Blog Catalog Discussion: Do you think an ebook is a book?

grdbum on 'Do you think an ebook is a book?'

grdbum — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 13:21:07 -0500

An ebook can be used as a way to advertise or spread the word about you and/ or your product(s). By giving an ebook away for free it can be passed along to many people and thus become an effective way to advertise.

penandspindle on 'Do you think an ebook is a book?'

penandspindle — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 11:21:41 -0500

This really is a perceptual question. Where do we place 'value'? An eBook is really a matter of format like a CD or an audiobook. The content dictates the format. Nonfiction can be put into an ebook for distribution - quick, easy, effective. Fiction is different. The 'curl up with coffee, cat, and book' is a form of relaxation, a way of getting away from routine. Unless you collect frequent flyer points like dogs collect fleas an ebook fiction is not going to appeal. But all of us have perceptions of value. Indy bands carry higher perceptual value than POD writers who are still referred to as vanity publishers. Some of the best books I've read in the last several years have been from indy writers. They are not bound to follow the whims of publishing companies and the so-called 'public'. They can cater for their market. Some of the worst books I've read have been in the 'Top 10'.

aningeniousname on 'Do you think an ebook is a book?'

aningeniousname — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 17:56:57 -0500

For me a book has to smell, I need to be able to feel the pages and leave my finger prints on it.

MadameX on 'Do you think an ebook is a book?'

MadameX — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 17:51:03 -0500

We can print them out, that's true--if they're formatted in a way that allows for well-formatted printing. And then we can spend $25 in ink and paper instead of paying $7.99 for a printed book, and end up with a product twice as thick, twice as tall, 1.5x as wide, difficult to carry on the train or into the bathtub or read in bed...oh, and we'll have killed approximately four times as many trees to produce that bulky, inconvenient "book" because of the single-sided pages and difference in formatting. Great idea.

Norski on 'Do you think an ebook is a book?'

Norski — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 17:48:08 -0500

What about vellum? ;)

4Freedoms on 'Do you think an ebook is a book?'

4Freedoms — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 16:40:24 -0500

It's not a book. A book should be made of paper. :D

Norski on 'Do you think an ebook is a book?'

Norski — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 16:31:52 -0500

Sticking my oar in:

"...the process one goes through to get a book published."

[load frustrations]
[begin rant]
That's one of the reasons that didn't start 'serious' writing again, until the Web came along. I'd read a few too many biographies of authors with passages like this:

'... I happened to meet the editor at a Starbucks downtown, we started talking, and she asked me if I could send the manuscript.'
'[name withheld] was a friend of mind, from my years at Yale, and told me that I should write up a proposal....'
'... serendipidoodah like chance was sokind and then we talked you know like real dialog and it was karma, man. '
'We just happened to be taking the same elevator, and ....'

I don't live in New York, Los Angeles, or another of the great cultural centers of America. I haven't gone to Harvard, Yale, or any other university east of the Mississippi or west of the Rockies.

It seemed to be that, between my abysmal lack of a culturally-normative set of attitudes, and being an utter outsider socially, my chance of getting a book published was about the same as a horse-and-buggy winning NASCAR.

And no, I don't believe that it's just a matter of 'who you know.' There are books published, whose authors don't fit into one of the recognized niches, and who never set foot in a hallowed hall of ivy - or crashed somewhere eight miles above Haight and Ashbury.

I know that, in theory, books are published on the basis of merit: but it's hard to shake the impression that 'merit' is largely a matter of knowing the right people, and/or having ideas that fit an editor's prejudices.

Which is why I love the Internet.

This medium allows authors to bypass traditional information gatekeepers, and let their ideas rise or fall in the 'marketplace of ideas.'

That I can live with.

What bothers me about the traditional book publishing system is that it put the matter of what people were allowed to read in the hands of the same lot that came up with gems like 'guitar groups are on the way out,' and 'can't sing, can't act, can dance a little.'

