Question of the Week: Hardback Books?
It’s time for Question of the Week, designed to inspire interesting discussions of enjoyable topics.
This week’s question: do you buy any hardback books? No wrong answers, obviously.
I ask this question because I was reading an article about how for many traditionally published authors hardbacks used to be the primary source of royalties, but nowadays for many authors that has been superseded by audiobooks. Since I’m indie, my main source of revenue has always been ebooks.
Anyway, I do buy hardbacks, but very, very selectively. Like, if Timothy Zahn, Jim Butcher, and a few other select authors I’ve been reading for decades have a new hardcover, I’ll buy it. Otherwise, it’s ebooks or paperback. For nonfiction books, I’m a bit less choosy – if I read, say, a historical ebook and like it, I might get the hardback to keep as a future reference book.
-JM
I only read ebooks now. I have not bought a physical book in over a decade.
Hardcovers, being very expensive, are a big no-no for me. Though I’d love to be able to afford hardcovers, it’s always either paperbacks or ebooks.
If I am getting paper, I will do my best to make it hardback. Paperback books have a limited lifespan and number of readings in them compared to hardback books. Most of my book purchasing is ebooks, but reference works and great stories get the hardback treatment.
Only if there is no paperback.
ebooks and audiobooks all the way. They are generally cheaper and easier to read, or with audiobooks I can do other things while i listen. Also as I get older being able to increase the font size makes it easier to read.