[Lady Fitzgerald]

For me, e-books are more likely to broaden my experiences in reading (and already have, to a limited degree), especially when it comes to public domain classics. I'm far more likely to try new authors and genres if I am able to get them for free or cheap (I am on a budget), without the time constraints public libraries have to impose, and without having to browse a bookstore. I love bookstores, especially used ones, but, at the same time, I find it very frustrating to dig through racks upon racks of books when it would be so much easier and faster to browse online from the comfort of my home at any time of day or night.

Mayhap part of the problem the OP is lamenting is the idea of witing an e-book vs. a paper book. Why the distinction? To me, a book is a book no matter the media it is delivered in, be it hard back, paperback, audio book, e-book, or papyrus scroll; the content remains the same. The differences in media merely reflect current technology, ease of use for a variety of people, what one is comfortable with, and how much one is willing to pay. I personally find audio books difficult to follow (having ADD makes it difficult to stay focused) and, thus, detest them. Other people find them easier, especially when multitasking. There are people who look down upon paperbacks (likely from the outdated unsavory reputation they gained because, when first introduced, they were mostly used for really tawdry trash stories) and will only read hard backs. To me, expense is the important criteria. Granted, a huge bookshelf filled to the gills with beautifully leather bound books is impressive to behold (and I love the smell of leather). But, in the end, the content is the same so why should an author set out to write an e-book? For the past ten to twenty years or more, pretty much all books have started out in a digital form that was easily edited and formatted before being transformed to the target media. For reading at home, I'm finding e-books to be far more convenient than paper books. Once ebook readers advance to a level of technology and price I find accceptable, I'll prefer them over a paper version when away from the house. Will it narrow my reading experience? Not even! Even if a new title comes out I want to read and is only available in paper or DRMed e-book forms, I'll buy the non DRMed paper book, cut it apart, and scan it (I will be doing so anyway so it won't matter if I do it before reading it or afterward).

Again, no matter the media, the content is the same so, once the technophobes and tech snobs get over themselves, it should be business as usual.