Overall, I’m feeling pretty smug that I’m adapting to the changing publishing environment.
I have a Kindle. I’m not at all opposed to putting backlist items out as ebooks (I’ve even got a book in mind for it). I edit my manuscript on my Kindle when I’m on the go. I feel fairly progressive.
But when the Charlotte Observer called me up last week and offered to give me a special price to make the move to an electronic edition of the newspaper, I was practically speechless.
“It’s an exact reproduction,” the sales representative said soothingly. “Even the ads. It’s a PDF.’”
“Uhhhh…” I said.
“When you go out of town, you can still read the Charlotte Observer. You can read it anywhere in the world!”
“Ummm….” I said.
“It’s interactive, too. And you can search the archive, make the font size bigger, and you can access it 24/7! And it’s a lot less expensive than the print edition.”
It all made a lot of sense…I just couldn’t do it. But first of all, I asked if I had to do it—was the print edition going under in the immediate future? Because I’d rather read an e-edition of the newspaper than lose my local paper altogether.
It wasn’t to the point of the print edition disappearing, thankfully. There’s still something very nice about unfolding a newspaper and sipping my coffee while catching up on the news.
But I’m 40—and the representative, laughing a little, said that was the gray area. She said that everyone over 40 was very indignant at the thought of losing the physical, newsprint paper….that everyone under 40 was excited to get the same paper, as an e-edition, for a much lower price than the printed edition.
This is interesting to me, because I think a lot of Kindle users are middle aged and up. But maybe there’s a difference between getting a book on a reader and receiving a newspaper that way. I know there’s a difference for me. And I’m not sure I want to interact with my newspaper, anyway.
Are there some areas where you’re just not wanting to make the switch yet? Or are you fully onboard with the ebook revolution?
I’m onboard enough that I’d prefer an e-newspaper. It’s all the paper scattered around that gets to me. They stack up when I’m busy, and I see whole forests put out for recycling. I think I’d sign up for the electronic version of the Greenville Journal.
Elizabeth – I think there are some experiences, like reading a paper newspaper, that are as much about the overall experience as they are about getting the news. If that overall experience (opening that crinkly paper, sipping that coffee, etc..) are important, then it’s hard to let go of a paper newspaper.
For some people, that experience isn’t as important. I actually have no problem reading news online. And I don’t have a problem enjoying E-books, either. But not to go to the library or used bookshop? Where there are thousands of print books? Oh, that would cut deeply…
The publishing world is definitely changing. The experiences we had with reading, in the past, may indeed go out of syle and with new generations be phased out. My thought is that most of the time we have no choice. The world progresses–moves on and it’s mostly healthier to ride with it.
When we moved to the mountains, we abandoned print newspapers (since they don’t deliver to the door). We have NOOKcolors, and Hubster has been making the rounds of papers with their free 2 week subscriptions. He bought his NOOKcolor because of the magazine and scientific journal features. And now he’s reading “regular” books all the time.
Terry
Terry’s Place
Romance with a Twist–of Mystery
Ah, I am defnitely over 40, but I made the switch to electronic on everything I could a long long time ago.
(Although my thoughts on reading this was “a pdf? Are they kidding? How two-years-ago can they get?)
My problem is how to support the papers I only browse a little and can’t afford to subscribe to. The web advertising revenue they get may help, but I don’t know if it will be enough. (Although our local paper seems to be thriving.)
I’m 69 and I very much prefer reading on electronic readers and the Internet. We still take the local paper and the KC Star because my wife is one of those newspaper and coffee in the morning types, but if I were alone (heaven forbid!), I doubt a newspaper on printed paper would pass my door.
We are all different, aren’t we?
I’m on board with e-books but I wouldn’t want to read my newspaper electronically. And I’m with you on the age group, I follow threads and the age group is definitely over the 40 mark.
I have a Sony Reader which is the equivalent of the Kindle. I’m not sure I knew that you could get the newpaper there – do you have to download it everyday? That’d be a bummer. But like you, I prefer the hard copy version. I like the smell, the crinkle, the coffee, the folding back of pages. I like hard copy books for the same reason. However, the Sony Reader is good for traveling (always have to have about 5 books) and when I just want something different on the spur of the moment!!
I bought a Kindle but mostly used it for researching the ebook market. I read one book on it and just didn’t enjoy the experience. I love the sensual pleasure of reading a print book in bed at the end of a long day.
I’m still reading paper printed books and newspapers, but read tons of blogs and online articles. I’m 43 and still clinging to what feels familiar.
