I think it’s impossible to accurately determine HOW one influence has changed something WHILE that change is still ongoing. So while articles that attempt to determine how ebooks and digital connective technology have or will changed reading are interesting, such as this NPR article about digital reading and how it has changed reading and writing, I tend to read them with a very sizable grain of salt. (Thanks to Christine D. for the link.)
NPR’s article looks at the extra content and links inside digital books (which I don’t often see in the digital books I’m reading) and the phenomenon of cell phone and Twitter novels (which I haven’t read). But Lynn Neary’s article also looks at the way the writing has changed to capture our quick-to-distract reader’s eye:
Grossman thinks that tendency not to linger on the language also affects the way people react to a book when they are deciding whether to buy it: More purchases will be based on brief excerpts.
“It will be incumbent on novelists to hook readers right away,” says Grossman. “You won’t be allowed to do a kind of tone poem overture, you’re going to want to have blood on the wall by the end of the second paragraph. And I think that’s something writers will have to adapt to, and the challenge will be to use this powerfully narrative form, this pulpy kind of mode, to say important things.”
This is absolutely true of me. If a book does not grab me within the first 30 pages or so, or if something is bothering me about a character and there’s not enough else to hold me to the narrative, I have a few hundred other books queued up on the same device waiting to be read. I am not going to read more because I have other options of books to read. This is very different from the time when I did not have a digital reader with a few hundred books with me. I would keep reading because otherwise, I didn’t have much else to do on the bus, and commuting without reading is miserable for me.
(NPR.org’s examination comes also with a close up of Jeff Bezos’ Manic Monster Eye Expression [MMEE], which freaks me the hell out like damn and jack so don’t look at the picture at the top. Just look at Jane, there. Not at Jeff. Eep.)
Earlier this month, Carin sent me a link to an article on CNN from Pete Cashmore of Mashable fame in which he makes predictions about 2010 and web trends. His comments about how the devices on which we read are changing were interesting:
Paradoxically, the e-book reader is seeing traction as a single-use device. With hard-to-read, power-hungry laptop screens proving impractical for reading, and smartphone screens proving too small, the Kindle and its competitors are gaining buzz.
However, I’d argue that the e-book reader is a fad: Carrying an extra device is never desirable, and the major factor preventing convergence is the lack of superior screen technology. Flexible, expanding low-power screens on cell phones might tip the balance.
The real power of Amazon’s Kindle is its ease of use: a virtual bookstore so simple that it does for books what Apple’s iTunes did for music. The devices will converge, but the “app store” model for books will persist across all devices. The technology won’t be with us in 2010, however.
So in addition to digital readers being evaluated on the basis of whether they can dominate the Kindle and therefore be “the Kindle- Killer,” we digital readers also need to ask which digital bookstore will be the App Store for books. 2010 will likely, as Cashmore said, bring a device or devices that converge many of the features readers and non-readers use onto one portable unit. He’s absolutely right that we don’t want to carry more than one device. I surely don’t – the only reason I’m considering an iPod touch and a separate cell phone is because AT&T cellphone service sucks so almighty goddam bad in the New York metro area, and I pay for service that I literally cannot use.
If Cashmore is correct in his predictions for multifunction devices, and if, as Pierre Teilhard de Chardin – and Flannery O’Connor – insist, everything that rises must converge, the possibility of more functional programs targeted at diverse activities meant for a single device means that readers will have a lot to choose from when they actually sit down to read. As new multi-function devices are appearing in the realm of nearly possible and almost on sale like ships on the horizon line, I find myself looking again and again at how I read, what I read, and whether it’s changed at all.
The following aspect of my reading habits has not changed: reading is one of the very few times I do Only One Thing. Anyone with a uterus knows what I’m talking about: I multitask. Most of the time, I’m researching, writing, using Twitter, writing email, and listening to music. Or, I’m washing bottles and plates, making lunches, serving and preparing dinner, talking to Hubby, refereeing fights over Lego Sir Topham Hat, and possibly also snacking. I never do just one thing at a time. My heroine is Christina Dodd’s three armed lady from Castles in the Sky – she’s my avatar. Do you know how much I could accomplish with one extra arm!?
