I read everything on my phone. It’s been a slow progression to this point. A few years ago I only read physical books that I purchased—then I went through a Marie Kondo phase and got rid of them all. From there I bought a Kindle and purchased ebooks until I discovered the Libby app and started reading them for free.
I know this has already been mentioned in the comment thread, but it is super important.
Libraries pay for the digital books they lend. Publishers pay a royalty rate to an author for an ebook or audiobook licensed to a library, just as they do for any retailer. Then, the license expires (usually in 2 years or 26 lends) and the library has to purchase it again, triggering another royalty payment.
I emphasize this because libraries are fighting an ongoing battle against public perception on this front—that library lending is like stealing money from from authors. It is not! Authors get paid for library lending and they get discovered through library lending.
There are some situations where self-published authors may have their titles in libraries with limited or no compensation, but that is their decision. It is not how traditional publishers work.
For the life of me I cannot concentrate on a book for an extensive period of time if the letters aren’t printed on paper! I truly wish I could, my suitcase would be significantly lighter. It’s interesting (and very logical) that you test a book out before purchasing it. I do the opposite. I’ll buy the book, and if I like it enough, and want to carry it everywhere with me, I’ll get the Kindle version too.
Also, I cherish my Easton Press Edgar Allen Poe’s tales. Their books are works of art.
ALSO, thank you SO much for your kind words!!! And for summarizing my short stories in a way I never am able to! You are the bessst, and I’m looking forward to your next article! <3
Great post. I’ve started to cycle through multiple books at a time. One audiobook, one ebook, one hardcopy. This helps me keep the books separate in my mind since they are in different mediums and let’s me access them at different times depending on my mood and what I’m doing. Looking forward to your book!
We do need to support actual bookstores, too, I feel-- as writers. If we don't, who will? I don't order from little-a amazon (ugh) unless the book is available nowhere else, which means the author has made a certain choice. And in Canada, we don't have Bookshop yet--alas. If I buy second-hand, it's because the author is either dead or wealthy (!).
It is, in fact, relatively quick to order a book using the ISBN from my local bricks & mortar store, AND to point out to the employee what you are ordering, and why, and try to get it onto their radar, especially if published with a smaller press. And then to review it/talk it up.
In Canada, we have the PLR--public lending rights--which sends authors a cheque each year based on the number of times their book shows up in randomly selected libraries--which is just such a wonder!
It is significant for writers to support each other. I've come to think of it as "arts tithing" and have written some Medium pieces about it as such. Since dedicating 10% of my income to support arts, I've had the pleasure of finding a number of musicians and writers and others, whose work I so appreciate :)
Given my history of eye health, I'm not sure reading on a phone would be a good option for me. I'd have to talk to my doctor first, but if others want to, have at it.
Actually, libraries do contribute to the author--even through Libby. I sell through Draft2Digital and there's several library options--Hoopla is the one connected to Libby, I believe--and the pricing is usually 2x that of the regular price.
I gave up trying to read on my phone--aging eyes don't do well with it. But I have an iPad that I read on, and like you, I don't do social media on the phone. No notifications allowed on either iPad or phone.
I too am a book phone reader and it greatly increased my reading frequency. Over the last 1.5 years with no commute and no long elevator rides up to my office, I found my reading time went off a cliff.
To your point about library checkouts, libraries have to purchase the ebook/audiobook copies they lend so the author will still receive income on library e-lending. And some libraries subscribe to catalogs where the author gets paid per checkout/borrow.
I have never adjusted to reading on a phone, but I like your idea of removing apps to make it less cluttered and easier to use as a reader. Because I'm a slow reader, I'll keep a book around me for a long time, and I like how it becomes almost an extension of the body - the cover getting more pliable with use, pages dog-eared, that one coffee stain you swore you wouldn't cause this time appearing midway through. That said, of course I'm serializing my novel here. Looking forward to your launch in September.
Thank you so much!! I am so pleased that you're enjoying Anamnesis. Once you've devoured Gaiman's prose fiction, I highly recommend his nonfiction collection The View from the Cheap Seats, his retelling of Norse Mythology, and all of his graphic novels (with The Sandman being the absolute best). I am... a bit of a Gaiman stan, if I'm being honest.
I still love the feeling of reading a physical book, but I definitely vibe with your change to reading on your phone. I have hundreds of books still stored in my parents' attic, which I left there when I moved to Europe 6 years ago, and that's when I transitioned to mostly ebooks and audiobooks.
