Tuesday, September 23, 2008

A Book of a Different Stripe

Read a good book lately? You know – you find them on bookshelves in libraries and bookstores, on the nightstand beside your bed, in the back of the closet taking up space, stacked in a corner of the garage (read those, now what do I do with them?), in your carryon while traveling, in the beach bag, beside your favorite chair, on the kitchen counter, on the coffee table, and just about anyplace else you can put something down.

Books. We love them. One of the defining characteristics of an advanced civilization. The Egyptians and Mayans had them. As a society we buy them by the truckload. Literally. Millions and millions of them every year. We read em and… well, then we’re through with them. From tree to paper to print to read to…

Did you know there are other types of books? Books with pages that never yellow, covers that never get torn off, corners that never get dog eared? As a matter of fact I have 382 books right here on my desk. How much do 382 books weigh? How big is my desk? How do I keep track of them all? Here’s a better one for you. Every time I travel I take them with me. Yep. All 382 make whatever pilgrimage I happen to embark on.

And what authors are in my library? A lot. From Shakespeare to Clancy, James (as in Roscoe) to Coots. A little Twain, a lot of Dickens, a touch of Verne, and even Emily Bronte just to name a few.

Nope, I don’t have a small army of Sherpas following me around. No big steamer trunks that cost all that extra freight. My brother doesn’t have to rent a U-Haul every time I stop in to say hi.

They’re a book of a different stripe. A book that can’t be weighed, a book that is just as new and complete twenty years from now as it was the day I bought it. I would guess that considering my son, your daughter, maybe even you carry around a thousand plus songs at any given time none of this should come as a surprise. That’s right – the book has gone the way of the iPod. Well, not exactly the iPod but you can read them on any manner of handheld electronic equipment. Even your PDA.


E-books. Electronic books. A book that you don’t have to go to a bookstore to buy. A collection of books that are measured and weighed in terms of bits and bites of space on storage media. A book that weighs as much as whatever you happen to be reading it on. If I wanted I could buy a hundred books today and never leave my office. And guess what… free delivery is included and immediate.


This is the book of the future. I’ve included a few pictures here of what’s available in the market as dedicated e-book readers. As an author I sell books not e-book readers so I'm not giving brand names or blurbs. I just wanted you to get a look at the latest in reading. Some really neat stuff. Of course we’re all waiting for the price to come down. But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy an e-book today – no special reader needed. Just download to your PC and you’re all set.


So, why would you want an ebook? As you discover this still young, but growing industry while surfing the Internet, you will discover ePublishers and eBookstores gradually growing in numbers.


Excellent, talented authors take their books to the Net, market/promote and sell those books. As you journey through the ePublishing world you will find outstanding, spell-binding reads all at the tip of your finger.

What are you waiting for? Just search e-books and get started today. Of course, you could always stop over at one of my publishers (http://www.liquidsilverbooks.com/) and pick up one of my favorite authors – me. Okay, a shameless plug but I do hope you check out the exciting world of electron books. Have fun and tell ‘em Roscoe sent ya.





Thanks for dropping by.


Roscoe James


2 comments:

Y said...

i really need to get one of these. i hate when i am in the middle of a book and my husband leaves town on a business trip and takes the laptop with him and i don't get to finish my book.
hmmm i think i ought to put it on my Christmas wish list *grin*

Roscoe James said...

Hi Y! How goes all? Did you know you can also read them on a PDA? Course, the screen is awful small but in a pinch it will do the trick.

RJ