But when I’m reading, I do one thing and one thing only because I can’t read and focus on anything else.
For that reason, I adore the comfort and simplicity of a dedicated electronic reading device. I don’t want to have things beeping and alerting me and tempting me to Google whether the price has dropped on that giant thing I wanted. I want to do the one thing that restores my mental batteries and gives me the utter mental isolation and thoughtful peace I crave when I’m exhausted: just reading, nothing but reading, and only, exceptionally reading.
But if I am honest with myself, I admit to being lured by the following:
1. Twitter: I do like to chat idly with people about what I’m reading while I’m reading it. I am beginning to crave that connection and keep my iPhone or my laptop near me when I read. I fear this distraction and yet indulge it.
2. Note taking: I like having the ability to take notes on what I’m reading for review purposes, and have moved away from taking notes within the device on which I read. The very best for me is Google Docs or a text file saved to my Dropbox, which I can access from anywhere when I’m writing. My needs on that are relatively unique, but I know many people annotate while reading, so I may not be as alone in that one as I suspect.
3. Reminders: I always remember Crap I Should Be Doing when I sit down to read. So I tend to keep my phone near by to put a reminder on it to do something – later. I have to get more aggressive about my own reading/relaxation time, but I tend to get all anxious about forgetting whatever it is that I remembered while reading to the point that I can’t lose myself in the story again. (Neuroses: there’s an app for that).
As the multi-feature devices seem imminent, I find myself resisting the idea outright and thinking that I’ll remain with the e-Ink reader and a nearby laptop or iPhone, because no, no, no, I cannot tolerate any more distractions. But as I list all the things that have changed about my reading style and process, I think I need to tell myself to get over it and move forward – a multifunction device might work better for me. Even though I fear the loss of reading time because of the distraction of other functions and programs, I admit the allure of efficient convergence of my favorite reading program and the ancillary features I use.
The biggest problem remains my eyesight. If I read for too long on my iPhone, my left eyeball literally begins to throb and feels like someone has skewered it with a chopstick. I jack up the text size but the small reading space itself is terrible for me. The e-Ink, which I crank up to YES YOU CAN READ OVER MY SHOULDER… FROM SPACE text size, is so wonderful, I can’t even tell you. I can read without my glasses. I can’t brush my teeth without my eyeglasses, but e-Ink, oh, you wonderful retro beautiful thing, you. I can’t see myself embracing an LCD screen unless I have some serious control over the text size, layout, contrast, and foreground/background colors.
So maybe folks looking at the future of reading and reading devices aren’t throwing around predictions like a drunken fortune teller as much as I thought. The advanced connectivity to other readers has changed the way I sit and read, the way I read books when others are so easily available, and the way I think about reading. I read with a mind on reviewing, and reviewing for me is a conversation, so I converse while reading – and perhaps I will prefer having one device that converges everything I do so I don’t ever have to rise up from the couch.
Has anything changed about the way you read? Do you want a device that allows you to do multiple things? Or would you prefer to isolate your reading experience with a dedicated device like a Kindle, a Nook, or a Sony, or the original dedicated device, a paperback?
I did not think I would love the Kindle as much as I do. I also have both the Kindle app and the Stanza app on my iphone. While I will still hit a sale an walk out with an armload of books, I find that they often stay stacked in the corner while I read the books on my Kindle.
If I know I am going to be somewhere for a while—like lunch by myself or waiting for an appointment, I take the Kindle. If I am just running the dogs to the sitters (yeah, I’m one of those people) where I may have to wait five or ten minutes, I stick my iphone in my pocket. Because it syncs to the farthest page read on either device, I can whip it out and read for a brief period of time.
