by my wife).
• Text can be resized.

E-book Cons:

• E-books can't be used to start a fire in a life threatening situation.
• E-book files won't be forever, but the database will be, which means updating your collection.
• E-readers cost money too.
• E-readers are even less likely to stop a .45 slug.

What is my key point out of all of this? Well if you like reading you will like both ebooks and dead trees. I can see ebooks replacing a large proportion of the book market in the near future, quite simply because buying (or borrowing) another book is quicker using your ereader. No longer will you have to wait for parcels to arrive in the mail. No longer will you have to travel to a store. No longer will you have to smell the vagrants that camp at the local library. No longer will you have to pray that the store or library actually has the book you are looking for in stock.

The cost of the e-reader is a point which needs considering. Eventually this cost will come down as the technology advances. E-readers are also a great platform and I don't think that they can be a multi-task tool, unless the battery life and screens can provide a perfunctory reading experience. The marriage of the e-book and e-reader with e-stores may constitute polygamy, but it does result in a great convenience for readers all around the world.

Points to consider with ereaders:

• LCD screens chew batteries and are just another computer screen.
• E-ink is like normal dead tree text, has long battery life, even if page turns are a little slow.
• Screen size has to be roughly book size, unless you enjoy squinting like Clint Eastwood.
• Pdf's are not a good format for reading, they are only really made in one size, screens are not.
• Do you read a lot and want to have a separate e-reader or an all-in-one toy like a tablet?
• Weight is a big deal. Anything more than a few hundred grams is going to feel heavy if you read for more than 10-20 minutes.

The basic summary of all these points is that the more you read the more you will want an exclusive e-reader. This is true even if you like dead trees. In fact, every person I have met who has made the change has commented that they were unsure until they got one, then they love e-readers and will never go without one again.

I love books in all their forms, you should too.