Magic of the Muses: Kindle and Kobos and Nooks

Kindle and Kobos and Nooks, oh my! What’s all this eReader buzz about?
~ Cheryl K Tardif

This Christmas season promises to be the “Year of the eReader” as consumers line up to purchase Kindles and Kobos and Nooks, oh my! It seems that nearly everyone knows someone who is hoping Santa will leave them the ereader of their choice. And Kindles, Kobos, and Nooks will certainly be found in more than a few Christmas stockings.

But what’s all the hype about? Why have readers jumped on the ebook/ereader band wagon? What’s so great about an ereader anyway?

As an avid reader, I love my Kindle. And my Kobo. And I’d like a Nook and an iPad. Technology is contagious…and more than a bit addictive. As an author and publisher, I feel I should have them all so I can advise readers when they email me and ask me which ereader they should get. At least, that’s the excuse I’m giving my husband.

I used to be a “no way I’m gonna read novels on a little screen; I have to feel paper…blah, blah…” kind of reader. Until I got an iPhone and discovered Kobo and Kindle apps. Even on my iPhone I found I enjoyed reading on a screen. Then I got my Kobo and Kindle ereaders and I was hooked.

I don’t miss the feel of paper or the smell, like some readers do. In fact when I pick up a paperback I miss the quick page turn button. My fingers aren’t as nimble as they used to be, so I struggle with separating pages in order to turn them. It’s not that I’m 90 years old; I’m in my 40s. But I have a joint condition that makes even holding open a paperback painful. This got me thinking: what about readers who have arthritis and other conditions like mine? Ereaders are the answer!

Over the years I’ve had fans email me to ask if I had large print paperbacks available. Sadly, I didn’t. Nowadays, ereaders have obliterated the necessity for a large print paper edition. You can enlarge the fonts on most ereaders to XXL. If I want a break from my glasses, I can now take them off, enlarge the print and continue reading.

Kobo Vox colour ereader

I took my Kobo on a cruise to Mexico. While other people prowled the ship’s meager library for a book to read, I downloaded a few in a minute and read to my heart’s content. I downloaded a few more at the airport. The journey to and from the ship seemed short because I always had something to read.

Waiting rooms don’t bother me anymore. After my car accident in September, I waited for hours in the ER. I read ebooks on my Kindle while others fidgeted and complained. I rarely have such uninterrupted reading time; I took advantage of the pleasure—regardless of my sore back and whiplash. I suspect I would have been in much more pain if I hadn’t had something to take my mind off it. A good book on an ereader is a great analgesic.

eReaders aren’t as expensive as they used to be. Amazon, Kobo Books and B&N have all reduced the price of their base products and some of their more advanced products, making an ereader an affordable gift for anyone. You can now buy an ereader for under $100. This is something I (and many authors) predicted would happen this year.

eBook prices range from very inexpensive (and sometimes free) to sometimes more expensive than their paper counterpart. The latter I don’t quite understand. I’m a publisher. There’s no stocking of ebooks in warehouses to consider. Yes, it’s the same content, but I believe an ebook has a lesser value than the print version because the platform cost is less. We consider: content value + platform costs (ebook/print costs) + profit margin = retail value. As the publisher at Imajin Books, I’ve ensured that our ebooks are all priced under $5 and our trade paperbacks under $18.

So what’s in your stocking? A Kindle? Nook? Kobo? iPad? Regardless of which ereader device you get, I can guarantee you’ll love the experience, especially when you see all the pros. How else can you go on vacation with 10+ books without having to load up an extra suitcase? J

And now, a free gift from Cheryl and Imajin Books…

Download your free ebook, IMAJIN THIS!, a special chapter book that lets you try before you buy. You can read the first 3 chapters of each Imajin Books title for free by downloading the PDF or using the Smashwords coupon code. http://www.imajinbooks.com/imajin-this.

And load up your Kindle, Nook, Kobo, Sony, iPad with great ebooks during their eBook sale: http://www.imajinbooks.com/sale.

If you’d like to enter to win free ebooks or paperback or you don’t have an ereader and would like to enter to win a Kindle Fire, please check out Imajin Books’ 25 Days of Christmas Giveaways: http://www.imajinbooks.com/contests-events.

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In keeping with Imajin's Holiday spirit, both my eBooks, THE TRAZ and Schrödinger's Cat, are on sale for 99¢ for the entire month of December from all fine online book sellers.

You can also enter to win a Kindle from me by posting a review of THE TRAZ on http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005199RF Amazon.com I will be drawing for the Kindle when the sequel to THE TRAZ is released in Spring 2012.

Eileen Schuh, Canadian writer
www.eileenschuh.com

WHERE TO BUY MY eBOOKS: Click on any of the following links