Ebooks are convenient but, at the same time, restrictive.
The ebook will never replace a real printed book.
So many people have said this over the years since the introduction of the ebook by Sony and then, shortly after, by Amazon.
There has never been a topic as controversial and divisive in the book publishing industry as the electronic book.
The ebook
But the only fact is that ebooks are here to stay.
Amazon has been the biggest driver behind the success of digital books with its Kindle device and Kindle store.
But sadly, for the ebook market, Amazon’s competitors have not been able to break the back of Amazon’s almost monopoly market share.
In fact, the word Kindle has almost become a synonym for ebook.
It is part of the reason for Amazon’s market domination.
It reminds me of how the word Hoover came to replace vacuum cleaner in the English language in many parts of the world.
Aside from the (short) history of ebooks and the word Kindle, ebooks have seized a sizeable chunk of the book market.
While it has varied in percentage over recent years, according to Statista, ebooks represent around 25% of total book sales worldwide.
That’s a large enough chunk of the market of people who read books to say ebooks are here to stay.
But are ebooks for everyone?
The Pros – What’s so very good about ebooks?
Portability and convenience
The most significant advantage of ebooks over real books is that they weigh absolutely nothing.
Electronic devices you use to store and read ebooks, such as a Kindle Paperwhite, iPad, or smartphone, can easily store thousands of ebooks.
When it comes to having a book to read when you are on holiday, on a train, at a bus stop, or passing the time in a doctor’s waiting room, you have your complete ebook library in the palm of your hand.
That is one huge advantage that ebooks have over traditional books.
Any device will do
With Kindle especially, it has apps for almost any device with a screen, and the ability to sync between them is a huge winner.
Start reading on your Kindle in bed, then the following day, pick up exactly where you left off on your iPhone while you are on the train.
Then at lunchtime, continue reading on your iPad.
Add the fact that you can get a free ebook every month with Amazon Prime, and it makes paper books seem less attractive.
My eyes love ebooks
Reading ebooks is so much easier for me.
I can increase the font size, change fonts, or read dark brown text on a sepia background.
I don’t know how often I have had to abandon reading a paperback because the font size was too small for my eyes.
With a paperback or hardcover book, reducing the font size in books saves a lot on production costs.
That might be fine for young eyes, but for me, it makes reading some books more difficult compared to a screen.
If I hunted around, I might be lucky enough to find a large print edition.
But why would I pay a fortune for a large print copy when I can probably get the ebook version for only a few dollars?
Did I mention cheap?
Ebooks are almost always much cheaper than the printed version.
If that is too expensive, there are thousands upon thousands of free ebooks on Amazon alone.
For school students, in particular, it is a free way to read.
And now, with the advent of ebook subscription services like Kindle Unlimited, ebook reading costs pennies per day.
It is especially economical for people who read a bundle of ebooks per month.
The Cons – Okay, so why are ebooks bad?
An ebook is not a book at all
When you have read a physical book, you can lend it to a friend, give it to your local hospital or sell it to a secondhand bookstore.
With an ebook, there is rarely such a possibility.
Some ebook retailers offer lending, but it is often extremely limited.
Unless the ebook is DRM-free (Digital Rights Management), there is no easy way to pass an ebook to your friends or print out pages easily.
Big Brother might be watching you
An ebook is an electronic file similar to an email, a web page, or an online message.
So it is open to being monitored.
By who? Who really knows?
But authors and publishers get paid now by a per-page read calculation on Kindle.
Therefore, if Amazon can count the pages you have read, it is proof enough that your reading can be and is being monitored.
You are only renting
You never buy an ebook. What you pay for is the limited rights to digital content.
You access it and read it under the terms and conditions of the retailer. Of course, you never read it.
Suppose you did take the time to read these draconian pages of fine print.
In that case, you might be surprised to discover that the service provider or retailer reserves the right to deny access to any ebook you purchased.
Some can even wipe your e-reading device.
Another negative aspect of ebooks is the case of an ebook retailer closing down.
DRM protection can mean the loss of all your ebooks when a store closes.
The most recent example of this situation was the closure of the Microsoft ebook store.
Although Microsoft offered refunds, it still meant that all customers lost all of their purchased ebooks.
Conclusion
Ebooks are convenient, cheap, and easy on the eyes.
But there are definite drawbacks concerning ownership and privacy.
If you plan on writing your memoir so your grandchildren can read it, make sure you publish it in paperback.
Then stash twenty copies in the attic because your ebook version might be long gone before you are.
Related reading: How Can You Buy An Ebook And Make Sure You Can Keep It?
Further to your comment about the comparative cheapness of Kindle books I have found that the majority of paid ones are dearer than their paperback version especially if you are happy with used books, perhaps though the reduction in tax may alter the situation