Drinking Words

By Mark W. Danielson

Pick any restaurant and you will notice that nearly everyone there has a beverage of some kind.  This is not unusual, of course, but soda and coffee at most dine-in restaurants ranges between $2.50 and $3.00.  Nearby, drive-through coffee shops are packed with caffeine hoarders paying four bucks on up for their brew.  Inside, many clients prefer to coddle their electronic devices than speak to the person sitting across from them.  And thus is the irony of where our society has gone.

As someone who frequently dines alone while away from home, such observations often lead to conclusions.  Although I could certainly dwell on how electronic social media sites now substitute for social interaction, the topic I’m addressing today is about the financial choices people make – specifically how they prefer drinking words over reading them.  You see, for less than the cost of a beverage, these same people who sip their drinks, tuned into their smart phones and iPads, could be reading a book on those same devices.  Interesting, no? 

With so many e-books available for between one and three dollars, why haven’t e-book sales tripled since those new Christmas e-readers were opened? Smashwords.com offers an expansive array of inexpensive books, so for a minimal investment, why not check out authors you haven’t read?  Of course, Amazon and Barnes and Noble also have plenty of e-books for three bucks or less.

Considering how dine-in restaurants are thriving, cost cannot be the reason people aren’t reading.  More likely, it’s our infatuation with reality TV and social media.  If this is actually the case, then our society is in serious trouble, for words anchor civilization.  The next time you think about giving a gift card, consider giving one from a book store rather than Starbucks.  In the long run, the recipient might thank you.       

Let's Keep Paper Books Alive

by June Shaw

Will Borders close all of its stores?

Let's hope not. And let's hope that more bookstores don't follow suit.

Borders seems to have various troubles, but certainly the rise of electronic books is a major cause of some of their stores closing. Almost weekly we hear of independent bookstores that once thrived closing their doors.

Thousands upon thousands of readers are not deciding they won't read books anymore. They are deciding to read those same books in various ways.

We are getting to experience an evolution in reading. When paperbacks first came out, skeptics said no one would read them. Paperbacks wouldn't catch on. They were flimsy and nowhere as nice as traditional books with hard covers.

The first book I sold was to an e-pub when e-publishing was fairly new. E-books were expected to become the next big thing. But few e-books sold then because devices were rare and expensive. Not many readers bought them.

It's taken awhile, but now e-books are changing readership, and any way we can reach readers is a good thing. Now our challenge is to make certain to keep books in paper alive. We want it all -- to read our books electronically and traditionally.

As publishers struggle to keep up with the evolution in reading, let's make certain we frequent brick and mortar stores. We need to keep them alive.