Should a Writer Read ...

No, I don't think you have to. I mostly only buy e-books that are going to be used as reference books.

If you want to take a look at e-books you can do it for free. Just download Kindle for PC, then download one of the free e-books. Your local library probably also has e-books available for download.

You will probably hate it, at least at first.

If you enjoy reading ebooks, go for it. If a book you want to read is only available as an ebook, go for it. But if you prefer paper books, and the price differential isn't an issue, I see no reason to make yourself read the ebook where paper is available.

Of course you don't have to read ebooks. I never read them until I bought an iPad for other reasons because I HATE reading books on my computer. I certainly never ran out of good books to read.

I thought I was the same, but absolutely love my Kindle. I can take it with me so much easier than a paperback and with the library feature, I can have a bunch of books to choose from in case I'm not in the mood for the one I was on or I need a break.

You won't know until you try. Ask to borrow a trusted friend's for a while and see if you change your mind. Can't hurt.

Probably 90% of the books I buy are paper books. I, too, just love everything about them.

I do get a slightly different reading experience out of an eBook, though. Maybe it's from not being able to visualise how many pages are left, or not being able to flick back if I've forgotten something. There have been books I've bought for my Kindle but not finished until I bought them in paperback. Especially very long books.

I don't think a writer "should" do one or the other. I do think you could find it an interesting exercise. And if nothing else, it's nice to have a hankering for a book and be able to get one instantly.

Only if a writer likes to read ebooks. As long as you're reading, you're golden.

Strange, this is the second time I've said this today: the story is king and the medium (paper, screen, or audio) is only the vehicle. As a writer, the medium doesn't matter.

Jhaewyrmend said:

...e-books?

I haven't gotten into reading e-books. As a writer (and of course, a hopefully published one someday), my question is should you read all forms of literature no matter what they come bundled in? I am beyond sure there are books out there in the e-niverse that are very worth reading, I just haven't invested in the tech to do it.

I must admit, I love the feel of a paperback or hardcover. I love the feel of the pages. It's a sensory thing. I'm not opposed to e-books at all, I just really enjoy that tactile feel of a bound book.

What do you think?

Click to expand...

I love physical books. But I also read a disgusting amount of fic and I can only get that electronically, so I make do.

A good read is a good read. Everything else is just medium.

Chris P said:

Strange, this is the second time I've said this today: the story is king and the medium (paper, screen, or audio) is only the vehicle. As a writer, the medium doesn't matter.

Click to expand...

But the medium can change the story.

Some stories are best told out loud. Some stories only exist because of their written structure. Some need to include body language. Some require interactivity. Some are living stories told through multiple people in different media. Some are overheard, some are found on the bottom of a shoe, some are on an envelope, some are in a song.

These are all different experiences. Dismissing the vehicle for the story is ignoring a very large part of storytelling.

I don't think there's really an e-niverse, as such... Most print books are also available as e-books, and a good number of e-books have print versions. E-books aren't a whole different "form of literature".

Are you thinking of self-published books, maybe? (Which also aren't a whole different form of literature, but... are maybe more different than e-books?)

Anna Spargo-Ryan said:

But the medium can change the story.

Some stories are best told out loud. Some stories only exist because of their written structure. Some need to include body language. Some require interactivity. Some are living stories told through multiple people in different media. Some are overheard, some are found on the bottom of a shoe, some are on an envelope, some are in a song.

These are all different experiences. Dismissing the vehicle for the story is ignoring a very large part of storytelling.

Click to expand...

Hmmm interesting point, but at what point does storytelling become performance? Of course performances have writers, but it seems to me at some.point one art crosses into another.

I don't believe whether it's an e-book or a print book makes any difference. The words are the same. I've read the same books in both media and found no difference in the experience.

Are you, by chance, referring to self-published and small press e-books (ones that are only available as e-books). If so, there's no rule that you have to read them either. If you like them, go ahead. If not, don't worry about it.

Just make sure you're reading something.

