---
layout: post
title: "Turning the corner on ebook buying"
description: "Advantages of the digital format now outweigh considerations of even lower priced physical books"
categories:
- Publishing
tags:
- ebook
---
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Reamde-ebook/dp/B004XVN0WW"><img class="image image-left" src="/images/2011/10/reamde-amazon.jpg" /></a>

I am a voracious reader. When I am in "reading mode", I can consume 3 books a week. I'm not reading that much right now, which means I "only" read about a book a week or so.

When I first got my iPhone 4 (a little less than a year ago), I experimented with all the different ebook stores. Eventually, due mainly to availability, I settled on the Amazon Kindle store as the main place where I buy ebooks.

I've bought a handful of 99¢ books as experiments. I find reading on my iPhone convenient: the Retina-quality screen, auto-dimming when I'm reading at night, and having always-on access to my library.

More recently, I've shifted my paperback buying (used to be at the $7 - $10 level) to $3 - $6 ebooks. The paperback format is of zero value to me – it really is all about the content.

I link above to Neal Stephenson's newest book, <em>Reamde</em>. It's the first book I've bought at the "hardcover price" level of $16 (it's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Reamde-Novel-Neal-Stephenson/dp/0061977969">$19 for the physical hardcover from Amazon</a>).

I don't care that I can get it for the same or lower price at a Chapters or other big box bookstore.

I've turned the corner on ebook buying: the advantages of the digital format now outweigh considerations of even lower priced physical books.