Kindle hinders literary snobbism

[Nate the great]

Originally Posted by DixieGal

Introverts!

This is an honest question, probing that disturbing mind...

If you were reading in a cafe or park bench at lunchtime, and if Tim and I sat down beside you, all nice and friendly and smililng, and pointed at your reader while saying, "I'll show you mine if you show me yours," how would you feel?

I ask, because this scenario is likely to happen. Would an introvert feel intruded upon, angry, glad to chat about a common interest, or backed into a corner by two happy extroverts? I'd like to know, because for one thing, I would never want to make someone feel threatened or anything.

In my extrovert mind... disturbing also... I would welcome such an intrusion.

I would like an exchange of information, particularly if it lets me look at what you read (I'm nosy). Even if it's just a PDA I would be interested.

[montsnmags]

Intruded upon and backed into a corner, but please don't think it would show itself in impolite behaviour, despite my hyperbole above. I am, surprisingly, a quite friendly person. It is unlikely, however, for you to catch me reading in such a place, being aware of my assorted anxieties and need for undisturbed focus. If I was walking my dogs, however, then your curiosity would be welcome.

Cheers,
Marc (from iPod so apologies for any discontinuity)

[DixieGal]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

I would like an exchange of information, particularly if it lets me look at what you read (I'm nosy). Even if it's just a PDA I would be interested.

So that's a yes, it wouldn't bother you too much if I started up a conversation with you about our readers.

Originally Posted by montsnmags

Intruded upon and backed into a corner, but please don't think it would show itself in impolite behaviour, despite my hyperbole above. I am, surprisingly, a quite friendly person. It is unlikely, however, for you to catch me reading in such a place, being aware of my assorted anxieties and need for undisturbed focus. If I was walking my dogs, however, then your curiosity would be welcome.

Cheers,
Marc (from iPod so apologies for any discontinuity)

And that's a no, because it would make you uncomfortable and ruin things.

How do I tell the difference between the yes and no people? Maybe just waggle my reader at them as bait and see if they bite?

[pwjone1]

I read the NYTimes article, it was an interesting hypothesis. Of course, the dirt simple answer, is for the person snooping to say "Oh! New Kindle! May have a peek?" and then check out the reading list that way. My printed book-stacks are off in other rooms, not where I entertain. For someone in Manhattan, writing for NYT, kind of unlikely they'll have separate rooms, probably they didn't think it through. eBooks, while they're still relatively new, actually make it more likely for someone to be able to snoop.

But ultimately, my reaction was ultimately "Who cares?". I remember when PCs first came along, with local printers, people decried the speed with which people could write and edit. Some said that all great novels should be written on a typewriter (and I suppose before that, in long-hand), so that the writer took time and carefully crafted the work, that cheap PCs made it too easy to write. And while there are some luddites still out there, I think the general consensus is that it is the less time spent typing (or writing in longhand), the more time left for writing. Probably someone somewhere is decrying the demise of cave painting, too.

Ultimately eBooks will make it easier to acquire literary works, easier to carry them around, and easier to actually read them. eBooks are still in their infancy, but they will change the way we read, and from what I can tell, ultimately for the better.

Paul Jones

[Elfwreck]

Originally Posted by DixieGal

Introverts!

If you were reading in a cafe or park bench at lunchtime, and if Tim and I sat down beside you, all nice and friendly and smililng, and pointed at your reader while saying, "I'll show you mine if you show me yours," how would you feel?

I'm a severe introvert. Can disappear in a crowd of three, and not mind it.

I don't mind being approached in public, especially about tech. I'm perfectly comfortable talking about the techie-toy I have out, and what I like & dislike about it. I get asked about my Sony Reader about once a week on the train; I happily tell them how much it costs, where to get ebooks online, and that they should check out Mobileread for more info.

What I don't want to discuss with strangers is what I read, other than in vague terms (scifi, and fanfic), or why someone wearing $5 flip-flops spent $300 on book device. (Which is not a question I expect, but there are some who will attempt to pry financial info out of anyone they meet.)

As long as the conversation stays on the device, not my personal life, I'm fine. And I deliberately arrange distractions to avoid conversation about my personal life. (I have waist-length green hair. People ask about that. Talking about the price of Manic Panic keeps the conversation away from areas I don't want to discuss.)

[astra]

Originally Posted by DixieGal

Introverts!

Guilty!

[Elfwreck]

I'm amused at this part:

Anne Fadiman, the author, was relieved to learn that her essay collection, “Ex Libris,” was not available on Kindle. “It would really be ironic if it were,” she said of the book, which evokes her abiding passion for books as objects.

“There’s a little box on Amazon that reads ‘Tell the publisher I’d like to read this book on Kindle,’ ” she said. “I hope no one tells the publisher.”

