So why e-publshing?

I read something earlier this year that struck me as a profound cultural change, a tipping point.  This year we crossed the point where Amazon sold more ebooks than paper ones. E-books had been creeping up, but recently took a huge leap.   At the time I heard this I didn't own an e-reader yet, but I was struggling with another reality, that I was no longer able to hold any book for more than a few minutes due to the arthritis and pain in my hands.  I was also limited in how many books I could carry along on a trip, because I don't manage luggage as well as I used to.  I am a very fast reader, and have been known to finish three or four books on a trip and, rather than carry them, give them away to another reader in the waiting area or on the plane.

Because disability and accommodation are related to my other job, I began to think about how the iPad and Kindle and Nook and other ereaders have opened up options to people with disabilities.  If, like me, you can't use your hands in certain ways, an e-reader on a stand is much easier to negotiate. If carrying a lot of paper books is a barrier -- you can carry more than you can imagine in your ereader and download more whenever you want to purchase them. The related field of audio books has removed siginicant barriers for people with vision disabilities. Our world is changing and the changes are more accessible to people with many different types of disabilities.

The final reason for taking this route is related to Tami Dee, a friend I met through an on-line critique group who has published with my publisher.  I saw the fantastic cover art developed for her, and I joined the book club and ordered her books and learned how easy it is to get great deals on books I really enjoy.

Perhaps some days I will long to hold the paper page in my hand.  The original Star Trek series showed us the nostalga with which Captain Kirk held the printed books in his collection, and that theme has been repeated in other science fiction worlds.

I have an e-reader now, and I am not missing those books at all, at least not yet.  The ease with which I can carry and read large numbers of books thrills me.  It has been awhile since I have read so much, simply because I lacked the stamina to hold a book long enough.  Now I always have the latest book with me, and it is convenient to read it a few minutes or a few hours, depending on my schedule.

So I decided the world is moving to e-publishing for many reasons.  I am on that bandwagon! 

Tomorrow, more about why this publisher.