Paperbacks or eBooks?: It's all in the Eye of the Reader l Dorothy Thompson

As writers and authors, we often wonder what format our readers prefer. Do they like the feel of holding a real book or would they rather read it on their Kindle?

I had a publisher ask me if I wanted to review a book titled, The Worrier's Guide to the End of the World. In this day and times, what a great read, huh? I agreed.

The book was sent a few days later and I was waiting for the perfect time to read it and it just so happened it was today.

I got most of my online work finished and wanted a smoke so I grabbed the book and headed to my deck. My deck has the perfect reading atmosphere. It's screened in so the bugs don't get in (mosquitoes are deadly on the island this time of year) and I get a wonderful view of boats passing by the channel which is right across the street. My preferred seating is the wooden swing my daughter bought me a few Chrismases ago. I bought a thick beach-themed cushion as my weary butt wouldn't hold up too long on the hard wood, so I was set.

I leaned back and started reading.

Let me back up a bit. I love paperbacks. I have this strange vision of being old and grey and laying up in a bed somewhere with all the reading material I need. I sometimes even wait to read most of my books because I feel as if once I read them, all they'll do is take up space. So looking at my book collection, it's like a store-full of books waiting to be read.

Might I add that I also love reading books on my Kindle as well. When the Kindle first came out, everyone was skeptical thinking no one would get used to reading non-paperback books. Where's the papery smell? What use do we have for our bookmarks we've collected over the years? What if the Kindle loses power in the middle of a good read? And if we're authors, we're thinking no one will buy ebooks as opposed to paperbacks.

Along with the debut of the Kindle came FREE EBOOKS. My goodness, we were barraged with everyone giving away free ebooks for one reason or another. So we started to load our Kindles up. Before you knew it, we had more ebooks in our Kindle than we had paperbacks sitting on our shelves if you can believe that and we'll never be able to read them all in our lifetime.

So back to my story. I'm settled into the swinging bench, book in hand. I'm really enjoying it. It had been a long time since I sat back with a paperback. And then - I felt like I couldn't hold it right. The wind was whipping the pages over and I found it a struggle. I couldn't believe how different it was to read a paperback after getting spoiled with my Kindle. I won't give up though. This is a really good book and I'll need more smokes before the end of the day so maybe it's like riding a bicycle - you never forget.

So if you ever wonder if anyone is going to read your ebook, you have no worries. It took grabbing a paperback after about a year of reading one and realizing what a godsend ebooks are. And don't get me wrong. My bookcase looks real nice, too. But I'm thinking...when I'm old and grey and laying up in a bed somewhere, what's going to be easier - paperbacks or my Kindle?

Dorothy Thompson is the compiler/editor/co-author of Romancing the Soul: True Stories of Soul Mates From Around the World and Beyond, as well as other relationship ebooks such as How to Find and Keep Your Soul Mate and 101 Facts You Never Knew About Soul Mates.  Her relationship columns have appeared in eNotAlone, SistersDiva Magazine, MindBodySpirit Magazine, Singles Cafe, SinglesStop, Innerself, Single Again, Free Spirit Centre, Holistic Harmony, SpiritualMinds, Self-Growth, Into the Mystic, Romance Stuck and many other relationship ezines as well as The Eastern Shore News and The Daily Times, both Gannet Publications.  She has been featured in the supermarket tabloid, OK! Magazine as well as appearing as a special guest on many radio programs including Lifetime Radio, Single Talk, Cuzzin Eddie Show and A Book and a Chat.
Her many upcoming projects include other relationship books which include Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Soul Mates And Were Not Afraid to Ask,The Soul Mate Triangle: Unlocking the Mysteries of the Soul Mate Relationship and several other relationship books in various stages of production.

Her next upcoming book, Where Do Angels Go When They Dream?, is a children's book which will be published by Guardian Angel Publishing.
Visit her author Facebook page at www.facebook.com/DorothyThompsonBooks and her relationship advice Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/soulmaterelationshipsblog/.
Dorothy is also founder of Pump Up Your Book, an award-winning public relations agency specializing in online book publicity and social media.  You can visit her website at www.PumpUpYourBook.com or follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pumpupyourbook and Facebook at www.facebook.com/PumpUpYourBook.
Dorothy lives on the beautiful island of Chincoteague, Virginia.