Blogger: Wendy Lawton
Location: Books & Such Central Valley, California Office
Yesterday, while waiting for the doctor, I had my Kindle out, reading a manuscript. The doctor had to stop and play with it before we could get down to business. His wife is now getting one for her birthday next week.
I’ll admit it: I am an early adopter of Amazon’s Kindle. In fact, when Kindle 2 came out I convinced my husband he wanted my original Kindle so I could get the newest one.
I love my Kindle.
Caveat #1: I’m taking off my agent’s hat for this particular blog post. I understand there are still rights questions floating around about about Kindle’s text-to-speech feature and there are some very real industry concerns about Amazon’s price structure but for now I’m putting on my happy shoes to share my enthusiasm as a delighted consumer.
So until Apple unveils an e-reader (which will, of course, be perfect– artistic in design, feature-rich, connected with iTunes and 100% intuitive) I am sticking with Kindle. Let me tell you why.
The package: Kindle 2 is beautiful. Its leather cover feels like a fine book. The felted interior is comfortable to hold as you turn the cover back to read. The only logo is a small, tasteful brushed metal oval in the lower right hand corner. The reader itself is slim and light. The few things which didn’t work on the first Kindle, like the page buttons which were too easily clicked while holding the reader, have been addressed successfully in Kindle 2.
The delivery system: This is where Kindle has the edge. Amazon not only provides the Kindle but they offer a seamless way to connect to their online store to browse and buy. No you don’t need an Internet connection– it’s built into the Kindle and offered free. With one click I can have a new book downloaded to my Kindle in under a minute. Plus, I’m buying books that are only out in hardcover for $9.99 instead of $24.95. It doesn’t take long to pay off a Kindle in savings if you read as much as I do. Caveat #2: I know this pricing can’t last and it’s not fair for the authors and publishers because it will most certainly cut into hardcover sales. Some publishers are already talking about treating the e-book release like trade paper or mass market books– holding off until the hardcover sales are over.
The convenience: Being able to buy a book the moment someone recommends it means that I never risk forgetting to pick it up or not remembering the title. I was at a gathering at author Lauraine Snelling’s house. Several of us had Kindles. As soon as someone would recommend a book, we’d all go online and buy it right then and there. Other e-readers require a computer and an internet connection to load books. But when you’re sitting in an airport finishing a book, those things are just not available to you.
Documents: I can send my documents to Amazon and for fifteen cents per document they get sent to my Kindle. Don’t want to pay the $.15? Download from your computer direct to Kindle. For me, reading manuscripts on my Kindle has been the biggest surprise. When I’ve just read two or three critically acclaimed books and I open a manuscript I’ve requested, I find I read it with a more discerning eye. When reading manuscripts in the very same format as I read books I can get a better feel for the potential. I’ve been delighted to find that some manuscripts from clients were better than a book I had just been raving about.
And now for the negatives:
- It may just be me, but I do not like reading nonfiction (except memoir) on the Kindle. I’ve tried four books and I gave up and bought the ink and paper version. The geography of a nonfiction book is too much a part of the experience for me. It’s too hard in Kindle to find things again unless you’ve bookmarked them. and I haven’t yet taken time to get comfortable with the note function. So my kindle is for fiction. When I pick it up, I know I’m going to be transported.
- There’s no pass-along-ability with Kindle. When I finish a fabulous read I can’t pass it along to a friend. Four times now I’ve gone out and bought the book (twice in hardcover) to give to a friend. Caveat #3: This is a writer’s, publisher’s and agent’s dream. Books can no longer be shared unless you are willing to pass along your Kindle with the book. I’ve ended up buying more than one version of a book because of Kindle. In the case of one book, The Help, I’m also going to buy the audio version– so that’s three versions of one book for one reader.
I’ve heard so many readers say, “I could never use an e-reader. I love the smell of a book. . .the feel of it in my hand.” I used to say the same thing but with each novel I read on my Kindle, I’m more connected to the look, the feel the smell of it. Whether it’s a book or an e-reader, it’s not the device, it’s the magic of story. The device becomes infused with the stories, settings and characters and we fall in love.
Caveat #4: I am not affiliated with Kindle and make no commission on any sale of said device. Bummer that.
So let’s hear it. What did I miss? Are you an e-book reader or a paper-and-ink enthusiast?
Nothing will ever beat scrolls.
How very cool that you can read manuscripts on your Kindle. I’d never heard of that feature before. Are you allowe to operate it while flying?
Hmmm…maybe my Christmas wish list. Or a birthday coming up.
