Read an E-Book Week Next Week
March 4, 2009 by Lillie
Next week is Read an E-Book Week.
Come back on and comment on the post of Monday, March 9 for a chance to win a free e-book.
Visit my previous post about Read an E-Book Week for a list of titles. Include your first, second, and third choices in your comment.
Why am I excited about Read an E-Book Week? Because I’ve been a fan of e-books since my first novel, Stroke of Luck, was published in 1999.
I’ve described before how editors from traditional publishing houses told me “no one wants to read about a cripple” when I submitted Stroke of Luck. The heroine of this romance novel has had a stroke and is in a wheelchair. Then a friend of mine e-mailed me that she’d heard about a new e-publisher who was seeking manuscripts with disabled characters. I submitted my manuscript, and the publisher accepted my story right away. Until that time, I had never read an e-book. I decided if my book was going to be available only as an e-book, I should read a few e-books so I wouldn’t be completely ignorant.
Today, I read e-books almost exclusively. Not that I have anything against print books. I think there is room for both e-books and print e-books in the marketplace. The primary reason I don’t read many print books is because reading on my Kindle: Amazon’s New Wireless Reading Device
Another reason I read e-books is that I find many great, innovative books available only from small, independent electronic publishers. I can find cross-genre books more easily from e-publishers than from traditional print publishers. I can find books that are just a little—or a whole lot—different.
I’m not suggesting you give up reading print books if you enjoy them. I am suggesting that you try something different if you’ve never anything but print books. Read an E-Book!
The free 16 from Harlequin will also be available in kindle format- soon ! I would check out Amazon at the end of this week and again next week and you should find all 16 titles there. (I work on the digital team at Harlequin)
Marble (if you wrote YourName@Keywords, I could address you as a real person, and you would still get your keyword link),
That’s great news! I tried to download some of them but they weren’t available in a format I could read. Thanks for letting us know they will be available in Kindle.
Hi Lillie – I’m looking forward to this and thanks for the reminder. When you first mentioned it, I knew I would struggle to remember the date so far ahead.
I’m still not a total convert to e-books and I usually print them out. But who knows, when I finally get a kindle I may read more of them.
Cath,
Everyone I know who has read on the Kindle loves it though not necessarily as their exclusive or even most prominent way of reading.
I just read today on an author’s blog that he has a Kindle to use primarily for reading books that haven’t been published yet. He is often asked to endorse books when they are still in a Word doc, and reading those on the Kindle is much better than reading on the computer. He is also buying some new releases that come in hardcover and Kindle editions as the Kindle editions cost less. Otherwise he prefers to buy and read print books.
On the other hand, I have a hard time reading print so I read almost everything electronically. If a book is available only in print, I probably won’t read it.
I can’t help it to me a real book in my hands is so relaxing I would way rather read the old school way.
My daughter on the other hand wants a kindle as her graduation present. As she heads off to college she wishes her college textbooks were available for the kindle. This will be nice for that use.
Tracy,
It’s a good thing we’re all different. There is room for those with strong, healthy hands who like to hold books, and there is room for folks like me with arthritic hands that find holding a paper book uncomfortable.
Textbooks seem the obvious application for e-books. Students don’t have to hurt their backs carrying loads of heavy books; the books can be updated much easier and cheaper; and the cost of the books should be less than print. Some schools are starting to offer e-books—others probably will do so soon.
I did not like e-books in the beginning because I got a copy on pdf file which really strained my eyes when I read. However, when I got better copies, I just got hooked into it. I hope you can list down sites which really offer good e-books.
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Choose (if you wrote YourName@Keywords, I could address you as a real person, and you would still get your keyword link),
I don’t like to read PDF, either.
I will point out some good places to get e-books next week.
I didn’t know anything about an event that’s related to reading e-books, but I do appreciate the power of e-books and I’d love to participate doing this for myself. Enjoy e-book reading everyone!
Cesar´s last blog post..The Tnomeralc Web Design Toys
Cesar,
Follow the link to the Read an E-Book Week Web site and see what different people are doing.
I personally love reading ebooks. I never knew they made actual REAL books though (IE: that novel you mentioned, “stroke of luck”). That is interested.
