Print Versus eBooks

In 2023 statistics showed that 68% of young readers preferred print books over digital versions. And here I thought only old people clung to relics of the past. Drilling down to readers as a whole, though, the preferences are not so clear-cut. 32% of Americans only read print books, while only 9% exclusively choose digital. However, most readers are hybrids ~ 33% read both. Then there's the odd stat that print books outsell ebooks by a four to one margin. That seems a bit contradictory. But then, I'm no statistician.

I used to think self-published authors were silly for having paperback versions of their books produced, but like with most aspects of the modern world, I'm obviously out of touch. Younger authors almost exclusively write either fantasy or sci fi; that's what young readers want. So, 68% of those buyers will lean toward purchasing a physical copy, apparently.

None of the above applies to me. I write in an "old person's" category, which seems to encompass mystery, thriller, suspense ~ and waaaay down the line, women's fiction. Add to that the fact that most of my books are novellas. Who wants a sixty-page paperback? That would not look "hefty". So for me, ebooks are the way to go. 

Personally, I'm not a huge paperback fan. When I was young and poor, I bought them. I still own the best ones from that collection, mostly for sentimental reasons, but overall the number of physical books I own is very, very small. Rarely was I a keeper of books anyway. A tiny fraction of those were worth re-reading, so why hold onto them? When Amazon was only a bookstore (yes, I was alive then) I bought tons of books online. It was a revelation to be able to find any book I wanted, as opposed to my local bookstore that didn't exactly put a premium on true crime. That was my genre. I'd read them, then ship them off to my sister, who also was a true crime aficionado. But I bought hardcovers. There is something about a new hardcover book. Even the smell of unturned pages was exciting. And hardcover signaled that this was a book worth reading, even if that wasn't always true. 

I would still buy hardcovers now, except I have nowhere to keep them. Compact living has its good and bad points. Every purchase has to be weighed and even current possessions require deliberation to determine if they're claiming space that could be better used. I've parted with a few objects that I might have otherwise kept forever, and it hurt. My sister and I have long ceased book exchanges, so if I buy a hardcover I'm stuck with it. My spouse still buys them, and thus we have little stacks of books everywhere. (No, we don't have room for a bookcase, either.) 

I think I switched to Kindle because I love new technology. I didn't make the decision due to space constraints, but it was an added benefit. Though to be honest, an ebook doesn't "feel" like a real book. Convenient? Sure, if all you're looking for is the words and not the whole experience. And even considering the words alone, the digital format cheapens them. Anyone can publish a digital book ~ just ask me. The last great ebook I read was Unbroken. (Maybe the quality of writing is just getting worse, ebook or not.)

From the "selling" standpoint, though, for me digital is the way to go. Maybe, like me, others aren't expecting a masterpiece when they plop down a dollar or two. Even if the book is bad, you're not flogging yourself for wasting money. There is an expectation in exchange for dollars. If I buy a thirty-dollar hardcover, it had better be good. A ninety-nine cent ebook? Ehh. Doesn't really matter. 

Paperbacks fall more under the umbrella of ehh. I understand why indie authors offer them, but paperbacks are essentially throwaways, too. Not to denigrate my own writing, but why would I even bother offering a physical copy? While producing paperbacks is relatively inexpensive (everything is relative) it costs me zero dollars to publish my digital book. Hardcovers? Do people do that? An average-length hardcover book will set the author back ten dollars per unit. And unless you've really got an "in" with a bookstore, all your sales will be online. I can't even fathom taking that deal. 

An author needs to be pretty cocky or pretty financially set to waste money on all of this. I will never be either of those things. Digital publishing is one of the (very) few things in life that remains free. It's egalitarian. Even a little guy like me can have a shot. And so no one buys my books? My bank account remains the same.