is there an ereader market for straight men?

hermes · 05-31-2011, 04:19 AM

I rarely find what I am really looking for in books, paper or digital. The titles I would pay $500 for are...

1. How to Make a Billion Dollars While in a Beachchair in Vietnam (not the junk that actually is being sold, preferably by limited edition of 1000).

2. Where to Find the Most Beautiful Women in the World (extremely well researched with lots of photos, not just some guy trying to sell a book. Limited edition of 100).

3. Even Better... How to Make a Million Dollars Photographing the Most Beautiful Women in the World (notice the sober compromise in money. Limited edition of one)

OK, less ideal books - Traditional Beekeeping and Herbs for Brain Health would be acceptable. Sure, reference books do exist, but I get the impression that instead ebooks are predominantly textual fiction rather than image-rich non-fiction. The B&W limitations of ereaders could have something to do with this.

Instead of fascinating marvels of how-to secrets on life's greatest questions (not 'why am I here?' but 'where do get laid?' and 'what countries have a flat tax rate?') there are lots have those kind of titles, usually hugely disappointing. I find award-winning, astute, insightful, artfully written books on relationships (ugh), developing psychic abilities, the history of war, medical speculation, and other time wasters of life's diversions from sex and making money. I don't know if I am an eccentric or more likely the heterosexual male brain is not hardwired for reading. I read to *prepare* for the real world of smells and objects and actions, not for entertainment (or so I lie to myself).

A publisher friend in NYC tells me that book buyers are overwhelmingly females and homosexual men. Truth or fact?

wyndslash · 05-31-2011, 04:58 AM

...what? o_o; i think i got confused trying to reconcile the second part of your post with the first part...

ardeegee · 05-31-2011, 07:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wyndslash

...what? o_o; i think i got confused trying to reconcile the second part of your post with the first part...

I think that this pretty much sums it up.

DiapDealer · 05-31-2011, 08:22 AM

If straight men are supposed to focus on titles about making money or getting laid, I'll gladly be mis-labeled as a homosexual reader.

Quote:

I read to *prepare* for the real world of smells and objects and actions, not for entertainment (or so I lie to myself).

How much preparation do you need? I'm on the down-hill slide of my time in the real world. Preparation is done... it's time to play.

wyndslash · 05-31-2011, 09:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

If straight men are supposed to focus on titles about making money or getting laid, I'll gladly be mis-labeled as a homosexual reader.

queentess · 05-31-2011, 10:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ardeegee

I think that this pretty much sums it up.

Yep

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

If straight men are supposed to focus on titles about making money or getting laid, I'll gladly be mis-labeled as a homosexual reader.

Yeah... I'm really confused by this assumption that straight males (or anyone, really) only want to read books about getting laid and making money. Perhaps his time would be better spent watching Jersey Shore to "prepare for the real world". Or hey, maybe Real World! I hear that show is exactly like living real life.

I don't supposed it's ever crossed his mind that being intelligent and well-read can create a common basis between people, which can result in sex. Or making money.

mcrow24 · 05-31-2011, 10:36 AM

The OP is so bizzare I don't even know how to respond.

As far as I know readers are ranked by number like this:

#1-Straight Females
#2 Straigth Males
#3- Gay Females and Males

The % of gays is so low that I highly doubt you could combine both gay females and males and have half the number male readers.

OtterBooks · 05-31-2011, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hermes

I read to *prepare* for the real world of smells and objects and actions, not for entertainment (or so I lie to myself).

Good fiction does this far better than non-fiction. Non-fiction provides information; fiction provides understanding. I believe your post may be a case in point. -Wait. I think my post is.

MartinC · 05-31-2011, 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by queentess

I'm really confused by this assumption that straight males (or anyone, really) only want to read books about getting laid and making money.

Me too. Did anyone ever achieve either as a result of reading a book on the subject? You'd get better results by taking a shower and backing a long shot.

Kevin2960 · 05-31-2011, 11:11 AM

Well I was straight when I woke this morning, and I've read using my Kindle, haven't noticed any changes in my sexual preferences so I guess I'm still straight ... Am I odd ?

Of course I am, but I think most the men using eReaders are straight, and normal and just enjoy books, gadgets and convenience in the way they read and carry books around ... I think that's pretty much like anyone else who uses an eReader !

Oh and I don't give a Damn whether another eReader fan is Straight, Gay or a Martian Asexual Creature, if they like reading, I pretty much like them !

kindlekitten · 05-31-2011, 11:15 AM

I'm going to have come back and read this after I've had some coffee

DiapDealer · 05-31-2011, 11:29 AM

To be fair, I believe the OP's tongue was at least partially in his cheek... hot-button-topic attention-whoring aside.

OtterBooks · 05-31-2011, 11:33 AM

That wasn't entirely lost on me. Actually I rather enjoyed the post. 8/10

Elfwreck · 05-31-2011, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hermes

A publisher friend in NYC tells me that book buyers are overwhelmingly females and homosexual men. Truth or fact?

