I’ve been pushing read an eBook week for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that my own titles are available in electronic format (as well as print). I think eBooks have a lot to recommend them — they are cheap to produce and distribute, and they have the potential to allow even blind people like me to read an enlarged version of a book.
I think eBooks are the future of publishing. It’s something I have said before, and something I stand by, but the transition to a paperless format is currently in the midst of growing pains. Larger publishing houses, in particular, are selling electronic books for almost the same price as a paperback or hardback, and in some cases, even more. I don’t pretend to understand the rationale that goes into their marketing decisions, but human nature suggests that in the midst of a transition that will change the face of publishing, people are nervous. Since eBooks allow smaller publishing houses to produce quality work cheaply, some may wonder what the role of the major publisher will be in the future?
None of which is actually why I don’t own an eBook reader. Because the truth is, even though many new titles are expensive to purchase via eBook, there are also many free books (especially classics, for which the copyright has expired), inexpensive books (especially older titles), and reasonably priced books (especially through small to medium-sized publishers, like Twilight Times Books).
The reason I don’t own an eReader is that despite the potential for the technology to allow me to increase the font size to suit my needs, it doesn’t. Most books allow some enlargement, but I have yet to see any allow me to blow up the text larger than your average large print book. (Which, unfortunately, I cannot read without extra magnification.)
I do sometimes read eBooks on my computer, especially when a title I’m interested in is not available in audio format. It is easier for me to curl up in front of my word processor, with the text blown up to 26-36 point font (depending upon the day), than it is for me to struggle with magnification (which is no longer sufficient for me in the case of a standard paperback). Is it annoying? Of course! I totally get why many of you have no desire to curl up with a good computer, and why eReaders are a good choice for you, but for my part, I’m still waiting for the technology to catch up with its simple potential.
If you’re curious about my visual difficulties, check out my article, Being Blind. It needs some updating, because my visual acuity has slipped a notch in the years since I wrote that. I now prefer 36-pt font most days.