Aren't ebook publishing rights something that's included (or excluded) in a contract? If she didn't want it published as an ebook, she had a chance to prevent it.

[sirbruce]

Depends on the publisher. I have never negotiated a book contract before but I imagine if they offered a standard provision for electronic display rights on typical terms and you didn't want to give them you might not get published at all.

[krisk]

I can't imagine what would be the impetus for an author to decline e-publication. I know JK has said she is adamantly against it, but cannot understand why.

[Elfwreck]

Originally Posted by krisk

I can't imagine what would be the impetus for an author to decline e-publication. I know JK has said she is adamantly against it, but cannot understand why.

JK may just fear piracy. (We will, perhaps, not look at the logic of that one too closely.)

In Fadiman's case, the book is about her love of books--collecting, displaying, sorting, sharing--and she wants her work to promote that kind of love of books. And it loses something if converted to ebook--the person reading doesn't have paper pages to turn while reading, and has lost one of the ways to connect with the author's message. The medium "paper book" is part of what she's presenting. (At least, that's what I gather. YMMV.)

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by DixieGal

If you were reading in a cafe or park bench at lunchtime, and if Tim and I sat down beside you, all nice and friendly and smililng, and pointed at your reader while saying, "I'll show you mine if you show me yours," how would you feel?

Let's see... I'm thinking of old movies... Cary Grant would probably be the reader, and maybe Audrey Hepburn would ask. Cary would either A) give a sour look, and silently angle his chair away from Audrey, or B) offer a friendly, casual smile and turn his book Audrey's way.

Either way, I think Audrey would get the point.

Now, if we're talking Catherine, she'd probably bug and needle him until he gave in and showed her, just to shut her up...

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by sirbruce

Depends on the publisher. I have never negotiated a book contract before but I imagine if they offered a standard provision for electronic display rights on typical terms and you didn't want to give them you might not get published at all.

From what I've heard, the situation tends to be exactly that... and the author usually just gives in to the publisher to get that contract signed. Of course, as long as e-books remain a small percentage of their expected profit, they probably don't think it's worth dickering over. As e-books become more prominent, that could change... but only if writers are drawn to publishers with better e-book negotiations, influencing the other pubs to ease up on their contracts.

[timezone]

Originally Posted by DixieGal

Introverts!

This is an honest question, probing that disturbing mind...

If you were reading in a cafe or park bench at lunchtime, and if Tim and I sat down beside you, all nice and friendly and smililng, and pointed at your reader while saying, "I'll show you mine if you show me yours," how would you feel?

I ask, because this scenario is likely to happen. Would an introvert feel intruded upon, angry, glad to chat about a common interest, or backed into a corner by two happy extroverts? I'd like to know, because for one thing, I would never want to make someone feel threatened or anything.

In my extrovert mind... disturbing also... I would welcome such an intrusion.

We already do it. A mention today on NPR brought it to my attention. People already ask what is on your ipod playlist. A similar situation where the record or CD collection is now on the ipod.

[Fledchen]

Originally Posted by DixieGal

Introverts!

This is an honest question, probing that disturbing mind...

If you were reading in a cafe or park bench at lunchtime, and if Tim and I sat down beside you, all nice and friendly and smililng, and pointed at your reader while saying, "I'll show you mine if you show me yours," how would you feel?

I ask, because this scenario is likely to happen. Would an introvert feel intruded upon, angry, glad to chat about a common interest, or backed into a corner by two happy extroverts? I'd like to know, because for one thing, I would never want to make someone feel threatened or anything.

In my extrovert mind... disturbing also... I would welcome such an intrusion.

As someone with an obvious physical disability, I'm ecstatic when conversations with strangers center around something other than:
1. Unsolicited medical advice
2. Unsolicited spiritual advice
3. "oh, you poor brave little dear..."

So I would probably be happy to chatter about books and ebooks, and talk your ear off about books in various accessible formats.

[narbeauchamp]

Maybe its because I'm a slightly nosy gadget geek-I have just as easily started conversations from looking at a physical book someone is reading-but have also talked to people with electronic book readers ,asked them about the devices AND what they are reading.Plus-my back is thanking me for not carrying all these books around.And if you want to see what books are on my bookshelves (and storage and other residences)-that can easily be solved too ...

I don't mind being approached,typically when I want to read without being interrupted-its pretty obvious (even if I'm in public).

Matter of fact a few weeks,maybe a month ago-during some downtime in between challenge appraisals at regional DI tournament-I was approached by a few people and asked about our e-reader devices-and I know one person did go out and buy one-as we corresponded afterwards about them for a while (I even told them to look on mobileread for information ! )-I was hoping to see them this past weekend at NYDI state tournament but no such luck.