With the invention of the Kindle and other electronic reading devices, many independent bookstores and large chain bookstores have had to shut their doors. The advantages afforded by eBooks and electronic reading devices are slowly rendering physical books obsolete. As we continue to move toward a primarily digital society, paper books will largely become a thing of the past, and serve mostly as memorabilia or as collector’s items.
Below are a few of the advantages to electronic books.
eBooks Are Less Expensive
When you buy a book from a bookstore, you can easily pay upwards of $10-$20 per book. While you will occasionally come across sales and discounts, most hardback and paperback books fall within this price range. Electronic books, by contrast, are often $8 or less. This gives readers the ability to purchase more books for the same price, and they never have to worry that the book they want is out of stock, as long as an electronic copy exists. In fact, some authors are now only publishing their books electronically.
Additionally, many colleges are looking for additional areas of opportunity to provide students with electronic versions of their textbooks and electronic coursework, which can significantly reduce education costs.
eBooks Take Up Less Room
Physical books, especially if you have a lot of them, take up a significant amount of room in your home, or in your luggage while traveling. Since many books are used only once, most can be considered a waste of space. Many avid readers are cleaning out their bookshelves to make room for home décor, and are purchasing their favorite books electronically. With the ability to store books electronically, readers can have thousands of books available for their reading pleasure at all times without using any space in their home. Additionally, if you accidentally lose or damage your electronic reading device, you will be able to download all books you have previously purchased to your new device, free of charge.
Anyone Can Write, Publish, And Sell Their Own Book
The introduction of eBooks has allowed any prospective author to write, publish, and sell their own book electronically. While the book you write may not be available for sale at all online book retailers, you can market and sell your book online at sites like eBay and Amazon. You may not have the success and support you would if you had an established publisher, but many aspiring writers have nonetheless achieved their dreams by publishing their book electronically.
You Can Shop From Anywhere With An Internet Connections
When you hear about a new book from your favorite author, or are curious about a book on a particular topic, you can save yourself a trip to the bookstore by searching for it online and purchasing it immediately. Even if you do not yet have an electronic device designed specifically for reading, Kindle has developed systems that enable buyers to read the books they purchase on their computer, laptop, or notebook.
Books may still be desired for things such as illustrations, novelty books, coffee table books, manuals, and child friendly books for infants and toddlers. However, handheld books for day-to-day personal and professional reading and studying are likely to soon become a thing of the past.
Byline
Lonnie Clayton is a freelance writer who concentrates on the internet, laptop security, tablet computers, gadget insurance and other related tech topics; S4 owners interested in gadget insurance should consider Galaxy S4 protection from Protectyourbubble.com.
Image credit goes to Ben Oh.