[end rant]
[remove frustrations]

oxymoran on 'Do you think an ebook is a book?'

oxymoran — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 16:25:06 -0500

When is an ebook not a book?

Is this one of those mindbenders I can never figure out...like

When is a door not a door?...When its ajar.

No idea about your ebook riddle. Give us a clue will ya.

sarahspy on 'Do you think an ebook is a book?'

sarahspy — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 15:19:23 -0500

i still prefer the tangible form because i spend enough time as it is squinting at a bright computer screen... though it's nice to "go green"!!

sarah
http://sarahspy.blogspot.com

Shiley on 'Do you think an ebook is a book?'

Shiley — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 14:39:50 -0500

I think it's a book and the info is relevant but for some reason "curling up to my computer..." Just doesn't appeal much to me. Unless I'm doing it to inform myself about something.

grdbum on 'Do you think an ebook is a book?'

grdbum — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 12:56:25 -0500

Ebooks have advantages that regular books do not. For instance, they can be sent to someone half way around the world in a matter of minutes.

They save trees.

If a person wants to have a regular book they can print out the ebook and place the pages in a 3 ring binder, in a folder, or have it bound.

Ebooks can be read on either a Sony-e-reader which sells for $299, or a Kindle that is available through Amazon.com for $399.

Ebooks are great for someone like me because I don't have to search for a publisher. I can use Lulu.com or Booklocker.com to sell my ebook. Ebooks can also be sold by affiliates through clickbank.com.

I have been making money selling my Inexpensive jewelry Photography Techniques ebook online. No going to the post office to ship the book, and the person that buys my ebook receives it as an instant download or I can send my ebook as an email attachment.

ThriftShopRomantic on 'Do you think an ebook is a book?'

ThriftShopRomantic — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 08:44:38 -0500

I think I need to think about this some more (without a sinus headache pushin' on my brain. :) ) But yes, it's largely in the process. But I know I've gotten published at small journals where unless someone had heard of it the response to the publication was that it, too, wasn't any sort of accomplishment.

Maybe I just know a particularly tough crowd. :)

MadameX on 'Do you think an ebook is a book?'

MadameX — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 08:34:29 -0500

That's true, Jenn, but I think it has less to do with the format than with the process one goes through to get a book published. The format is one factor, of course, but I have often heard the same lament from self-published authors. To publish a traditional book with a traditional publisher, someone who is considered an "expert" has to have deemed your book worthy of financial investment and promotion. Virtually any adult can create an e-book or self-publish a book, so there's no real achievement in simply having done that. If someone reads it and is impressed with it, that's another matter, and if it sells well, that might be an achievement. But just writing it? It may or may not be an accomplishment depending upon the quality of the work; in traditional publishing, I think the "accomplishment" is generally viewed as getting the book accepted for publication in a tough industry.

ThriftShopRomantic on 'Do you think an ebook is a book?'

ThriftShopRomantic — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 08:29:34 -0500

I think the question does relate to concern over the concept of an ebook as an accepted, credible publication-- an accomplishment to be proud of-- versus the perception of an ebook as a large and, propaganda piece, or having less-than-literary quality.

I'm sure most writers know when we share the good news of publication to family and friends, there's a tendency to rate a published piece not on its own merit, but on the perceived merit (or reputation) of the medium it's published in.

MadameX on 'Do you think an ebook is a book?'

