Literary Braun: eBoook Or Paperback: Just A Thought

Since today is Read an eBook Day, I figured I'd offer my thoughts on the continuous debate between paper books and digital books.

I admit that I was stubborn to go digital. I loved the feel of a paper book in my hands. It just felt so natural and special, and I was proud to show off what I was reading to everyone in sight. Even when it was American Psycho. For me, the issue became one of space. I bought a wide, four tier book shelf from Walmart, put it together, and then put all my books on it.

I filled the whole thing with books I had previously read, and I still didn't have space for them all. I'm the kind of girl who would literally need a library to store all her books.

I started taking my friend's advice seriously when he told me I would benefit from an ereader. I was still reluctant, but eventually I caved. It turned out to be one of the best choices I made. I love my Kobo. I use it every day for at least two hours. It doesn't take a lot of space in my purse, and I can fill it with hundreds of books. There are probably over two hundred and fifty on there right now. The biggest benefit for me isn't just portability or discounted prices, but the fact that I can carry the entire Game of Thrones series in one place. And we all know those books are about as small as a full grown elephant.

I'm not discounting paper books, however. Every Rob Thurman book I own is paperback. I treasure my signed novels by her, as well as the ones gifted to me by Jennifer Estep and Kevin Hearne. Paperback and hard cover novels give authors a higher profit, which in turns they can continue bringing us exciting stories they know we love.

My biggest dream is to walk into a bookstore and see someone holding a physical copy of my book. But I don't expect that to happen for me anytime soon, simply because printing books is expensive and difficult on your own. You have to pay the cover designer extra, watch markets to estimate how many books you think you'll sell, find a way to contact bookstores willing to put yours on the shelf. That's assuming your cover turns out the way you want it to. But I'm proud of the novella and short stories I have out there in eBook format. It's better than having nothing.

So which is better? Neither, and both. It's all personal preference. I'm just glad that people are reading. At the moment, I have published work in both paperback and eBook formats. Maybe I'll push for paperback, but right now, I'll be grateful that eBooks exist, and that I can continue to write stories that will be enjoyed by everyone who picks them up.