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| Meet my new friend. |
The above picture has nothing to do with the topic I'm going to be discussing. In fact it has nothing to do with writing or creativity or anything else I talk about on this blog. He's actually a huge stuffed elk (I think or a very large buck) in the Arrowhead Travel Plaza at the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Pendleton, Oregon. Every time we go to the cabin, we stop to fill up before heading into the mountains. I've always wanted to take a picture next to him, so I did. There you have it. Now you know the story.
Okay so moving on to the topic at hand.....
Three years ago when I started writing and having visions of publishing books, e-readers and e-publishing never crossed my mind. Sure the Kindle and Nook had come out. My techie hubby was all excited about the development of technology. But e-readers were so sticking expensive--I wrote them off. I sorta of ignored the whole e-pubing thing too. I knew whatever I eventually published would also come in e-format, but nothing about it appealed to me. Damn it, I want the real thing. Something I can hold and smell the fresh ink on paper. I'm sorry but there is nothing like the smell of a new book. And an old book for the matter.
That is until a couple of months ago when my dear techie hubby actually bought his first Kindle. I watched him take it out of the thin certified frustration-free packaging, turn it on and start buying books. The stirrings of heat fluttered in my belly as he handed me his new toy and said, "check it out."
My palms began to sweat and my heart raced with unbidden excitement. My nerves curled up into tiny little tight balls. I took the device in my hand and a shudder vibrated through my entire body. Every cell of my body cried out in pleasure and WANT.
And thus began my Kindle lust....
For the next two months I constantly dropped little subtle hints like. "I think Santa should bring me a Kindle for Christmas, don't you think honey?" or "You know a lot of my writing friends are e-published, I really should get a Kindle soon so I can read their stuff." and "Man reading on the computer is so hard on my eyes. It gives me a headache. *rubs temples* I so hope I get Kindle for Christmas."
Thankfully my dearest love is a smart man (duh, he married me), because I opened a lovely Amazon.com certified frustration-free packaging box on Christmas Eve which contained my most coveted gift.
So my point is.....and yes I do have a point!
Don't turn your nose up to e-readers or e-published books just because they are not the "real" thing. E-books are as real as the books on the shelves at Barnes and Noble. I've had my Kindle for two weeks now and have read five books, two of them being best-sellers. I probably would not have read that many in such a short period of time if I hadn't had the e-reader.
I personally know several respectable authors who are solely e-published and are doing well for themselves too.
What I like about my Kindle:
- It's light. I can carry it just about anywhere.
- I love how it feels in my hand (surprisingly).
- I have access to a bookstore wherever there is Wi-Fi.
- I can eat a sandwich and read my book at lunch without haven't to demonstrate unique body contortionist skills or wishing I had an extra set of arms.
- It's easy on my eyes.
- I have access to my Kindle books on my phone, which is not so easy on my eyes, but works for a few minutes here and there while waiting for a friend or the bus to come.
- The Kindle has rekindled my love for books and writing--something I had not expected or realized possible.*pun not intended*
- And I don't get paper cuts. :)
- The bookstores, I love bookstores. I hate shopping, but I LOVE bookstores. I could live in one for the rest of my days and feel like heaven.
- The smell of published books and hearing the paper sliding against paper as I turn the page.
- And that's about it.
Till then you can catch me on twitter tweeting about who knows what. Cheers,
Melania
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