MadameX — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 08:14:07 -0500

It's hard for me to understand questions like this. It's a book in the sense that it has the content of a book. It's not a book in the sense that "book" has a literal meaning of a bound collection of pages. When you ask "is it a book?" my first question is "for what purposes?" Do you want to know whether you can say, "I wrote a book?" Do you want to know what to call it in advertising? As far as I can see, aside from this kind of issue, the question is meaningless.

penandspindle on 'Do you think an ebook is a book?'

penandspindle — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 06:10:55 -0500

I agree, not everything belongs on an ebook. Ebooks for nonfiction writers though are a boon. They can test an idea that is half formed, or shape a forgotten story, get feedback or give self feedback by seeing the story as an abstract item in print. At the end of the day, the reader who best enjoys the story is the one who buys the completed and final hardcopy and savors it over a cup of coffee on a rainy afternoon.

sayeeth on 'Do you think an ebook is a book?'

sayeeth — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 12:32:07 -0500

You might want to take a look at http://www.pdf995.com/. If not just get OpenOffice and export to PDF as crkian suggested.

chicapumuckl on 'Do you think an ebook is a book?'

chicapumuckl — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 12:17:28 -0500

I think eBooks can be books, depending on the content of course. eBooks are easier to get and most of the times cheaper, but actually I still prefer the old fashioned books which I can read in bed or anywhere. For me it's relaxing to read a book after spending hours staring at the PC screen.

crkian on 'Do you think an ebook is a book?'

crkian — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 12:10:54 -0500

Use openoffice.org then export to PDF. Its what Im using.

tamalds on 'Do you think an ebook is a book?'

tamalds — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 11:59:38 -0500

any one knows where can I find a free pdf writer? I tried cute writer(Print system pdf) and I want writers which supports image text and links.

kaybday on 'Do you think an ebook is a book?'

kaybday — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 11:19:18 -0500

Sure it is, in the sense of content presented in a media form.

The comments about longevity are well-thought too, though. I have books that are 100 years old and will last hopefully for another century. But somewhere in my office quagmire I have floppy disks that can't be read with my current computer because they're old and I don't have a computer with that program anymore.

Some industries lend themselves to e-books well--white paper type products where quick information is sought by the buyer, informational lists and how-tos.

best, Kay

wehireu on 'Do you think an ebook is a book?'

wehireu — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 09:31:30 -0500

Ebooks are books. They are interchangeable. It is when you add things which can't be put in book form, animations, etc. that it stops being a book. You can get your blog turned into a book very easily. Ebooks can be printed out.

penandspindle on 'Do you think an ebook is a book?'

penandspindle — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 09:11:26 -0500

I agree. But I do think that there is a place for ebooks, especially information and nonfiction based content books. But there is no way it feels really comfortable curling up with an ebook reader and a cup of coffee.

penandspindle on 'Do you think an ebook is a book?'

penandspindle — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 09:09:06 -0500

You should think about Kindle and/or the Booklocker which are professional ebook publishers. You still have to market but your ebook finds its way into the search systems, and that makes a big difference

Norski on 'Do you think an ebook is a book?'

Norski — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 00:06:15 -0500

Are ebooks "books?"

Yes, just as books written on bamboo strips are "books."

Western culture has become so used to the codex form of the book (thin sheets bound on one side, and generally enclosed in covers that are sturdier than the sheets), that we sometimes think that anything that isn't a codex isn't a book.

I like the codex myself: There's the sentimentality of familiarity, and it's an extremely efficient and effective technology for information storage and retrieval.

Consider: a random-access storage and retrieval device that

Operates wherever ambient light is plentiful enough for the human eye to make out small details
Is virtually immune to electromagnetic pulse, magnetic or electrical fields
Tolerates temperature extremes that would kill a human being
Will, if made carefully, last for centuries

SilverSpikes on 'Do you think an ebook is a book?'

SilverSpikes — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 23:26:05 -0500

This is a great question because I recently finished an ebook and tried to sell it.

All i wanted was $5(NZ) for it. New Zealand's ebay (or TradeMe) won't recognise ebooks and won't allow them to be sold - which I thought disappointing. I am tried to sell it on my blog - but I haven't promoted my blog so haven't been selling. It is a Colouring-In Mandala Book so I really want to keep it digital. Now I am about to sell them on CD rather than a download. Hopefully that will be more encouraging for purchasers (and TradeMe).
www.treehousedwellers.blogspot.com

Theresa111 on 'Do you think an ebook is a book?'

