INDUSTRY NEWS
PAPER PAPER
eBOOK
PAPER VS EBOOKS
The process of reading has changed bit by bit ever since digital technology emerged . Many have changed holding a “ real ” book for reading books on their various digital devices . Speaking of digital devices , with the ability to read a book on your telephone , tablet , computer , and digital readers like Kindle and Nook , the books that once were not considered “ real books ” have been waging a regular competition against the good , old-fashioned paperbacks , trade paperbacks and hard cover books .
At this point , it is impossible to resist or ignore change , even if it doesn ’ t apply to you personally . Surprisingly , many digital book readers are not just the younger generations . The older generations have embraced this technology as well .
The Pew Research Center reported that in 2015 27 % of Americans read some form of eBook , and the number appears to be rising . Still , paperbacks are pretty much holding their own . Does that mean that book reading in general is increasing ? Maybe . There are some pretty solid reasons for the increase in the popularity of eBooks . Those include being able to store multiple books on a little device as small as a phone that will fit in the palm of your hand . For travelers who love to read , no more hauling a full suitcase of books . Without the cost of printing , paper and labor , the cost of eBooks is generally much more economical . Then there comes ease of reading and that is where seniors get a real benefit . Backlighting helps those with vision problems , and the size and type of font can easily be changed .
That brings us to the difference between reading a print book and one on a device . For some reason the understanding of the material and retention of the information or plot , seems to be much higher on print books . Maybe it is because of something called “ motor memory ”— the act of physically turning the pages , and as some people do , running a finger down the page while reading . Some believe that the feel of the paper serves as sensory memory markers — something that is not present while scrolling down a screen .
But , as always , there is another side to the story that contradicts those theories . The argument is made that in both modes of reading the attitude and preference of the reader is an important factor . In one such study , readers who preferred to read from screens were found to perform as well as those who had read the text from paper .
WINTER 2017
PAGE 8
WRITERS ’ TRICKS OF THE TRADE