Comments on: Books for bucks’ sake only http://benleto.com/blog/749/books-for-bucks-sake-only/ The literary struggle of a lazy part-time genius Fri, 22 Jul 2011 15:11:43 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Ben http://benleto.com/blog/749/books-for-bucks-sake-only/comment-page-1/#comment-17552 Ben Sun, 18 Jan 2009 11:48:17 +0000 http://benleto.com/blog/?p=749#comment-17552 The problem though is that that's exactly what the publishers believe too. They're of course very much aware of the steady rise of the Kindle, so much that they see it as how books will be read in the future. Though I don't believe that it's the end of the paperback anytime soon either, once marketers get it into their heads that they've spotted a strong, vibrant green shoot in demand, they'll try and cultivate it to the exclusion of all else. We'd possibly still be using floppy drives now if Apple hadn't decided to stop fitting them overnight in 1999. Hardbacks meanwhile will certainly still be around for some time - publishers themselves have conceded this. They will ultimately take on the form of 'collecters' editions' for those who still prefer their books on paper rather than a screen. Personally, despite being a total technophile, I don't like electronic readers, and certainly not over an actual printed book no matter how compact, accessible or how sexy its paper screen interface may be. Printing a book is the process of embalming the ideas it contains. It has a touch, a smell - it gains wrinkles and scars as it ages, like a person. Once read it takes its place on your shelf amongst the others - all little trophies for the time and thought invested in reading something someone invested time and thought into writing. You just can't do that with a 450k file, but I seem to be in the minority as far as the marketing departments are concerned. Maybe in 100 years time everyone will be reading the latest ghostwritten cookbook via neural interface, and the concept of reading from something physical held in your hands will be considered not only archaic but vulgar. The problem though is that that’s exactly what the publishers believe too. They’re of course very much aware of the steady rise of the Kindle, so much that they see it as how books will be read in the future. Though I don’t believe that it’s the end of the paperback anytime soon either, once marketers get it into their heads that they’ve spotted a strong, vibrant green shoot in demand, they’ll try and cultivate it to the exclusion of all else. We’d possibly still be using floppy drives now if Apple hadn’t decided to stop fitting them overnight in 1999. Hardbacks meanwhile will certainly still be around for some time – publishers themselves have conceded this. They will ultimately take on the form of ‘collecters’ editions’ for those who still prefer their books on paper rather than a screen.

Personally, despite being a total technophile, I don’t like electronic readers, and certainly not over an actual printed book no matter how compact, accessible or how sexy its paper screen interface may be. Printing a book is the process of embalming the ideas it contains. It has a touch, a smell – it gains wrinkles and scars as it ages, like a person. Once read it takes its place on your shelf amongst the others – all little trophies for the time and thought invested in reading something someone invested time and thought into writing. You just can’t do that with a 450k file, but I seem to be in the minority as far as the marketing departments are concerned.

Maybe in 100 years time everyone will be reading the latest ghostwritten cookbook via neural interface, and the concept of reading from something physical held in your hands will be considered not only archaic but vulgar.

]]> By: Buffy http://benleto.com/blog/749/books-for-bucks-sake-only/comment-page-1/#comment-17493 Buffy Sat, 17 Jan 2009 20:32:03 +0000 http://benleto.com/blog/?p=749#comment-17493 "I wasn’t born a literary snob. It took many years of hard work..." HA! I understand you completely. There's so many changes going on in the publishing industry today it's difficult for me to make any real good guestimate, or form any firm opinion, on what its future will be like. Was having a similar discussion the other day with a friend who believes novels and old school hard backs have seen their day. That things like Sony's reader and the Amazon's Kindle have ushered in a new day. I'm not sure I believe this. Maybe the flashy airplane reads but REAL and TRUE literature? Nah. Can't see the old faithful paper book becoming obsolete. Not any time soon anyway. “I wasn’t born a literary snob. It took many years of hard work…”

HA! I understand you completely.

There’s so many changes going on in the publishing industry today it’s difficult for me to make any real good guestimate, or form any firm opinion, on what its future will be like.

Was having a similar discussion the other day with a friend who believes novels and old school hard backs have seen their day. That things like Sony’s reader and the Amazon’s Kindle have ushered in a new day.

I’m not sure I believe this. Maybe the flashy airplane reads but REAL and TRUE literature? Nah. Can’t see the old faithful paper book becoming obsolete. Not any time soon anyway.

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