Very interesting

[ellid]

Sales of children's and YA books have gone up since the introduction of e-readers.

Thoughts? Comments? I'm curious, since the people I've spoken to are all over the place about whether e-readers will lead to the death of the book, contribute to the decline of literacy, or destroy the ability of authors to make a living. Can anyone speak to this? Personally I've found myself reading more, and spending more on books, now than I did a year ago, but YMMV.....

Comments

[redstapler.livejournal.com]

I think adults are more comfortable reading YA now that they can do it without looking like they're reading YA.

[mme-hardy.livejournal.com]

I was going to say this, too. Remember when Hhe first arry Potter was reiessued with a special adult cover in the U.K. so that adults wouldn't be embarrassed reading it on trains?

[embermwe.livejournal.com]

Well, Lemme say this. Having noted the number of kids with incipient back problems subsequent to carrying backpacks full of books, I think this could be a very good thing.
Given the number of college kids who do not keep their textbooks for reference, but resell, or would like to, If digital formats can decrease the prices of these texts for them, and again decrease the storage space and weight of necessary texts, WHoohoo!
In my job as well, a self lighted lightweight reading source with variable type size would be a huge boon to me on nights when I am sitting in a darkened room monitoring a sick and sleeping child..

[sullacat.livejournal.com]

I can say that just yesterday I bought an iBook for my kid's iTouch because I didn't want to drive to the bookstore and get this book he wanted for his school report.

[elfflame]

I think it's a positive influence on reading. People like having things easily at hand, and with phones and game machines you can carry in your pocket, the e-readers are at least something that can compete with that, because you can have your whole library with you wherever you go.

As someone who used to be an avid reader, but doesn't read nearly enough any more, I keep thinking I need to get myself one now, because I think I'd be more likely to read if I didn't have to carry around the books everywhere. I love books, I just have trouble finding time to read with everything else distracting me. And this would be one way to encourage it.

[jedirita.livejournal.com]

why on earth would e-readers contribute to the decline of literacy - or destroy the ability of authors to make a living? Authors are still getting paid for their work. Reading on an e-reader is still reading. I don't get it.

As someone who just moved, and off-loaded truck loads of my books to Half-Price, and still ended up with half the stuff I moved being books -- I can kinda see the value of e-books. Although I also love the sensual pleasure of holding a book, and seeing books on a bookshelf, and perusing the shelves in a library or bookstore -- I also have plenty of room for e-love.

Don't have a reader yet myself, though. Can't afford it.

BTW, I don't think that e-readers will mean the death of paper books. I'm not convinced that paper books will ever die. Might they decline? Possibly. But die out entirely? No. As I keep pointing out to skeptics, when you drop a paper book into the bathtub, you can dry it out. Also, you can step on a paper book and it won't break.

[ellid.livejournal.com]

There's a discussion going on in Jane Yolen's Facebook about this very issue, since royalty payments for hardcovers that are converted to e-books are substantially lower. Nothing about paperbacks, which is what I'm primarily buying. I'm also sensing a strong Luddite strain among some of the posters, which bothers me quite a bit.