Beck McDowell's Blog
January 4, 2011
The Joys of a Threesome
For many years, I’ve been in a monogamous relationship – with paper. Paper books have satisfied my urges, helped me escape, taught me to love. There’ve been too many meaningful encounters to list – from one night stands to ongoing commitments that lasted for weeks. I love the smell of paper books, the heft of their spines, the feel of tender pages against my fingertips. Many are with me still - flashing their graphics from my bookshelves, reminding me of special nights spent together.
But I’m expanding my definition of a relationship. Don’t judge me; it’s a very personal choice that each of us must make. I’m going public today with the news: I’ve found happiness in a threesome. It’s a highly satisfying, infinitely entertaining, rewarding and stimulating arrangement that enriches my life immensely. That’s right. From now on, it’ll be e-books, tree books, and me.
Some of you will say I’m unfaithful. I’ll be accused of cheating on the very tomes that introduced me to my lifetime love of literature. But I have passion enough to go around. My eyes have been opened to a new world, and I’m embracing a new chapter in my life.
My first love moved me in ways I can’t describe, but please understand that e-books take me places I’ve never been before. They fly with me to faraway cities, they lie with me beside sparkling pools; they love to travel in a way that paper books never could. They come to me at any hour of the day or night. They calm me in long lines of traffic or grocery shopping. They rescue me from boring doctor’s office magazines and meager dental offerings of Highlights for Children. And in bed at night, they whisper to me in the dark, leading me to dramatic climaxes and happy endings.
My ebooks invite me to taste freely of new adventures, sampling 50 page portions of journeys I might wish to take with them. They let me choose which memories I’ll want in hardback to keep and savor, and which I’ll file away on a cloud full of memories of pleasant but ultimately unfulfilling forays.
Ebooks welcome non-traditional relationships. They’re eager to link with videos, websites, and photos in a way that some might call promiscuous. It’s true they can’t compete with the velvet touch of a leather-bound classic when I want to curl up in a soft chair by the fire, but they do have their own special glow and, I have to tell you, it speaks to me. I’ll never leave my first love.
I can’t be happy unless I’m surrounded by books I can fondle and caress, but readers who close their minds to the possibilities of a new love are missing a life-changing opportunity. My paper books, e-books and I enjoy a beautiful threesome that I recommend to book lovers everywhere. Find a cozy Nook at your iPad to Kindle a new relationship. You’ll be glad you did.
But I’m expanding my definition of a relationship. Don’t judge me; it’s a very personal choice that each of us must make. I’m going public today with the news: I’ve found happiness in a threesome. It’s a highly satisfying, infinitely entertaining, rewarding and stimulating arrangement that enriches my life immensely. That’s right. From now on, it’ll be e-books, tree books, and me.
Some of you will say I’m unfaithful. I’ll be accused of cheating on the very tomes that introduced me to my lifetime love of literature. But I have passion enough to go around. My eyes have been opened to a new world, and I’m embracing a new chapter in my life.
My first love moved me in ways I can’t describe, but please understand that e-books take me places I’ve never been before. They fly with me to faraway cities, they lie with me beside sparkling pools; they love to travel in a way that paper books never could. They come to me at any hour of the day or night. They calm me in long lines of traffic or grocery shopping. They rescue me from boring doctor’s office magazines and meager dental offerings of Highlights for Children. And in bed at night, they whisper to me in the dark, leading me to dramatic climaxes and happy endings.
My ebooks invite me to taste freely of new adventures, sampling 50 page portions of journeys I might wish to take with them. They let me choose which memories I’ll want in hardback to keep and savor, and which I’ll file away on a cloud full of memories of pleasant but ultimately unfulfilling forays.
Ebooks welcome non-traditional relationships. They’re eager to link with videos, websites, and photos in a way that some might call promiscuous. It’s true they can’t compete with the velvet touch of a leather-bound classic when I want to curl up in a soft chair by the fire, but they do have their own special glow and, I have to tell you, it speaks to me. I’ll never leave my first love.
I can’t be happy unless I’m surrounded by books I can fondle and caress, but readers who close their minds to the possibilities of a new love are missing a life-changing opportunity. My paper books, e-books and I enjoy a beautiful threesome that I recommend to book lovers everywhere. Find a cozy Nook at your iPad to Kindle a new relationship. You’ll be glad you did.
November 6, 2010
Changes in the Publishing Industry
Hang on, everybody! We’re in for a wild ride. The publishing industry is changing so rapidly, the information you find online today may be obsolete tomorrow. It’s exhilarating, terrifying, mind-boggling, intimidating, confusing, and very, very exciting!
The good news is:
-Most experts think books will continue to thrive in both print and digital formats. More options for readers and greater accessibility (ordering from your bed at midnight) is increasing the number of books people read. Sales are strong.
-Print-on-demand will allow mid-list and out-of-print books to continue to sell, and will help eliminate huge print runs of books that don’t sell and must be stored, remaindered, and destroyed – a practice that was terrible for the environment and a royal pain for booksellers and publishers.
-With 50 pages or so available in downloadable free samples, we’ll all waste less money on books we thought we’d love after reading the first few pages in the bookstore, but lost interest in after a chapter or two.
-Niche books that never saw print because of a limited market will be available to those with an specific interest.
-Lower prices will result from savings in shipping and storing costs, and e-books currently offer authors a greater share in the profits.
-New vetting processes will emerge for self-publishers – reputable reviewers offering readers a “clearing house” for navigating the huge numbers of digital uploads they’ll be wading through. Customer reviews online and book bloggers will remain a driving force in word-of-mouth sales of books.
In a city where many start-up companies have been birthed, I’m all in. I’m convinced that the emergence of new technology will benefit the reader in the long run. In the meantime, it’s much more productive to welcome the new baby than to bitch about the birthing pains. And as for e-books, don’t say “never” if you’ve never tried one. You can always download the Kindle or Nook app to your computer or phone. Then if you download a few free sample chapters from Amazon or Nook, you can give it a try without spending a penny.
The good news is:
-Most experts think books will continue to thrive in both print and digital formats. More options for readers and greater accessibility (ordering from your bed at midnight) is increasing the number of books people read. Sales are strong.
-Print-on-demand will allow mid-list and out-of-print books to continue to sell, and will help eliminate huge print runs of books that don’t sell and must be stored, remaindered, and destroyed – a practice that was terrible for the environment and a royal pain for booksellers and publishers.
-With 50 pages or so available in downloadable free samples, we’ll all waste less money on books we thought we’d love after reading the first few pages in the bookstore, but lost interest in after a chapter or two.
-Niche books that never saw print because of a limited market will be available to those with an specific interest.
-Lower prices will result from savings in shipping and storing costs, and e-books currently offer authors a greater share in the profits.
-New vetting processes will emerge for self-publishers – reputable reviewers offering readers a “clearing house” for navigating the huge numbers of digital uploads they’ll be wading through. Customer reviews online and book bloggers will remain a driving force in word-of-mouth sales of books.
In a city where many start-up companies have been birthed, I’m all in. I’m convinced that the emergence of new technology will benefit the reader in the long run. In the meantime, it’s much more productive to welcome the new baby than to bitch about the birthing pains. And as for e-books, don’t say “never” if you’ve never tried one. You can always download the Kindle or Nook app to your computer or phone. Then if you download a few free sample chapters from Amazon or Nook, you can give it a try without spending a penny.