Theresa111 — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 23:09:59 -0500

Yes. Because it is a book.

Hippychikky on 'Do you think an ebook is a book?'

Hippychikky — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 23:08:22 -0500

it does save trees and i am for that but i wouldnt trade my first edition harry potters for the world. They are wrapped and boxed and in safe keeping for my grandchildren. I need help I know

acousticguitarist on 'Do you think an ebook is a book?'

acousticguitarist — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 23:07:05 -0500

yes, although it's much beter to mess up the pages of a hardcopy

grdbum on 'Do you think an ebook is a book?'

grdbum — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 23:04:27 -0500

I wrote an ebook about Inexpensive Jewelry Photography Techniques that I sell on the internet. So, yes I think that an ebook is still a book.

There are advantages to an ebook over a book printed on paper. The main advantages are that the ebook saves paper and trees. An ebook can be purchased and downloaded in a matter of a few minutes even in the middle of the night when bookstores are normall closed. They can be downloaded anywhere in the world where a person has computer access and an internet connection. They take up a lot less room because they are stored on a computer.

FaeryInkPress on 'Do you think an ebook is a book?'

FaeryInkPress — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 10:18:06 -0500

I believe an e book is still a book. It's just an electronic book. It can contain the same information as a "regular" book, it's just done on a newer medium.
It's also more convenient to produce, and I guess the environmentalists might argue, better for the earth. (less paper).
It's just another way of getting your words out there.

Listener on 'Do you think an ebook is a book?'

Listener — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 10:06:41 -0500

I definitely consider audiobooks reading, but only if you're actually paying attention. This "listening to audiobooks while multitasking" thing isn't really reading, unless the multitasking is something mindless, like sorting laundry.

gosmelltheflowers on 'Do you think an ebook is a book?'

gosmelltheflowers — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 10:01:09 -0500

Ebooks - the same as a book - NO!

You'll never replace the holding, smelling and leafing through a book...

Its timeless, homely and reassuring....

Call us traditional but blog snippets are technically ebooks.

Now theres an idea.

footiam on 'Do you think an ebook is a book?'

footiam — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 10:00:24 -0500

If you print it and give it a nice cover, it must be a book!

veryheaven on 'Do you think an ebook is a book?'

veryheaven — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 09:52:17 -0500

audio-books are books, too - right?

penandspindle on 'Do you think an ebook is a book?'

penandspindle — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 06:19:37 -0600

I absolutely agree.

penandspindle on 'Do you think an ebook is a book?'

penandspindle — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 06:19:04 -0600

Digital projects making available hard-to-come-by public domain books for historical research are an incredible boost to research. And, if you are crazy about period books, this is the way to access more than you can read.

penandspindle on 'Do you think an ebook is a book?'

penandspindle — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 06:16:28 -0600

For a very long time I felt this way, and still do in many ways, but ebooks can be attractive and useful for certain types of content. One of the benefits of ebook publishing is cost, another easy and quick access.

penandspindle on 'Do you think an ebook is a book?'

penandspindle — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 06:13:57 -0600

It depends on the content. Nonfiction history is not something that can be reproduced as a template for 'more like this' because each piece of research tells a different story. You are right, though, ebooks while valid ways of selling content are open to abuse simply because the process of publishing ebooks and not its format need to be reconsidered.

zawadi on 'Do you think an ebook is a book?'

zawadi — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 19:44:54 -0600

there is a niche right now with gaming ebooks, if any of you are good writer and a dedicated video gamer (pc platform) Kids are literally writing ebooks to put on ebay and making allot of money and the info is useful, and some have caught on to this fad and decided to make up junk to put in a ebbok and sell.

I happen to buy the junk one and should have known you get what you pay for.

It was cheap and the info was also....

Writing a ebook and giving it away free is a great way to get more readers I hear.