February 14, 2023  |   

A staple of the book publishing industry for the past few years, e-books have exploded in popularity in recent years. Although many predicted that the advent of e-books would spell the end of print books, this has not happened.

The 2019 total for e-book sales in the United States was $983 million, down from $1 billion in 2018. This is according to the Association of American Publishers. Several years of double-digit losses in e-book sales led to the current slower growth pace. Approximately $3 billion and $2.5 billion will be earned from hardcover and paperback books in 2019.

The 2020 COVID-19 epidemic was good for the print publishing industry. According to Printing Impressions, an industry publication, sales increased by 8.2% annually, reaching 751 million copies. The advanced book buying was attributed to parents having more free time and a desire to educate their children at home.

Although e-books benefit the publishing industry, some readers may need help navigating. If you’re used to browsing the shelves at your local bookshop and reading the first chapter of a book before buying it, you can do the same thing with e-books; you have to get used to the format.

The Real Book Experience

People often state that they prefer books to e-books because they enjoy the tactile feel of having a book in their hands. Feeling the pages move, holding the text in your hand, and even smelling the paper create a more immersive and pleasurable reading experience. Some people find it more satisfying on these levels because of the increased sense of closeness and intimacy.

One more advantage of printed books is that you mark them up and make notes on them. Having a hard copy of your notes and highlighted passages can be helpful when you need to refer back to them in the future. Furthermore, the e-ink of e-books can cause eye strain and headaches for certain people, so for them, reading a physical book is preferable to staring at a screen for lengthy periods.

The aesthetic value of bookshelves is recognized by many. Displaying one’s own book collection can be a point of pride and an effective way to make a space feel more inviting and comfortable. A book’s physical form can evoke memories of a moment in one’s life, a person, a gift, or a special place.

Real Books Can Still Hold Value

First editions, limited editions, and special editions are just some of the book variants that collectors seek out.

First editions are the first printing of a book and can be valuable to collectors because they are considered the most authentic version of the book. Limited editions are a smaller run of a book, often with special features such as a unique cover design or additional illustrations. They can be valuable to collectors because they are rarer than regular editions.

Collectors also value special editions for the extra material and unique artwork they contain. Slipcases, exceptional bindings, and author signatures are possible extras.

Books that have gone out of print or are otherwise hard to get by attract the attention of collectors. The rarity of these books could increase their market value. Books that celebrities or historical individuals once held may also attract collectors’ attention because of the value they may have because of this historical connection.

The E-book Experience

Reading from a tablet, e-reader, or computer means you always have access to your library, and it also means you can bring multiple books with you without worrying about their taking up too much room. An electronic book’s user interface often consists of standard navigational elements like a table of contents, a search bar, and a mechanism for turning the pages. Some people may find it simpler to read an e-book because of its flexibility in changing the font size, spacing, and contrast.

Adding multimedia features like videos, audio, and interactive graphics to an e-book can make it more interesting to read. As a bonus, those who have trouble reading can have their e-books read aloud to them via text-to-speech software.

Electronic books can be borrowed from public libraries for free and are typically less expensive than traditional books.

E-Books Are Generally Cheaper

Electronic books are typically more affordable than physical copies, though this varies by publisher and vendor. This is because there is no need to pay for electronic books’ production, distribution, or storage.

E-books are already cheaper than print books, but you can save much more money by purchasing them from one of the many online bookstores that often run sales and specials. For a monthly price, customers of certain online bookstores can gain access to a vast library of electronic books through a subscription service. For serious readers, this could be a great way to save money.

However, producing, transporting, and storing physical books can make them more expensive than their digital counterparts. The sales tax may also be applied to the purchase of physical books.

Depending on the country and the publisher, an e-book may be more than the price of a physical copy of the same book. In addition, the cost of digital versions of older books, especially those that are out of print, can exceed that of their physical counterparts.

Which To Choose? An E-book Or A Real Book?

Whether an e-book or a physical book is preferable is a matter of personal preference. Both have their own unique benefits and drawbacks.

E-books offer convenience and accessibility, as they can be easily stored on a device, downloaded and accessed immediately, and take up less space than physical books. They also offer adjustable settings such as font size, spacing, and contrast, making reading easier for some people. Additionally, e-books can be more cost-effective and environmentally friendly.

On the other hand, physical books offer a more tactile and immersive reading experience, with the feeling of the pages and the smell of the paper. They can also be physically highlighted, annotated, and shared with others. For some people, the aesthetic of having books on a bookshelf is also an essential factor.

Ultimately, choosing between an e-book and a physical book will depend on an individual’s preferences, reading habits, and lifestyle. Some people may prefer the convenience and accessibility of e-books, while others may prefer the physicality and aesthetic of physical books.