I don’t want to make the switch at all! I’m a paper and ink kind of gal when it comes to books and newspapers. Something about having to charge up my device to make sure I can read my material just isn’t appealing. But I know mine is a dying attitude. *sigh*
I gave up reading the newspaper years ago, although I do go through USA Today when I’m at hotels. I’m not on any eReader yet, but I’m close to it. I’m beginning to covet my husband’s iPad.
Ellis–You make so much *sense*! Sigh. But I do use my newspapers for composting in my yard (under pine needles. Makes a good weed barrier…)
Margot–I would be absolutely sick if there were no libraries! I really would.
H. L. Banks–Exactly! In fact, I think e-readers are even MORE popular with older readers than younger ones…my theory on why I recently saw a Kindle commercial with a bunch of 20 year olds in it (at the beach, as I recall). I think they’re trying to make it look cool for them.
Teresa–So true. I really don’t want to go down fighting on this one…as soon as I see the writing on the wall with our newspaper, I’ll make the switch.
Karen–I do really love my Kindle, but I just don’t see me reading periodicals on it! I seem to have a mental block.
Terry–Now one thing that COULD make me switch, is FREE. :) I can be a little on the cheap side. A discount wasn’t worth it to me, but free? Oh yeah…I’d jump on board. Give me a free 3 month subscription and then a discount? I’d probably switch over.
The Daring Novelist–Well, and that’s what I thought about the PDF thing, too! Because, on a Kindle, you can increase the size of a PDF…just regular text. Because a PDF is basically like a picture. So I was picturing me, squinting at my Kindle, and feeling unhappy. Nope–not ready to make that shift.
I have a feeling our paper isn’t doing too well. They’ve laid off a ton of staff and the size of the paper has been shrinking. It all makes me very sad.
Mary–I’m definitely making the change because I worry I’ll be a dinosaur if I don’t!
Joe–And that fits more with my personal experience–my book club has wide age range of folks and most of them have Kindles. My parents’ friends all seem to have e-readers, too. Must be a particular Southern demographic that is stubborn and doesn’t want to make the change (like me!)
Heather–I know. I have this terrible feeling that our newspaper won’t be around in a few years. Must have something to do with them calling me and asking me to switch!
Lady Gwen–I like having the newspaper scattered all over the house, too…just the whole experience. Bleh. They acted like it would just show up on my Kindle in my “new” area whenever I turn my wireless on. I don’t know. It just still doesn’t seem right…
Helen–I’m loving it for books. But I still like to have my glossy magazines (can’t imagine my National Geographic on an e-reader!) and my newspaper.
Our local paper (in our rinky-dinky town) is awful, so we’d often pick up a USA today. Haven’t done that in years though, because we read it all online. And for free.
Since I got my first iPad, I read almost everything in electronic form. Except magazines. They still want the same amount of money or more. Not worth it.
newspapers and magazines top my list. But some of my favorite authors too. I can’t imagine not seeing the book spines with their names on it everday on my book shelf.
Besides, what would I put on that blank wall instead of book cases?
I do own a kindle, and I’m over 40, and yes, I prefer a paper novel.
…….dhole
I read the local newspaper when I eat breakfast. It’s a good paper, and very old (founded 1767), but still they have fresh news every morning >:)
Except from that I mostly read newspapers on the Internet.
Cold As Heaven
Diane–I only seem to read those when we’re in hotels! I’d miss the Observer. And our Matthews paper is pretty good, too…it’s more community-based.
Alex–I think they need to figure out that it makes better sense to offer a discount for an online subscription! Saves them money, too (shipping, paper, etc.)
Donna–The bad thing is that I ran out of room for books…which is one of the reasons I got an e-reader! I’d had to start a new rule that if a book came *into* my house, one needed to be given away. The nice thing about the Kindle is that I get to keep buying books–and don’t have to purge my bookshelves. But…yeah, it’s still not the same.
Cold As Heaven–That’s an old paper!
I think I need to face reality—we’re probably not going to have a print edition in a few years.
I like to read right through the printed newspapers at the weekend, in the conservatory, with a cup of coffee and cats going in and out, but during the week I don’t have time to do that so prefer to browse through several online papers, only looking at things that catch my eye. Best of both worlds! (ps I am well over 40)
I am still deliberating over Kindle. I love the feel of a paperback, and cannot imagine life without one.
I do read newspapers from my old home in UK. I read them online! Maybe I am younger than I thought. LOL.
My local paper went out of business when the economy crashed. Just recently a new paper has sprung up, entirely online. No physical paper. I read it more than the physical paper (WSJ) I have delivered to the house and it has all kinds of online blogs/content/comments that I find much more useful. So, I’m over 40, but apparently, I don’t act my age! :)
I can’t say I’m fully on board. I have a Kindle but with super shipper savings on Amazon print can still be cheaper. And some books I know I’ll want in print. But I don’t mind reading an ereader.