It’s not a
theoretical debate.

The digital
revolution has changed all sorts of things about the book business.

Ebooks are
here to stay.

Audiobooks
are on the rise.

But the
demise of paper books has not occurred, as some predicted.

Independent
book stores, not so long ago believed by many to be on the way out, are on the
resurgence.

So the book
world now is schizophrenic.

Readers read
books on their smart phones, listen to audiobooks on their phones or tablets
while they commute or take trips, and purchase paper books.

I’ll use
myself as an example.

I buy
several eBooks per month straight off my Kindle.  I buy an audiobook or
two each month and download it on the Audible app on my phone.  I listen
to it on head phones connected to my phone. I buy paper books of a few of my
favorite authors when new releases come out.  For instance, I always
pre-order the next James Lee Burke book.  I also buy paper copies of
classic or hard to find books. I am more likely to purchase a paper book in an
independent bookstore, although we don’t have many such stores in my neck of
the woods.

I don’t know
whether my book buying habits are representative of  book buyers in
general.  My thought is that there are a number of factors that come into
play in the equation.  Some of those are the proximity of a brick and
mortar bookstore, the age of the buyer and the genres of interest to her.

I think we
are beginning to see a backlash against the ubiquity of the Internet.

The Internet
is great for many things, but it can’t replace the smell of a bookstore or the
personal interaction a book buyer can have with knowledgeable bookstore
proprietors who can point her in the right direction.  Neither can a
reader shake hands with an author at Amazon.

So, I’m
curious.

Do you
prefer paper books, eBooks or audiobooks, and where do you like to buy them?

 

Then last night, my mother called and asked me to send
her two paperback copies of my own book Special Agent Francesca because she
wanted them for Christmas gifts. (What is it with this Christmas stuff???
Sheesh – it’s only October.)

But…I digress!
The point here is that many folks still enjoy holding that physical book in
their hands and then displaying it on their bookshelves.

My personal theory – we might be able to alter the old systems with progress
but we’ll never change human nature.