Teri, flight attendants ask that all electronic devices be turned off during take off and landing but other than that Kindle can be used on board without internet connectivity. I always keep the internet connection turned off anyway because it uses battery life.
Speaking of battery life– it lasts forever. Probably a couple of books without recharging if the Whispernet (internet connection) is off. It recharges quickly– just a couple of hours.
“Whether it’s a book or an e-reader, it’s not the device, it’s the magic of story. The device becomes infused with the stories, settings and characters and we fall in love.” I feel exactly the same about it. I lovemy Kindle. Actually, I’m buying about a book a week since I bought my Kindle. Before I couldn’t justify spending $25 on a hardback that I might not want to reread, but I can and do spend $10. I can also say that if I have to start paying $25 for a book on Kindle, I’ll stop buying books and go back to the library or wait for the $10 version.
I too have bought the ebook version of a title, loved it, then bought hardcovers of the same title for my library and to lend to some who cannot afford to purchase new books.
I find my friends without Kindles get irritated when I rave about a book that I can’t lend out. I also find that if I’m raving about a book, they go out and buy it anyway.
One last thing — I too love The Help. I bought it first on my Kindle, and have since bought three hardcover copies (one for my library, one for lending, and one as a gift). I plan to buy the audio version as well. I would not have even purchased a single copy if I did not have my Kindle.
I’m currently reading it for the third time this summer. I can’t remember the last time a book thrilled me so much. The characters are so vivid, the topic is dear to my heart, and it’s written so beautifully.
Stocketts use of first person present tense is flawless. As a matter of fact, it was so invisible that I didn’t realize it was written in that tense until my third reading of the book.
I downloaded the Kindle app to my iPhone. I have two books on it now. One memoir and Jennifer Weiner’s latest (paid $14.99 though). I’m reading the memoir whenever I have extra time to wait. It’s easy to jump in and out of. Haven’t started the other book and I’m not sure when I will since I’m not in the habit of daily use.
For now this is a good way to get used to the technology, but like you I’m waiting for Apple to enter the market. I think the e-readers can co-exist with hard copy books for many years to come. It remains to be seen how earning for writers are affected. But as long as people are purchasing your work legally, that’s a good thing.
I’ve been yearning for a Kindle for a long time now. But when it came time to buy one, I was a little leary of spending that much dough! So I asked a techie friend what he recommended (he writes for MacWorld, so he has cred). He suggested an iPod Touch. I had no idea this was true, but the iPod Touch can do everything the iPhone can do, except be a phone (and you don’t have to sign up for the $30/month data plan!) You can download and use all of the iPhone apps, including the Kindle app (free). So I found a local college student selling her brand new iPod Touch, still in the package, for $100. I downloaded the Kindle app (along with the B&N app and the Stanza, too) and so far I’ve read two novels on it. Love it!!! The Stanza app has a library of free books, so I’ve been reading Jane Austen and GK Chesterton. I haven’t tried the B&N app yet. And the Kindle app rocks–I can download a whole book in just a few seconds, and there is free wireless in so many public venues now that I can (almost) download a new book anytime I want. The nice thing about the iPod Touch, over the Kindle, is the versatility. I can check e-mail, weather, play games, Facebook, and more.
Sorry, Wendy, this librarian must have her “flesh and blood” books.:-)
Beth,
I am with you. I figure I’ve read three+ times as many books on Kindle as I read before.
And, about THE HELP, I agree. The reason I must get the audio is that Robin Lee Hatcher said the reader captured Aibileen’s voice perfectly. With Aibileen, Stockett has created one of the most unique voices to appear in literature for a long time.
Wendy
Susan and Dawn,
Interesting. The iPhone app came out after I was already sold on Kindle but I keep saying I can’t image reading a book on the tiny iPod or iPhone screen. It doesn’t bother you?
Isn’t it funny how much more you read when the book is at your fingertips? I had no idea how many available minutes I was missing.
Wendy
I used to be one of the “feel/smell of the book” people, but I can now see myself with an ereader. The issue for me, someone who rarely buys a hardcover, remains the price. Most tradesize books don’t cost much more and mass market costs even less than a Kindle book. So I’m not yet convinced the savings is there for me until the price issue shakes out and the cost of the device comes down some more. Also, I’m not sure the device wars have been fought to completion yet either. Hence, Sony’s new ereader and the new B&N version.
I think for those of us that are not early adopters, there’s still quite a bit of evolution before we’ll buy en masse.
Great post. I’ve been fighting the e-reader thing. But last weekend, while lounging by the pool on my little anniversary getaway, I saw four ladies walk in from the spa, settle down into their loungers…and THREE of them pulled out kindles and started reading.
