The Decline of Real Books

[DanieMarie]

Re: The Decline of Real Books

I read both real books and eBooks. I usually choose real books, because I like them so much. They take up a lot of space, but I don't usually keep them. I keep the classics, books with useful info, and the ones I really loved and think I might read again. I also keep any interesting editions (beautiful hardcovers, books with great artwork, signed copies, etc). Most of the books I read don't fall under any of those criteria, though, so they go. I pass them onto friends, leave them in cafes with bookshelves, resell them, or take them to the charity bookshop down the road. Problem solved.

I don't have a lot of money, but I still find ways to get lots of real books for very little money. Because I love reading so much and I don't need any other material things in my life, I always ask for books for birthdays and Christmas. I got like, 7 or 8 books last Christmas. Friends also tend to pass on books when they're done. Because I give them my copies when I'm finished with them, they often give me theirs. I find books all the time on the street. In Berlin, a lot of people leave books they don't want anymore in a box on the street. Then, there's the charity book shop down the road, which lets you pay by donation (if you don't have a lot of money, they're happy with a Euro or two per book). Those options usually leave me with more than enough material.

I like to read classics a lot, but I only buy them if I find an interesting edition that I'd like to keep around. Otherwise, I download free eBooks. Those are public domain! I rarely buy eBooks and I refuse to download them illegally, because as a writer, I feel like it's stealing from other writers.

Anyway, I don't see books declining. I'm friends with a lot of other avid readers, and most of us go through real books like crazy. I guess we don't represent all of the market and sales are dropping, but we still exist and there will always be a niche out there for us. I think it's kind of like vinyl records (another thing I love). There has always been a segment of people who loved it, but now that music is going digital, that segment is growing, because some people just want something they can hold.

[iris]

Re: The Decline of Real Books

We have bookstores everywhere, I live in a very small town and we have two. They just sell a lot of different things, toys and movies too... I buy most of my books online because it's cheaper and I can get the things I want. Last time I had a bookstore order something for me, it took two months. From my favourite online store I usually have my books within a week. I don't mind ereading, it's a great idea. I just don't use it, I'm a bibliophile :P I love books. And my eyes don't take kindly to reading on a screen for very long at a time.

[Ash Branch]

Re: The Decline of Real Books

I know of no evidence that physical books are in decline. Quite the reverse, since the rise of online bookstores has increased sales quite significantly and continues to do so. Sales of e-books are also increasing, so basically we're just reading more, which is exactly what has been happening throughout human history.

[Almost_lost]

Re: The Decline of Real Books

I've never used an e-reader but I have tried to use the kindle app on my phone, laptop and on a tablet, and I cant do it. I don't feel like I get stuck into the story in the same way as with a book infront of me.

i dunno, it just doesn't feel right I guess, I tend to only have time to really read books on holiday (most recent holiday I read 4 decent size books in a week), I like to be able to sit in the pool or throw it in my bag etc, I like that I'm not scared of books because they're relatively cheap and a good book needs to be read and loved.

Also, as others have said, I spend my like at a computer now, the last thing I want to do is spend my downtime reading a book on another screen..

[Tylluan Penry]

and the bloody postage.
Is it any wonder I won't deal with them?

Another offshoot of this practice is that the prices of books are inflated in order to cover the discounts demanded in order to sell them. And when they don't sell they get remaindered. And who suffers in all this? The customer and the author. Because authors are normally paid a percentage of the net

http://thewolfenhowlepress.com

[anunitu]

Re: The Decline of Real Books

Here is the thing,it is not just books,it is a lot of things. Being I am older,I have seen things change a LOT. Music used to be Vinyl,as in records(that seem to be a thing now for some reason)then it was tape(8 track and cassette) then on to digital on a CD. Phones used to be tied to a place,and only for talking to another person,now they are kinda a hand held computer with games and internet,and maps to tell you where you are(GPS),used to be you had to have several things for that(almost forgot music player too) I like physical books,and I am kinda hooked on my desktop(so my computer chair is important to be comfortable) Some things I really got used to went away,like certain brands I always bought,or stores that I always shopped at. The world has changed a LOT,and not always for the better,BUT some things are just so freaking cool,and seems like SYFY has come true that I am kinda glad I am still alive.


you guys gonna see more than books go away as the years go by,so get used to it I guess.

[DanieMarie]

Re: The Decline of Real Books

I prefer real books too... I enjoy the pleasure of moving the paper with my hand. I hope they will be at least stored somewhere so they won't disappear.

They'll be around for at least our lifetime. At the very worst, they'll be like vinyl. I collect LPs, and it's not just fancy expensive collector's records that pop up at yard sales, flea markets and second hand stores. Vinyl was the dominant form of music for a good 60-70 years and LPs were around for about 30-40 of those years. Labels sold a LOT of copies of all kinds of music, and a lot of that is really, really cheap, even now that vinyl is "in". If you look for anything off of the hipster radar (like classical music, 1960s folk revival, Elton John, German schlager pop music, country, blues), you can find interesting records for 1-5 Euros.

Books have been around for a lot longer and cheap paperbacks have a good 100 years or so of history. At one point, book production was so huge that paperback publishers made hardly any money per copy and relied on pure volume alone. There are TONS of books out there and a lot of people feel guilty just throwing them away. They'll be around for a long time, even if books become purely collector's items.

I don't think that real books are going anywhere for a while, though. Although the market is shrinking, there are still quite a few people who just like the real deal.