The biggest change has been samples. I love samples. Where I used to never bother reading free content or samples on author web sites, I will download samples of books that I am on the fence about and if the book is any good then I will buy it right there. I think the difference is the immediate gratification plus I can read the sample any time I want to rather than only when I am on the computer. I’m far more likely to read a sample late at night if I can’t sleep or over breakfast on a lazy weekend morning. Very clever idea, Amazon.
No I do not like E-books. I still read them on my laptop, and I suffer through them. Would I ever get a reader, yes I suppose so..once we are through the betamax/vhs wars over what format will reign supreme. But there is another reason I don’t like them…they distract me from my multitasking lover.
You see it started off slowly. A trip to the library on a cold winters day with a long trip planned. We met there. And I did not know that soon he would be taking over my life. He went on that trip with me, then he came home again the next time I went to the library. He began to keep me company while I cooked, when I cleaned, when I drove to work. Any time I had to do a task that was fairly mundane he livened them up for me. He told me of adventure, and tropical nights when I was mindlessly waiting in line at emissions testing. Then one day he changed.
He went on-line. Now I could find him there any time I chose, And like a drug he seduced me, introduced me to my supplier. No longer the safe library, I now had, audible.com. And I luxuriate in the words pouring into my ears. Sure it slows down how many books I can read in a night, but who cares, i can do a milliion and one things with my buds in my ears, or him jacked into the car stereo.
Spam word: Second59, why is it that some days feel like there is only 59seconds in ever minute?
I started reading books on my iPod touch a little over a year ago, and since last February I’ve only bought digital books. I still check out paper and hardbacks from the library because I don’t have an e account yet, but I don’t think I’ll ever buy another paper book again. I love the fact that I can change the font size, and that I have multiple books with me at any given time, and they don’t weigh anything. I love that I don’t need a book light or a bookmark. And my husband loves that I don’t have stacks of books in my bedroom just waiting for me. I love digital books. I didn’t think I would, but I do.
I dream of the day when technology considers books and what they mean. Then a device is created that is durable and as easy to use as flipping a page. It would need color and graphic capability – even if not WiFi connected.
This device would be loaded with hundreds of stories from around the world – and presented to children around the world – as a library at their fingertips. The best of the best stories – sent to children just learning to read, in whatever language. Maybe this could be as an addition to care packages containing food and medicine.
Story nurtures the soul.
Separate devices would also be sent for the adults, full of commercial and literary fiction. These would have WiFi capabilities so the reader could connect with their choice of story.
I have a dream…
I know that I teach children to try and grab the readers attention when they are starting their writing. That if they are bored, so will their readers be.
But… some of the BEST BEST BEST stories I have ever lost myself in didn’t have blood on the walls by the second paragraph. In fact, they slid into their powerful moments so slowly that by the time I was hooked I didn’t even KNOW it. I simply could not stop.
Something else that I find interesting is that the books, currently, that I read that DO have the “blood on the walls” by the second paragraph I simply forget. There’s no endearing the character or even getting to know them. It’s harsh and violent and that really doesn’t linger in my mind as a reader.
I still love the smell of fresh new paperbacks. I will always love the feel of a book in my hand. The way I can arrange them on my library shelves. The eReader may be the wave of the future but I think it’s one I will hold off on for quite some time.
I’m an old fashion paper novel reader. I’ve thought about getting a e-(insert brand here) but I need my books in my book shelves to hold up my walls. Without the hundreds of pounds of books leaning against them, they’d probably collapse! I also like to look at all my books and see the splendor of them, remember the tales and what made me keep them as cherished memories.
There is something comforting for me to hold a book, feel the cool smooth cover and texture of the pages, the smell of them and the weight. Granted I’m stuck with whatever book is in my purse so if it sucks I have to either watch traffic or suffer through. Books are my reward for accomplishments and a way for me to forget the world around me for even just an hour a day. The only way I’ll get an electronic thing is if someone buys it for me and puts all my favourites on it!
As for the need to have bloody walls in the first paragraph, I’ve always been that way. if you don’t have me at ‘Hello’ its most likely not going to make it to the checkout.
