Why read an ebook?
Writing|Actually, some of the reasons feed each other. You’ll no doubt notice that many epublishers produce work for the erotic romance market. There are other genres coming out in e-formats but the progress is slow. Still, two large publishing houses announced plans to offer most if not all their books in both print and electronic formats, starting with several releases planned for this year. As sales increase we may see a larger investment in technology and we may see the end of the market’s biggest drawback to date: No one has so far invented a really good portable and affordable ebook reader.
A couple of years ago I answered a survey on what I wanted in an ebook reader and although I cannot recall all my answers, I do know what would be important for me. For one thing, size matters. No, I’m not joking. I’d like something approximately the size of a book for two reasons. I’d still like to feel that I’m having that ‘book experience’ and I’d like to be able to carry it around in my handbag. I don’t want it to weigh a ton for the very reason that it should be ‘portable’ — that’s the whole point. If it’s not portable, it’s useless. Likewise, you need a good battery life and you don’t want your storage to suddenly disappear should the battery run flat. Being able to slip something into an ebook so that you could store books in a similar fashion to the way you store photos on an SD card would be nice. You could catalog your ebook library in this fashion. You also need to be able to back-up. I keep many of the print books I buy. I want to keep my ebooks safe, too.
The screen, however, is probably one of the most important factors. In an age where we spend so much time in front of computer screens, who wants to sit there reading for pleasure in front of a screen at the end of the day? Almost no one. It’s not good for the eyes. Most writers have a day job and even if writing is their sole job, they spend a great many hours staring at a screen. They may also play computer games, email friends, shop online etc. That all adds up to staring at a screen for many hours and that causes eye strain. I know it sounds as if I’m making a case against ebooks but I’m not. I’m making a case ‘for’ the development of a good ebook reader with a good anti-glare screen at an… Oh yes, the last important issue — an affordable price.
Amazon have recently brought out their very own Kindle. The problem is that with a price tag of $359 and if we get it over here in the UK the price is likely to be the same if not more in pounds. It’s always the way. This is a lot of money to pay just to read books. Sony’s effort to produce an ebook reader seemed to do well with regards to the screen being comfortable to read, but again, price was a large issue. Many people already read ebooks on PDAs, so why not just buy one of those? Well, you can but a PDA simply isn’t designed for reading for a long time, and compatibility can be a problem. Besides, many readers ‘want’ something that’s specifically designed for them. Currently, I just read ebooks on my laptop.
There is a problem with who may eventually develop a great ebook reader because what we don’t want is someone cornering the market. I currently read ebooks in pdf and I want to be able to read in my format of choice. I’m not falling for the “Hey, there’s a great little reader” and “But oh, you can only buy ebooks from our company to read on this thing.”
So, technology aside, why read ebooks at all? And why do so many erotic romance publishers produce work in electronic print?
Firstly, many people spend a long time on their computers. They simply aren’t able to get away from them. Yes, there have been cases of ’sneaky’ reading an ebook while at work, but mostly people take a ten minute break ‘at their desk’. Some people can read a surprising amount in ten minutes. For some, when family are making demands, going off to the computer is the only peace and quiet they have. I’ve known some people say their family don’t bother them when they’re at their desk but that if they pick up a book suddenly everyone thinks it’s a clear sign that you’re actually anxious to strike up a conversation. Some people already read ebooks on PDAs or Laptops — in fact, many simply have to take these devices with them on long trips, be it business or pleasure, and find it easier to upload a few books rather than pack several weighty novels.
For me, I’d love to own a library of classics, but I’ve far too many books in the house as it is. Titles that I would love to own but I wouldn’t look at too often in an e-format would be ideal. In fact, for me, it’s simply an issue of space. I can’t keep all the books I want to and if you’ve ever had to pack books up to move them, even if it’s only to decorate, the sheer weight of them can be staggering. My dream home would have a library attached.
As well as storage, there’s the issue of subject. There are readers who want to read something a little more risqué yet don’t want such books lying around the house. This may be due to embarrassment, a spouse who will laugh, fear that the mother-in-law will find them, or due to the presence of children. That’s not to say there’s anything about such books that should be hidden but I can understand that making sure those of an inappropriate age don’t read books they shouldn’t can be a problem. The ebook market latched on to this.
To encourage people to read ebooks the industry simply had to offer them something ‘different’ to what they could find in their local stores. Sex sells and erotic romance sells well. I won’t get into the argument of what’s the difference between porn and erotica here, but in the simplest terms erotic romance has a story; porn doesn’t. I’m also pleased to say that where many of these publishers started out offering romances where the action simply didn’t stop at the bedroom door, they have evolved.
I don’t know if I’m the only writer to feel this way but it seems to me that as the market expands and there’s more on offer, readers are becoming more selective in what they read. Where many publishers, particularly amateur ones (many of which came and went overnight) thought they could just bung out a story with sex in it and it would sell, readers are now demanding real books, with real characters, and real stories. They don’t want the sex in the story if the story doesn’t engage them enough to care. Believe me, the novelty soon wears off. If anyone out there believes that the erotic romance industry is an easy one to write for, think again. This new generation of writers serve up stories that are varied and often intense. As to why I chose to write for this market, I’ll address that another day, but I will say that I write full stories where if sex occurs there’s a right time and place for it. It’s integrated into the story and as far as m/m romance goes, I hope I’m writing something both women and gay men can enjoy. So far, from reader response, I seem to be doing the right thing.
