Ms. Blumenthal,
Thank you very much for taking time out of your busy schedule to spend time with Dr. Vardell's classes. I have enjoyed your comments and insights so far. In preparation for this discussion I started reading one of your books Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine and the Laws of Prohibition, which I am enjoying very much; but, it brought up a different question of what is an author's perspective on the hot debate of e-books?
I usually prefer actual books for all the reasons you usually hear: the smell of books, the tactile sensation, and so forth. I also get distracted by turning the pages on the e-reader. I chose an e-book in this case because I needed it quickly and the bookstore and the library both did not have copies. I would really like to know how you feel about e-books from an author's perspective. Is it easier or harder to get your book published this way? What about profit margins? Is it different for different types of books? Please share your thoughts on how e-books have affected your profession.
Wendy Pitts
I am also interested in your perspective on e-books. I attended the TLA conference this past spring and was able to hear an author panel of picture book writers and illustrators. They each gave some very interesting and very opposite opinions about their work being in e-book form. With your use of visuals, like photography, to accompany your writing, do you feel an electronic version of the book would have the same impact as a print version? Some on the panel liked the idea of an electronic book if they created it to be an electronic book, but did not like the idea of electronic versions of their print books. They voiced concerns over the pace, suspense, quality of the art work, and more as being ruined, especially by varied devices used for viewing e-books. On the other hand, some of the authors were all for it. This panel really had me thinking about the interplay of art and text in illustrated books, as well as the seemingly significant impact to the reading experience presented by changing formats. Thank you for your insight.
ReplyDeleteJoni Hill