The odd thing (to me) about Lev Grossman’s comment is that his recent novel The Magicians had a kick-ass, grab-you start. Not page 2, but certainly by page 5 or 10. Yeah, it was a moody book, I suppose in a tone poem kind of way (?)—but it was also full of stuff happening. I highly recommend it for those of you who loved the Narnia books, and to a lesser extent, the Harry Potter series. It’s not *like* those—but for me it had a dark and complicated appeal because I did (and do) love those books.
I think a mostly dedicated e-reader is perfectly fine for me because I’m a book person who also loves cool new tech stuff. (More about “mostly dedicated later.) As many others have said, I’m always carrying a book anyway, so it’s no big deal to carry one more thing. Also, I don’t travel light, ever; I always carry my phone, usually my Pod, and generally at least two books. (What if I finish the one I’m reading??) Now I’m usually carrying my Kindle, too. But it’s so little and light—I just pop it in my purse and it’s like it’s not even there. I also have a smallish kid, so traveling light is impossible anyway—I need to bring diapers and wipes and snacks and toys and a stroller and…so I might as well bring as many gadgets as I feel like. I’m sure my priorities for what to carry would change a *lot* if my commute were on public transportation, or if I weren’t already carrying an enormous Mommy purse.
Here’s what I meant by “mostly dedicated.” Because right now the Kindle reading I’m doing is mostly short stuff—blogs, newspapers, magazines—I would really like it to also have a better web browser, so I can do the kind of link-chasing that kind of reading encourages. But when I’m reading a book, I want to just read. I don’t even use the dictionary. Yesterday I hit a word I didn’t know and had one of those split-second conversations with myself—should I move the cursor and find out what this means? Nah. Not really important. And on I zipped.
The Kindle appeals to the part of me that loves toys. And it’s a toy that’s also a book! Right now, though, much as I love it (and as much as I’m enjoying carting it with me everywhere I go), my first choice is still paper books. I love the look and feel and smell and excitement of a new hardback, whether it’s mine or a library copy. I love cover art and interior illustrations. I suppose that might change as I get more into/ excited about my Kindle. I doubt it, though.
I adore my Kindle one. One thing I want to bring up is that ebooks make books more available to many people with disabilities than ever before. My disability doesn’t interfere with holding a book, or seeing words to read them, but many people’s do and ebooks can be very helpful.
Not a whole lot of books are available in braille, but with braille ebook readers, we may see it taking off again.
Also, this is off topic, but your comment verification is not accessible to people who can’t see or view images online.
Ditto. My purse must also make room for hardcovers, if that’s what I’m reading. Getting my Sony means that I’m carrying around only 1 dedicated device (with currently 90 books on it), instead of the current book, and the spare book (in case of emergency), and possibly the duty book (if there’s something I’m *supposed* to read. That’s a big downsize for me, and I like it.
Also, I’m a dedicated reader. I resent interruptions for such trivialities as bathroom breaks. Some dickweasel interrupting my story with an e-mail or phone call? Kill!
I find my emotional experience in e-reading is just the same as paper reading. Just the same body relaxation. There actually tends to be fewer distractions, in that I don’t have to smell somebody else’s stink on my book (library patrons smoke and wear disgusting perfume), and my hand doesn’t get numb and twisted. If I lie on my back and don’t wear a bra, I can set my e-reader (with cover) up on my breast bone, and I don’t even have to hold it up. It’s wonderful.
Mind you, that’s on my Sony, not the laptop. On the laptop, I can’t read e-books, I keep getting distracted, and check my e-mails, and surf, and stuff. Which is yet another argument for the benefits of a dedicated e-reader.
Now, if I could just rustle up the business and computer savvy to open my dream e-bookstore, I’d be laughing.
I always have a book at hand….be it the bathroom, laundry room, nightstand, car, etc….And when I go on vacation I pack the bottom of my suitcase with books to read….Soooo, I know I would love an EReader (it would pay for itself in the extra luggage fees)….BUT, I also love audio books and listen to them all the time. I want a device that will do both and from what I’ve read the Kindle has little MP3 capacity & no back light for reading in dark places. I’m not sure about the other EReaders, but I don’t think they will do both either. One of my friends suggested an Iphone….but my eyes don’t see small print like they used to and I want something more (like a book) to hold while I’m reading/listening…..So I’ll wait till something that fits all my needs comes along.
