E-Publishing vs. Printing, or You Just Can't Flip Through a Kindle

Don’t misunderstand me.  I really, really love my Kindle.  The convenient purse size.  The light weight.  The smooth screen with its cheery soft glow.  The fact that I can pack 50 books for my flight instead of just one or two. 

At the same time, I feel like a traitor.  With Borders closing, I can’t help but wonder ... is it my Kindle that did it?  Not just mine obviously, but many Kindles owned by people like me.  Booklovers who would normally be buying all those books in paper and shelling out our money to Borders, not Amazon.  Sure, Barnes & Noble is still in business, but how long before they’re just a front website for Nook? 

I stare at my Kindle and I realize that it’s just not the same.  You can’t walk through Amazon.  You can’t stand in the middle of the shelves scanning book spines, looking for a title or cover that interests you.  You can’t pick up a book and flip through it.  Scrolling down a page of tiny book-shaped gifs doesn’t really have the same personal feel.  It’s like shopping for clothes online.  What looks really cute on the skinny gorgeous model just may not work out for you unless you try it on first. 

No matter how many numbers and parameters and excerpts Amazon gives you, it just isn’t the same as picking up the book yourself and taking a look.  The reading experience is all different too.  Kindle books can’t have those uneven edges like in Series of Unfortunate Events that make the book look old.  They all have the same typeface.  And face it, knowing that you’re on location 3457 out of 5086 just isn’t as satisfying as looking at the big hunk of pages you’ve already finished and seeing the little sliver ahead of you. 

However we also live in a time where being global and saving energy is important.  Kindle books do use a lot less paper than real books.  You can also reach an audience of billions instead of just thousands.  So why do authors like Amanda Hocking still want those paper copies?  Because reaching an audience is great, but hardcore booklovers just won’t compromise on the real thing.  Even if I read a book on Kindle and love it, I’m still going to buy a copy to slide onto my shelf. 

Maybe it’s a little wasteful, but look at it on the bright side.  When the dystopian apocalypse comes and the EMPs hit, at least I’ll have something to read.