There I sat, fighting against the wind’s desire to turn the pages of my book before I was done reading them….
Then this post….
Okay, I can take a hint **smile** I think I will start saving my pennies and invest. It seems so much easier than toting around two or three books (that’s what I’d read on a weekend getaway like that)….
Thanks for this post and those who commented. 🙂
Can I ask you to put your agent hat back on for a second?
What about several weeks ago when Amazon deleted books from customers’ Kindles because the publisher “changed their mind” about offering an e-version? Isn’t it troublesome that they can do that? What was the industry reaction?
The Kindle can be good for writers as well. I listened to a version of my novel on my Kindle 2 while weeding one day. The voice sounds like a GPS reader–flat and without any intuitive reading knowledge–but it gave me a different feel for my novel.
I then read it on the Kindle and made adjustments to the manuscript on my laptop as I went along. As an unpublished writer, it was thrilling to have my words at least look “real.” 🙂
That was when I could wrestle it away from my husband–who downloaded all 250 works of Sir Walter Scott for $4.96. He’s completely sold on the tool–and is always reading . . . 🙂
I’ve only tried one non-fiction, a memoir, and was frustrated by not having any photos (I ended up hunting the author’s web page looking for pertinent shots), and the awkwardness of going back and forth in the book as Wendy indicated.
Still, an excellent resource. Maybe I could just swap Kindles with you, Wendy, and we could read each other’s purchases? 🙂
Good question, Valerie. When Amazon realized there were some books they had been selling without having the actual rights, they ‘called back” those books from buyer’s Kindles and refunded the purchase price.
Of course because one of the books was the iconic 1984 it made a great media story. but I think it threw a lot of Kindle users. We knew that Amazon selleth, but we had no idea Amazon can also taketh. Who knew it was a two way channel?
For me, as an agent however, I was impressed that Amazon honored intellectual property rights in this way. Too many are playing fast and loose with infringement and downright intellectual property theft. It sets a whole new standard. (I mean, couldn’t Amazon have successfully argued that they couldn’t do anything about the books already sold?)
Amazon has set the bar high for other media providers caught with intellectual property rights infringements.
I am dying to get my hands on a Kindle. I think the ease of buying books would actually make me purchase MORE books – much like itunes has made me purchase more music.
I am trying to be an informed consumer, and you are DEFINITELY helping.
My husband has vision issues (he only has a total of a 30 degree range of vision because of a brain tumor), and reading, one of his loves, has been greatly decreased since he was diagnosed. With the reading to him, plus the ability to increase the type–not to mention the volume of books he could have, it seems like a “no-brainer” Christmas present–though costwise it does make me almost pass out (we’re definitely on a limited income).
Is the resolution REALLY so clear that it’s like having the book in your hand? I have eye strain concerns for him. Would hate to spend the money and find he has the same issues with this as he does with his computer and/or regular print books.
Joanne, not only is it easy on the eyes but you can scale the type size to your preference. You can make the type size much, much larger. (The largest looks likE 24 pt. to me.) It would be nice if he could try one out before buying. Do any of your friends have one yet?
I am a recently retired high school librarian and have had my Kindle for about a year. I received it from my husband for our anniversary and took it to Alaska last summer. Since I have been known to take 8 books on a one-week vacation and have run out of books to read, I really appreciate having multiple titles at my fingertips.
Since we live in the country, about 13 miles from the nearest library, and because I have often been on reserve lists waiting for items (chasing other readers in the pursuit of a specific title in a series), I love the instantaneous gratification of having access to items immediately. 😉
I also looked at the recent situation in a positive light since intellectual property rights are absolsutely critical.
This is the first time I have decided to respond to a posting about the Kindle. The thing that “irks” me the most is the idea that one technological tool needs to meet everyone’s needs/expectations. I understand the limitations but the pluses of my owning a Kindle far outweight the negatives.
I have also subscribed to a newspaper…again we live too far out in the country to get same day delivery.
So, for me, it is a wonderful tool to have. Maybe I should order a Kindle2 for my husband since our anniversary is next Sunday. 😉 It is on my “to-do” list to place the app on his iTouch…but he is sure that he won’t like it. But then maybe I can use the iTouch and he can use my Kindle 1. 🙂 So many decisions, so many books, so little time…but retirement is giving me the time!
Kathleen
Follow-up on reading a book on my iPhone- it isn’t that bad, though I have yet to do it for more than fifteen or twenty minutes at a time. I haven’t done it in bed at night yet. I still want the real thing to tuck me in!
