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Novelist1982 · #1

I was just wondering how many people here actually buy E-Books. In the age of Blackberries and E-Book Readers you would think the general population would start to give E-Books a chance. I might get an E-Book published in the near future for various reasons. It seems that new authors have a hell of a time breaking into the market (I know this first hand.) Great publishing companies only publish stories represented by an agent, and all the great agents only represent authors that are established. So how does a new author have any chance at becoming popular? I think that having an E-Book on the market would do a few things for me: the E-Book would be considerably cheaper for people to buy, I would sell more copies to people, and cheap E-Book+selling more copies=exposure to my creative abilities. So, who here actually reads E-Books, and do you think the average person would buy a young adult E-Book?

Grislygus · #2

I would never buy an ebook. They're a travesty, I say! What of all those cheesy science fiction novels with Frank Frazetta covers? Hm? Who would purchase them without their trademark culturally-significant-pseudo-erotic-seventies pop art? I defy you, ebook!

kahljorn · #3

well i used to have something like a few hundred e-books (they're deleted now) and i have to say reading a real book is vastly superior. For a few reasons, first off it's "Real", easily portable, books smell and feel good, and are difficult to break.. the most important reason though being that it's easier to read through a book than it is to read on a computer. The bright lights really bother my eyes and make it difficult to read for long periods of time.

Emu · #4

Kahl summed it up nicely.

Azrael · #5

No, I would never buy an E-Book. Besides the great points Kahl made, I work on a computer all day. By the time I get home, the last place I'm going is anywhere near a PC.

Zen444 · #6

Paperback 4 life.

kahljorn · #7

Just so you guys know though, before the 1940's there was no copyright laws so you can find almost any popular book before the 1940's online for free.

executioneer · #8

i would READ an e-book, but i would not PAY for it

see also: bittorrent

zeldasbiggestfan · #9

Quote:

Originally Posted by kahljorn

Just so you guys know though, before the 1940's there was no copyright laws so you can find almost any popular book before the 1940's online for free.

That is true but you cant just carry around your computer and read it when you wanna read it like a book if your in school or if its a slow day at work.

kahljorn · #10

well the guy who started the thread mentioned portable solutions...

Fathom Zero · #11

I read eBooks on my PSP all of the time, but it's mainly stories and books whose copyrights have expired or generally for free, like Johnny Mnemonic, Dante Alighieri's Inferno, and I'm searching for a book of playscripts from Orson Welles, particularly one that includes "Voodoo" Macbeth.

So I'm really not the best market for eBooks, especially because I don't have a credit card. I only get physical cash, with which I usually buy a physical book.

zeldasbiggestfan · #12

Thats another reason. People dont wanna be putting too much shit on their credit cards. But it doesnt really matter. I mean how hard is it to just carry a book for a few hours? I do it everyday. But whatever. Ya like what you like.

executioneer · #13

on a sidenote hey novelist1982 have you heard from chris tolkien's lawyers yet

Novelist1982 · #14

Thanks everyone for your comments. I'm not big on e-books myself, but as I said, its something that's been around awhile and might not have caught on yet (it won't replace paperbacks anytime soon, if ever).
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Hey executioneer,

Ha-ha. Chris wasn't one of the handful of people that bought "Ariona: The Bounty Hunter". Without going into it too much, I think "Ariona" is a pretty dang good interactive book, considering most interactive stories do not explore characterization and don't have a hot chick kick zombies' asses. However, with limited to no marketing done, and the fact that most people don't buy interactive books anymore, I have changed directions to writing traditional paperback young adult fiction (mostly fantasy /sci-fi, and horror).

Esuohlim · #15

The fate of Middle-Earth is in your hands

kahljorn · #16

lol i read interactive stories when i was like 12 and hated them. I don't think i ever "Finished" a story because I'd die ever three seconds. I used to have a mario brothers interactive story though that was kind of cool.. DO YOU CHOOSE PIPE ONE, PIPE TWO OR PIPE THREE?

Novelist1982 · #17

Hey kahljorn,

Ya, I have all three of those Mario interactive ones. I never finished one because it has those goofy puzzles and mazes throughout the book. "Ariona" was written more like the "Choose Your Own Adventure" series, still with many choices. I made sure that the deaths and/or brutal endings varied the experience. I mean, if you are going to die, its pretty awesome to get torn apart by a reanimated wolf-zombie with maggets in its dead eye socket. My book was aimed for teenagers and those who already collected all the old ones and wanted something different.

kahljorn · #18

i had some choose your own adventure books but i hated them compared to the mario brothers one. I liked all the mazes and puzzles.

Novelist1982 · #19

Ok, it sounds like E-Books are not popular and mainstream enough to kick-start my writing career. I will stick with traditional paperback books. Thanks everyone for your opinions.