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Also, in case anyone is curious, I can tell you why most young people who collect vinyl do so.

CDs do not offer much on mp3s on most stereos and even streaming quality is pretty good these days. Plus, CDs are small but somehow take up a ton of space (those plastic cases are thick and break really easily). Because CDs are small, you sort of lose something on the cover art.

Tapes SUCK. As a nostalgia format, I'll pass. You have to rewind them, sometimes the tape unwinds, and like CDs, you lose the cover art. I don't miss them at all.

LPs are BIG. When an album has great cover art, you really notice it. It takes up a lot of space, but personally, I find it way easier to store than a bunch of CDs. I store my LPs on those Ikea Expedit shelves (perfect size for records) and can fit about 70 to a shelf because they are so thin.

People who love music (and by "love music", I mean really love music) love to show off their collections. Vinyl is a great format for that. Plus, they're really tangible and they sound great when they're kept in good condition. LPs work really well as collector's items, because there is a lot of space to stuff things like booklets (proper booklets, not those sad CD booklets), posters, photos, printed liners, etc in there. I think that's why the vinyl market is growing. A lot of indie and rock bands have fans who are pretty into music, and they love to collect that stuff. They won't buy a CD and would prefer to stream over buying mp3s, but they WILL buy an LP with a few goodies included, ad they'll probably pay $15-$25 for it.

A lot of people who really love books are like that too.

[Ash Branch]

Re: The Decline of Real Books

When CDs replaced records, I was the first to complain. I said things like: they have no soul, it all sounds so artificial, too precise, and so on. Within about a week I had realised the obvious. They're better.

[anunitu]

Re: The Decline of Real Books

I guess there is a difference of opinion about MP3(digital)VS vinyl. Having grown up with mainly Vinyl records I really can't discern a difference between the two media. Perhaps my ear is not as well tuned,but they seem the same to me.

As always your mileage may very.

[Ash Branch]

Re: The Decline of Real Books

I guess there is a difference of opinion about MP3(digital)VS vinyl. Having grown up with mainly Vinyl records I really can't discern a difference between the two media. Perhaps my ear is not as well tuned,but they seem the same to me.

As always your mileage may very.

Vinyl degrades so quickly. Every time you play a record, you damage it.

[Hawkfeathers]

Re: The Decline of Real Books

I strongly prefer real books. I have lots of e-books, but I find I forget to finish them. I have a small but treasured collection of bookmarks, which I love seeing between the pages of a book, reminding me to come back. And as regards music, I've always felt very different when listening to vinyl as opposed to CD/etc. Science, as usual, is catching up to me a couple of decades late. http://mic.com/articles/104250/what-...-love-of-music

[Noir]

Re: The Decline of Real Books

There are many, many thriftstores in my area that sell books, CDs and vinyls; old and new. The library is also very large and has the option to order books from other librarys in the county. Unfortunately, my home is packed with books, and I don't really have enough room for all of them so I end up resisting the urge to buy more. It saddens me.

I don't personally like e-books because they're very strenuous on my eyes. I've read a few books via pdf and I just can't get use to it.

[DanieMarie]

Re: The Decline of Real Books

I guess there is a difference of opinion about MP3(digital)VS vinyl. Having grown up with mainly Vinyl records I really can't discern a difference between the two media. Perhaps my ear is not as well tuned,but they seem the same to me.

As always your mileage may very.

You have to have a pretty good stereo to hear a difference, really. For most people, it doesn't really matter. Most people who collect don't just do so for the sound, though. I can't speak for -all- collectors, but for a lot of the ones I know, the art and liners and stuff are a big factor. Another is the "library" effect. A library of CDs is sort of boring. I'll probably never buy another CD again unless it comes free with a music magazine (almost all music magazines in Europe come with free mix CDs). I just prefer records.

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Vinyl degrades so quickly. Every time you play a record, you damage it.

You'd be surprised how long it takes to actually damage a record, though. I have been collecting since just before I turned 16 (so, like 15 years) and all of my earlier records were used from the 1960s and 1970s. I play them a LOT, and they all still sound new. You just have to store them and care for them properly and make sure your turntable stylus isn't worn out. I find it a lot easier to damage a CD. I break a few cases and scratch a few discs pretty much every time I move, but because records are bigger and don't really jostle around in boxes, they stay in good shape. I've even carted a good chunk of my collection from Canada to Germany and they're still good!

[anunitu]

Re: The Decline of Real Books

When tape(cassette) that you could record on came out,a LOT of people began recording their records,to save wear and tear on the vinyl. It also began the whole mix tape thing..and recording off the radio...

[Ash Branch]

Re: The Decline of Real Books

You'd be surprised how long it takes to actually damage a record, though. I have been collecting since just before I turned 16 (so, like 15 years) and all of my earlier records were used from the 1960s and 1970s. I play them a LOT, and they all still sound new. You just have to store them and care for them properly and make sure your turntable stylus isn't worn out. I find it a lot easier to damage a CD. I break a few cases and scratch a few discs pretty much every time I move, but because records are bigger and don't really jostle around in boxes, they stay in good shape. I've even carted a good chunk of my collection from Canada to Germany and they're still good!

Yes, if you look after them. They're also limited to about 40 minutes. CD reissues of old classics usually contain many more extra tracks.

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When tape(cassette) that you could record on came out,a LOT of people began recording their records,to save wear and tear on the vinyl. It also began the whole mix tape thing..and recording off the radio...

Tapes were even worse, when it came to quality.