Saw this last night, did the happy dance at having contributed yet again to a SmartBitches blog entry (yes, I’m Christine D.), and then didn’t respond.
Until my boss sent me this link to booksquare.com/. The article discusses e-books and devices and how the industry needs to listen to the consumer.
Technology has already changed writing several times. Two of particular note:
The movies. If you read books pre and post, say, 1930, you will notice a distinct difference in how a story is told. It seems to me that pre movies, writers were describing experiences, real and imagined, where post movies, the description seems to be of a movie playing in the writer’s brain. It’s a subtle but very real difference.
Word processors. A writer with the ability to revise easily and endlessly will produce a very different story than one who must constantly dip a pen/sharpen a pencil and conserve paper. Add to that the fact that writing longhand and typing light up different parts of the brain on MRIs, and it follows that the stories or articles themselves will be different. I know I have a hard time getting to my storytelling brain on the computer.
It took me a bit to give in to the lure of the Kindle. What got me in the long run is space. I was buying tons of paperbacks every month, and I just don’t have anywhere to store them. I am one of those people who is just loathe to give up a book once I have read it. I still buy my autobuy authors in paper…a lot of those in hardcover, but any new author or category is bought on the Kindle. I get the best of both worlds. It saves me time and space, not to mention one day I will have to move out of this apartment. All those books are going to be darn heavy!
Avidly following these discussions because I am so lost as to which/what to buy. No reading on computer cuz that is work. But considered Netbook for appearance (pretty)can’t see well and loss of snuggle factor. No chance of telephone reading because I hate cell phones. Mine always has somebody somewhere wanting something right now. Have aLOT of pbs, hbs, use many for research and will only buy one version—no more Vinyl, 8trk, Cassette, CD, MP3, Blu-Ray, VHS etc of same stuff. Also—no one mentioned this I think—but I donate prolly 5 lg bags of new-ish mags and none keeper books to my public library. I thinkif I went to ereader it would really be felt. No back patting, just no $$ for subscriptions. Still I would like an ereader because of the damn cover art problem (meet SO MANY new men that way), always carrying at least one book/mag and like the lightness.
@Elysa
Technology has already changed writing several times. Two of particular note:
The movies. If you read books pre and post, say, 1930, you will notice a distinct difference in how a story is told. It seems to me that pre movies, writers were describing experiences, real and imagined, where post movies, the description seems to be of a movie playing in the writer’s brain. It’s a subtle but very real difference.
Word processors. A writer with the ability to revise easily and endlessly will produce a very different story than one who must constantly dip a pen/sharpen a pencil and conserve paper. Add to that the fact that writing longhand and typing light up different parts of the brain on MRIs, and it follows that the stories or articles themselves will be different. I know I have a hard time getting to my storytelling brain on the computer.
After reading your insightful comment, I’ve been thinking about it overnight.
It is true for Non-fiction also, How-To Books have progressed as printing technology has changed, particularly cheaper reproduction of color images. But the use of images has gotten better concurrently, I can follow a crochet pattern from a book entirely in Japanese because the layout is so well organized. The software that lets publishers almost churn out graphically well organized how-to books with attractive sensible images in place should probably count as half-way to epublishing.
When word processing first arrived on the scene, it seemed like manuscript lengths immediately started increasing. There is no way that authors could produce the number of books per year at the same length without computing. The writing is probably much less concise, since the author doesn’t have to worry about copying over each and every word, but we have seen the rise of the in-between-stories. The short story or scene where nothing really happens, you are just visiting with characters from a series that you enjoy until the next major adventure comes along. This sort of back-story was always floating in the author’s imagination, but not shared until an electronic age.
So maybe we have already adapted to epublishing phase I and now we are just starting on phase II?