Heard my first evil ebook commercial today

[Sydney's Mom]

A chain bookstore (not Borders or B&N) was advertising, and denigrating ebooks. "We all have technology, we know how to use it, we don't need to use it to read. Come buy a real book."

You know you are getting to them when they start firing back.

[HansTWN]

What they mean to say is "Go buy a real book in ebook version from someone else, we don't want your business." Or perhaps they target this ad at the Amish community?

[Sydney's Mom]

I don't think there is a big Amish community in Chicago, but who knows?

[brecklundin]

Originally Posted by Sydney's Mom

A chain bookstore (not Borders or B&N) was advertising, and denigrating ebooks. "We all have technology, we know how to use it, we don't need to use it to read. Come buy a real book."

You know you are getting to them when they start firing back.

I think we need to write them a letter....now where did I put that stone tablet, chisel & mallet?

[WT Sharpe]

The anti-ebook people with whom I feel the greatest empathy are those who point out how you lose so much of the traditional reading experience with electronic devices. I’m speaking here of the folks who remind us that a real book is something solid that you can hold in your hands; that you can feel; that you can smell.

I understand that because I like feeling and smelling paper books as much anybody. Why, some days I spend hours in libraries and bookstores just going around feeling one book after another. Whenever I find one of particular interest I pick it up and--after first looking around to make sure no one’s watching--give it a good long sniff.

However, for reading, I prefer an electronic book reader. They're lighter, easier to hold, you don't have to worry about losing your bookmark, definitions of unknown words are only a couple of clicks away, shopping for books is quick and hassle-free, and since they're small enough to hold in one hand, those of us who like feeling and smelling books while we read can always keep a good-smelling and tactilely gratifying paper book nearby for that purpose.

[ardeegee]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

I understand that because I like feeling and smelling paper books as much anybody. Why, some days I spend hours in libraries and bookstores just going around feeling one book after another. Whenever I find one of particular interest I pick it up and--after first looking around to make sure no one’s watching--give it a good long sniff.

I used to do that at Victoria's Secret.

Until the restraining order.

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by ardeegee

I used to do that at Victoria's Secret.

Until the restraining order.

Sorry to hear that. The worst I’ve had to contend with are the dirty looks and shushes from librarians after a long “Ahhhhhh” has been inadvertently emitted following a particularly satisfying book sniffing.

[brecklundin]

I guess the library books I sniff must have been dropped in the toilet or stored in a bucket or mothballs given their, um, distinctive aroma...

The smell of a book never exactly "...blew my skirt up..." so I really don't get that whole thing about the experience aromatic and tactile feel of a "good" mass market million seller hardback produced for the mass market, how is that anything different from a nice trade paperback?

I do, however appreciate the craftsmanship of a true quality book with sewn bindings, nice tooled covers, protective cover pages and nice gilt lettering and hand tipped artwork. Those are something to behold and treasure...and something to NEVER stop producing and I don't care if they cost a few hundred bucks each because I appreciate the talent it takes to produce a real book. A mass market hardback is just nothing special to me at all...they are called "best sellers for a reason" there are a LOT of copies out there. Like I wrote, I far prefer the feel and nice type faces and text size found in trade PB editions. I just get the sense they are intended for actual readers.

[Bremen Cole]

Originally Posted by HansTWN

What they mean to say is "Go buy a real book in ebook version from someone else, we don't want your business." Or perhaps they target this ad at the Amish community?

Well said.

And when I think of how many people have taken that library book home, held it for hours, sit on the can with it, lay in bed holding it..... no thanks.... I'll take my reader any day.

I agree a new book smells nice. I used to enjoy the smell of a new vinyl record right after the wrap was cut... but you get over it. And nothing beats the smell of cooking over a wood stove, but time moves on....

Perhaps they can come out with an air freshener like the one that gives your car that new smell again. Call it "new book" and you could spray it in the room while you read.....

[sianon]

Originally Posted by brecklundin

I guess the library books I sniff must have been dropped in the toilet or stored in a bucket or mothballs given their, um, distinctive aroma...

The smell of a book never exactly "...blew my skirt up..." so I really don't get that whole thing about the experience aromatic and tactile feel of a "good" mass market million seller hardback produced for the mass market, how is that anything different from a nice trade paperback?

I do, however appreciate the craftsmanship of a true quality book with sewn bindings, nice tooled covers, protective cover pages and nice gilt lettering and hand tipped artwork. Those are something to behold and treasure...and something to NEVER stop producing and I don't care if they cost a few hundred bucks each because I appreciate the talent it takes to produce a real book. A mass market hardback is just nothing special to me at all...they are called "best sellers for a reason" there are a LOT of copies out there. Like I wrote, I far prefer the feel and nice type faces and text size found in trade PB editions. I just get the sense they are intended for actual readers.

I spent three years working as a book binging assistant, and yes, the experience of holding a first edition Charles Dickens or a book of Robbie Burns poetry or many other old and rare books that passed by my work station for the delicate task of restoration work was incomaprable to anything else on this earth (other than being with a stunningly hunky male). But for every day reading of mass produced novels, well the difference in quality and experience is sooooooo far from those ancient volumes as to be laughable.

We also produced quality leather bindings for magazine subscriptions (this is where I gained my love for photography, a customer would bring in his yearly collections of train magazines for binding, and the images were mind blowing in terms of the use of light(.

We also produced quality leather bound journals.

All our work was hand sewn and bound. Gold embossed lettering. True quality workmanship and the e-book experience will never equal what we produced, however this was production for a specialist market and not for the mass produced novel whcih is ideally suited to an E-ink screen.

Karen

[dsvick]

The people that are the most threatened by eBooks are going to be the traditional book stores. For every eBook sold that is probably one less customer that will come walking in their door. They can minimize that to some extent by making eBooks available at their stores for download, but I don't think that that will help too much since part of the appeal of the eBook is that you can download it to your PC (and even directly to the reader) without ever leaving the house, at best that approach may get them some additional walk ins from people that are out and about already.

They will need to come up with some sort of additional marketing approach to get their business to continue as eBook sales increase. Give a free eBook to customers for certain pBook purchases, or something of that nature.

[omk3]

It seems there are two "books". One is the object: its shape, its smell, its quality of paper, its binding, its typeface, etc etc etc. The other is the content. The words in it. The ideas in it. When people say "real book" and refer to the first, it makes me wonder. Yes, old expertly bound volumes are beautiful objects. As are many antiques in general. Like entering an old magnificent building, touching such books is a special feeling. But it has nothing to do with reading. When you are immersed in an interesting book, are you even aware of what format you are reading it on?

[ziegl027]

Originally Posted by dsvick

The people that are the most threatened by eBooks are going to be the traditional book stores.

Even more so are the USED book stores. I happened to hear the ad, too, and it's for a regional chain of used/odd lot book stores.

BTW, they trotted out the "can't read in the bath" line. Guess they never heard of Ziploc.

[OnceAWolf]

One way they could get me back into the store would be to give the eBook version for free. I have in the past read many series (the early books are getting very worn from rereading) but if I could buy the Hard dead tree and get a free legal copy of the ebook I would spend more time in the book store.

[Sydney's Mom]

Originally Posted by ziegl027

Even more so are the USED book stores. I happened to hear the ad, too, and it's for a regional chain of used/odd lot book stores.

Ewwww, those smell, and it ain't nice!