As an indie writer who makes a living primarily from eBook sales, I’m always happy to see someone who enjoys their Kindle. I’m also glad when I hear someone praising any other reader as well, especially since the vast majority of my sales take place outside of the US.
Still, someone had to step up and create a device that gets attention as a viable paper replacement. We’re quite a way off from replacing pages and ink, but thanks to the Kindle we’re learning what it will take to save trees faster than ever.
One other point: Right now I enjoy being independent and making enough to get by while I charge less than $10.00 for all my titles, which is a price range publishers will eventually have to find a way to embrace if they want to take full advantage of a digital boom that could happen any second. That’s right, the boom hasn’t taken place yet, not from where I’m sitting. I’m hoping to be right in the middle when it does, the view from ground zero is always fantastic, if ever so brief.
Cheers!
Wow – 24 point? that sounds wonderful. I don’t think I have any friends with kindles (at least not local ones!) but I may have to make a new friend or two… 😉 Thanks so much!
Wendy,
You just upped the learning curve for me. Thanks for the insights! I was especially surprised that a manuscript could also be read on Kindle. Who knew it could come to that!
No Kindle in Canada.
*grump*
Yes! I got a kindle for my birthday a few weeks ago and I love it so much I can hardly stand it.
I also am buying way more books than ever–that has got to stop. I can’t see that this is going to hurt authors at all. I do think that releasing to kindle like releasing to CD or paperback is a good idea.
I plan on getting a kindle for each kid for Christmas this year. I LOVE that baby.
Oh, and the coolest thing was that I loaded my brand-spanking-new-just-finished novel onto the kindle and gave it to my mom to read. There it was, all laid out just like a normal book. It was great fun.
one more thing i might add to the negatives–the name. “kindle” sounds awful every time i hear it roll off someone’s tongue. i found a funny post about the name, here: http://onthebutton.wordpress.com/2009/08/13/books-are-so-yesterday/
The $24.99 vs. $9.99 cuts into how much the author and publisher makes? I wouldn’t think so. How much of the $24.99 goes into retailer markup, shipping, storing, and printing? I think the publisher and author would make the same amount, if not more, on the Kindle sales. Yes, the hardcover sales numbers would sink, but the overall sales would probably increase. Bookstores are the ones hurt by the Kindle.
As a book reviewer, I don’t plan to get a Kindle any time soon. Why should I pay hundreds for a device and $9.99 per book when most of my reading material comes to me free before its release date? I do expect this to change, though, as more professionals within the writing community get ereaders. Publishers will realize they can save money by sending PDFs out for review instead of hard copies.
Wendy, the iPod Touch’s small screen was my biggest concern, but so far so good. The brain adapts. I do wear my reading glasses so that I can make the font smaller and not have to turn pages quite so quickly. It doesn’t replace hard copies of books, but it sure is a nice supplement. And I do agree, better for fiction than n/f.
For some reason, n/f requires lots of underlining and marking of pages, with a real pen.
The Kindle does sound great, but I guess I’m a little old fashioned. It makes me sad to think of people not buying actual paper books anymore.
I have been debating this for a while. I love the idea of the Kindle–of taking only one “book” on vacation but reading many–but am not sure how I would adapt to the screen instead of the page.
That said, I broke my vow of forever handwriting rough drafts shortly after getting my laptop. Funny how technology does that.
Also, I think I would like the ability to “read” my manuscripts like any other book. It definitely has appeal.
Thanks for the post.
I bought my daughter a Nook (B&N version) for Christmas and it’s awesome. Touch screen instead of all those buttons, and you can loan a book to another ereader for 14 days. Other person either has to have a Nook or just a B
&N account with downloaded Ereader software which is free. Wifi capability so no computer hookups. Love love love it! I want one now. LOL.
I agree with everything you said about the Kindle, both the pluses and the minuses. I LOVE books — own literally hundreds of them — but I also LOVE my Kindle. Only for fiction, though, like you. It has greatly lightened my load when I travel, since I no longer have to schlep several books with me (I read very fast). And I’m actually buying even MORE books now because I give in to the impulse – when I hear of an interesting book I can go online and order it immediately (from my car or my bed or anywhere!!!). My Kindle goes everywhere with me, since it fits neatly into a side pocket of my purse. Ahh. What a great invention for book lovers!
I got a Sony Reader for Christmas and have already read two books on it. None came with it, but I’ve downloaded some classics for $.99 each and plan to get quite a few more.
Why do people think it has to be either e-books or hard copies? I expect to enjoy both. E-books are cheaper, portable, and don’t require shelf space or dusting but traditional books won’t ever have parts burn out or technology become outdated.
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