I always thought ebooks were just informational resources, guides, and so on. With that being said and done, I have bought a LOT of ebooks over the last few years, ranging from about $10 to about $100 or more, depending on what the content was.
How much do the novel-type ebooks run for usually???
garmin (if you wrote YourName@Keywords, I could address you as a real person, and you would still get your keyword link),
Many novels and general nonfiction books are available as e-books. In fact, there are many e-publishers who publish nothing but fiction. Amazon sells many popular books as e-books for the Kindle.
E-books from small e-book publishers generally run from about $4 to $8. E-books at Amazon for the Kindle are typically $9.99. Usually the e-book version of a novel costs less than the print if the book is available in both formats.
Oh my, I can’t even wait for the day to come, Lillie!
wilson´s last blog post..Pregnant Women Shouldn’t Eat Too Many Eggs!
I’m glad you’re looking forward to it, wilson, as I am.
How do I stick an ebook on my ipod?
Scoopy (if you wrote YourName@Keyword, I could address you as a real person, and you would still get your keyword link),
I don’t have an ipod so I don’t know exactly how to read e-books on one. However it seems there are several ways to do so. You can copy and paste the e-book into notes (which sounds cumbersome to me) or you can use a converter program to turn books into images. Just search on Google for “read e-books on ipod,” and you will find several options.
Scoopy,
Just came across an article in my feed reader about this: http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=printArticleBasic&taxonomyName=Mobile+and+Wireless&articleId=9128974&taxonomyId=15
Hey Lillie, I’ve haven’t become an avid e-book reader yet but maybe some free e-books will turn me around! Here are my top three choices for the e-book:
1) The New Day Dawns by Grace Anne Schaefer
2) Some Monument to Last by James Doughty
3) On the Wings of the Wind by Patricia Eytcheson Taylor and the Reverend Doctor James Taylor
Thanks!
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Nick,
Hope reading a good e-book will convince you e-books are worthwhile, even if you still prefer to read in print.
I know people have been saying this for the last 10+ years now, but I really think e-books are about to take off thanks to the latest Kindle. It is light, powerful and has an easy-on-the-eyes screen. And now, FINALLY, a lot of books (and travel guides!) are becoming available for the Kindle.
So, thanks for the heads up about e-book week. I already read an e-book on most weeks. But between the 8th and 14th I may just try to read two.
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Spot,
Even before I had a Kindle, I wrote a post about what I thought it would do for the e-publishing industry. Just having Amazon.com and Oprah Winfrey promoting an e-book reader makes people much more aware of and receptive to e-books.
I personally need to learn to read book on computer. I have not been able to concentrate for a considerable amount of time. But, I will check in next week for free ebook.
Thanks.
biblestudylessons´s last blog post..Jesus and Sadducees – Question about Resurrection – Mark 12:18-27
Bible Study,
I don’t read well on the computer, either. That’s why I seldom read secured PDF e-books. I read on either the Kindle or eBookWise reader, and neither will read secure PDF. Uncrypted PDF can be converted to be read on either.
Many people prefer to read on a hand-held computer or other multi-purpose device, but I enjoy having a device exclusively for reading. However, I am almost always in my home office; if I got out and about a lot, I might prefer a device that would do a lot more.
Thanks. Amazon’s kindle seems a good way of reading. I have heard some good reviews of it.
biblestudylessons´s last blog post..Jesus and Sadducees – Question about Resurrection – Mark 12:18-27
I really like my Kindle. I wrote a review of it when I first got it:
Kindle review
Printed books have been my all time favourite and when i tried reading e-book my eyes would strain and i used to lose concentration maybe because i never tried an interesting e-book. This time i will try a good one and see will that be successful.
Futons (if you wrote YourName@Keyword, I could address you as a real person, and you would still get your keyword link),
Leave a comment on my Monday post telling me which e-book you would like to read, and I will e-mail it to you.
If you are reading on the computer, you might try changing the screen resolution and text size periodically. A little variation may help reduce the eye strain. Also take breaks so you’re not staring a screen for hours on end.
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