Yes; those 12 million copies of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows were sold to women and gay boys. You can expect that any boy who's read Harry Potter or Diary of a Wimpy Kid is probably gay.
[/sarcasm]

Does your publisher friend have a name, or any statistics to support that claim?

Hm. Where do bisexual men fit on that chart? All the bisexual men I know are avid readers; I wonder if publishers think they're gay.

SeaBookGuy · 05-31-2011, 12:25 PM

Not just ereaders, virtually all men who read any books are gay it seems.

If this thread was supposed to be a joke, it's a really, really bad one.

05-31-2011, 11:11 AM	#10
Kevin2960 YODA's Uglier Twin Posts: 974 Karma: 6295251 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Leicester, UK Device: PRS-600 and 2 Kindle 3's - and now a K4 + HTC Desire HD	Well I was straight when I woke this morning, and I've read using my Kindle, haven't noticed any changes in my sexual preferences so I guess I'm still straight ... Am I odd ? Of course I am, but I think most the men using eReaders are straight, and normal and just enjoy books, gadgets and convenience in the way they read and carry books around ... I think that's pretty much like anyone else who uses an eReader ! Oh and I don't give a Damn whether another eReader fan is Straight, Gay or a Martian Asexual Creature, if they like reading, I pretty much like them ! Last edited by Kevin2960; 05-31-2011 at 11:15 AM.

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05-31-2011, 04:19 AM	#1
hermes non-techy Posts: 110 Karma: 50586 Join Date: May 2011 Location: wherever I can afford to get laid and eat vegetarian Device: Sony pocket edition and Kobo touch both died - looking at Kindles	is there an ereader market for straight men? I rarely find what I am really looking for in books, paper or digital. The titles I would pay $500 for are... 1. How to Make a Billion Dollars While in a Beachchair in Vietnam (not the junk that actually is being sold, preferably by limited edition of 1000). 2. Where to Find the Most Beautiful Women in the World (extremely well researched with lots of photos, not just some guy trying to sell a book. Limited edition of 100). 3. Even Better... How to Make a Million Dollars Photographing the Most Beautiful Women in the World (notice the sober compromise in money. Limited edition of one) OK, less ideal books - Traditional Beekeeping and Herbs for Brain Health would be acceptable. Sure, reference books do exist, but I get the impression that instead ebooks are predominantly textual fiction rather than image-rich non-fiction. The B&W limitations of ereaders could have something to do with this. Instead of fascinating marvels of how-to secrets on life's greatest questions (not 'why am I here?' but 'where do get laid?' and 'what countries have a flat tax rate?') there are lots have those kind of titles, usually hugely disappointing. I find award-winning, astute, insightful, artfully written books on relationships (ugh), developing psychic abilities, the history of war, medical speculation, and other time wasters of life's diversions from sex and making money. I don't know if I am an eccentric or more likely the heterosexual male brain is not hardwired for reading. I read to prepare for the real world of smells and objects and actions, not for entertainment (or so I lie to myself). A publisher friend in NYC tells me that book buyers are overwhelmingly females and homosexual men. Truth or fact? Last edited by hermes; 05-31-2011 at 04:22 AM.

05-31-2011, 04:58 AM	#2
wyndslash Wizard Posts: 2,951 Karma: 3000001 Join Date: Feb 2011 Device: Kindle 3 wifi, Kindle Fire	...what? o_o; i think i got confused trying to reconcile the second part of your post with the first part...

05-31-2011, 10:36 AM	#7
mcrow24 Connoisseur Posts: 82 Karma: 35788 Join Date: May 2011 Device: Kindle,Augen "The book", Nook	The OP is so bizzare I don't even know how to respond. As far as I know readers are ranked by number like this: #1-Straight Females #2 Straigth Males #3- Gay Females and Males The % of gays is so low that I highly doubt you could combine both gay females and males and have half the number male readers.

05-31-2011, 11:15 AM	#11
kindlekitten Professional Adventuress Posts: 13,368 Karma: 50260224 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: The Olympic Peninsula on the OTHER Washington! (the big green clean one on the west coast!) Device: Kindle, the original! Times Two! and gifting an International Kindle	I'm going to have come back and read this after I've had some coffee

05-31-2011, 11:29 AM	#12
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 28,891 Karma: 207182180 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD	To be fair, I believe the OP's tongue was at least partially in his cheek... hot-button-topic attention-whoring aside.

05-31-2011, 11:33 AM	#13
OtterBooks Wizard Posts: 1,262 Karma: 2979086 Join Date: Nov 2010 Device: Kindle 4, iPad Mini/Retina	That wasn't entirely lost on me. Actually I rather enjoyed the post. 8/10

05-31-2011, 12:25 PM	#15
SeaBookGuy Can one read too much? Posts: 2,029 Karma: 2487799 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Naples, FL Device: Kindle PW 3, Sony 350 and 650	Not just ereaders, virtually all men who read any books are gay it seems. If this thread was supposed to be a joke, it's a really, really bad one.