I know this has already been mentioned in the comment thread, but it is super important.
Libraries pay for the digital books they lend. Publishers pay a royalty rate to an author for an ebook or audiobook licensed to a library, just as they do for any retailer. Then, the license expires (usually in 2 years or 26 lends) and the library has to purchase it again, triggering another royalty payment.
I emphasize this because libraries are fighting an ongoing battle against public perception on this front—that library lending is like stealing money from from authors. It is not! Authors get paid for library lending and they get discovered through library lending.
There are some situations where self-published authors may have their titles in libraries with limited or no compensation, but that is their decision. It is not how traditional publishers work.
For the life of me I cannot concentrate on a book for an extensive period of time if the letters aren’t printed on paper! I truly wish I could, my suitcase would be significantly lighter. It’s interesting (and very logical) that you test a book out before purchasing it. I do the opposite. I’ll buy the book, and if I like it enough, and want to carry it everywhere with me, I’ll get the Kindle version too.
Also, I cherish my Easton Press Edgar Allen Poe’s tales. Their books are works of art.
ALSO, thank you SO much for your kind words!!! And for summarizing my short stories in a way I never am able to! You are the bessst, and I’m looking forward to your next article! <3
Great post. I’ve started to cycle through multiple books at a time. One audiobook, one ebook, one hardcopy. This helps me keep the books separate in my mind since they are in different mediums and let’s me access them at different times depending on my mood and what I’m doing. Looking forward to your book!
Interesting pop quiz, about supporting writers.
We do need to support actual bookstores, too, I feel-- as writers. If we don't, who will? I don't order from little-a amazon (ugh) unless the book is available nowhere else, which means the author has made a certain choice. And in Canada, we don't have Bookshop yet--alas. If I buy second-hand, it's because the author is either dead or wealthy (!).
It is, in fact, relatively quick to order a book using the ISBN from my local bricks & mortar store, AND to point out to the employee what you are ordering, and why, and try to get it onto their radar, especially if published with a smaller press. And then to review it/talk it up.
In Canada, we have the PLR--public lending rights--which sends authors a cheque each year based on the number of times their book shows up in randomly selected libraries--which is just such a wonder!
It is significant for writers to support each other. I've come to think of it as "arts tithing" and have written some Medium pieces about it as such. Since dedicating 10% of my income to support arts, I've had the pleasure of finding a number of musicians and writers and others, whose work I so appreciate :)
So good to read about reading!
Given my history of eye health, I'm not sure reading on a phone would be a good option for me. I'd have to talk to my doctor first, but if others want to, have at it.
Actually, libraries do contribute to the author--even through Libby. I sell through Draft2Digital and there's several library options--Hoopla is the one connected to Libby, I believe--and the pricing is usually 2x that of the regular price.
I gave up trying to read on my phone--aging eyes don't do well with it. But I have an iPad that I read on, and like you, I don't do social media on the phone. No notifications allowed on either iPad or phone.
I too am a book phone reader and it greatly increased my reading frequency. Over the last 1.5 years with no commute and no long elevator rides up to my office, I found my reading time went off a cliff.
To your point about library checkouts, libraries have to purchase the ebook/audiobook copies they lend so the author will still receive income on library e-lending. And some libraries subscribe to catalogs where the author gets paid per checkout/borrow.
I have never adjusted to reading on a phone, but I like your idea of removing apps to make it less cluttered and easier to use as a reader. Because I'm a slow reader, I'll keep a book around me for a long time, and I like how it becomes almost an extension of the body - the cover getting more pliable with use, pages dog-eared, that one coffee stain you swore you wouldn't cause this time appearing midway through. That said, of course I'm serializing my novel here. Looking forward to your launch in September.
Thank you so much!! I am so pleased that you're enjoying Anamnesis. Once you've devoured Gaiman's prose fiction, I highly recommend his nonfiction collection The View from the Cheap Seats, his retelling of Norse Mythology, and all of his graphic novels (with The Sandman being the absolute best). I am... a bit of a Gaiman stan, if I'm being honest.
I still love the feeling of reading a physical book, but I definitely vibe with your change to reading on your phone. I have hundreds of books still stored in my parents' attic, which I left there when I moved to Europe 6 years ago, and that's when I transitioned to mostly ebooks and audiobooks.
An interesting perspective. Glad I discovered you a few weeks ago. Looking forward to your story coming out.