E-books are outpacing the sales of their hardcover counterparts. According to an article on Galleycat.com, for the first quarter of 2012, the Association of American Publishers (AAP) reported adult e-book sales of $282.3 million while adult hardcover sales counted $229.6 million. An article by Lauren Indvik on Mashabble.com attributes this boom in e-books “to the increased usage of ereading devices, from tablets and smartphones to dedicated ereaders.”
If you’ve never read an e-book, why not try one now? March is “Read an E-Book Month.”
Just as I don’t remember the first time I logged on to the internet back in the early 1990s, I have no recollection of the first e-book I ever read. While doing research for this article I came across an article by e-book author Djuanna Brockington who describes herself as an “early adapter” of e-books, having downloaded her first e-book years ago. And I realized while I rarely use an ereader (I’m the only one in my family not in love with our Kindle), I’ve been reading e-books for the greater part of a decade via my computer.
It is common for life coaches and other experts to offer free e-books on their websites for those who sign up for their newsletter. So I probably encountered my first e-book back in 2005 when I began writing about life coaching and self-help. Then a few years ago, when the library began offering e-books to patrons, I went overboard borrowing a dozen e-books at a time, far more than I could actually read during the two week lending periods. Finally I began to purchase e-books.
Brockington says one reason she loves e-books is that they save time. This is so true. When I want something good to read, I don’t have to leave home. Further there’s no waiting for books to be delivered. With e-books you simply click and your book downloads in minutes.
Another thing I like about e-books is that the text is searchable. I have a physical copy of Mack R. Douglas’ Making a Habit of Success, which I read probably 10 years ago. In the book there is an awesome quote about growth. However I have not been able to find it again despite skimming through hundreds of pages on multiple occasions. With an e-book, I can just type keywords into the search box and boom! I’m right there. And for an apartment dweller with limited space, I appreciate the fact that e-books do not require a shelf.
While I sing the praises of the e-book and find them very useful, I will always love printed books. I have many fond memories of going to the library and randomly plucking a novel off of the shelf to read. This is how I discovered Kay Nolte Smith’s Tale of the Wind, which kept me up for several nights straight. I couldn’t put it down. Further, a vacation just isn’t a vacation without a nice thick paperback novel in my bag.
For more information about “Read an E-book Month” visit ebookweek.com.