Chris P said:

Hmmm interesting point, but at what point does storytelling become performance? Of course performances have writers, but it seems to me at some.point one art crosses into another.

Click to expand...

I would like to think that most performance is storytelling.

ETA: Even in the three media you've mentioned though, from a strictly "novel" point of view, the experience is quite different. Having someone read a story to you might mean you miss the nuances of the structure. Reading a book without someone's voice might mean you miss the subtle changes in tone. And so on.

I basically ONLY read e-books. I have like 60-70 of them on my smart phone and more on my tablet and I read whenever I get a chance---on the stairmaster at the gym, waiting in carline for the kids, in the doctor's office, wherever. There's no way I could carry a paperback around in those circumstances---I'd forget to leave it in the car because I was reading it in the house or whatever.

RikWriter said:

I basically ONLY read e-books. I have like 60-70 of them on my smart phone and more on my tablet and I read whenever I get a chance---on the stairmaster at the gym, waiting in carline for the kids, in the doctor's office, wherever. There's no way I could carry a paperback around in those circumstances---I'd forget to leave it in the car because I was reading it in the house or whatever.

Click to expand...

Yeah, I can't actually remember the last time I read a paper book. It's probably been years.

I always thought it was ideal for writers to read as much as they humanly can in every time of medium there is and that there is literally no such thing as reading too much. Am I missing something here?

I read both e-books and paper books. E books are nice for me as a writer because they allow me to bookmark, highlight and make notes about what I'm reading without dog earing and marking up a a paper copy.

I've stopped reading print. I find digital much more convenient, and the content is the same.

If you are someone that likes to take notes, flip between pages and such, then digital isn't the best option, but if you're like me and read straight through for entertainment, then there is no reason to not read digital books. It's the same content, just a different format.

Reading self-pubbed and small press ebooks would probably be helpful if that's something you're considering doing. If it's not, I don't think it really matters.

Jhaewyrmend said:

So, then I guess the next question is should a writer invest time in reading books that only come in electronic form?

Click to expand...

It's still the same content if its an ebook. It's like asking if a writer should favour hardcovers or paperbacks.

Jhaewyrmend said:

I didn't know you could read them on the PC. Usually though, I've stared at a monitor all day long at work, and my eyes are usually exhausted when I get home. Which also keeps me from reading anything on a tiny little phone. Just too small for me. Thanks for all of the insight also.

Click to expand...

IMHO, it's worth investing in an e-reader if you're going to read many eBooks; the resolution is much higher, resulting in less eyestrain than staring at a monitor, and it's a bigger surface area than a smartphone. Also, if you opt for the black and white eInk screens (not the tablets or the color eReaders), there's no backlighting; it's as easy as reading on paper, only you can adjust the font size at will.

To just get an idea of what they're like, though, the free Kindle or Nook apps on your computer would do fine.

(Me? I read both printed and electronic titles. Haven't ventured into audiobooks yet, but that's because I'm used to tuning out talk radio and babbling ads, so I'm afraid I'd tune out the book, as well.)

I read mostly on an ereader right now. Most of my reading these days is 1) ebooks from the library (they're free and I don't have to worry about late fees if I forget to return them) and 2) short story mags that are either only sold electronically or cost two or more times more for a physical copy than a digital copy.

Actually, you know what, yeah, I do think that if you're into certain genres if you're not reading ebooks you're really missing out. The big ones I can think of on the top of my head are romance, erotic fiction, and short fiction, because a significant amount of these are published in digital only formats. I think certain genres lend themselves more to the digital-only market than others. If you're writing, say, thriller novels, then the digital-only market might not matter much to you, at least for now.

I have one of the eink readers, BN's nook simple. There's no distractions on it like on a phone or a computer and it fits into my smallest purse.

I love to read e-books on my tablet. You don't need a flashlight to read under the covers. And you can make the text large if your eyes are going, like mine.

Other than that, unless you want to read digital-only books, sticking with paper shouldn't hurt you. Of course, I've heard that more and more publishers are thinking about digital-only or digital-first these days.