**Opinions Needed**

[ianbuchanan]

I think in this day and time, this is not something that people are going to use. I can borrow books for free from my library and read them on my kindle. Or our library has a book mobile that will bring any book I want for free, no deliver fee at all. If I do purchase a book it is rare and it typically costs no more than a few dollars. I haven't spent probably more than $50 on books in the last 5 years. Ereaders are so cheap to buy as well or heck you can even just use your smart phone so most people don't see the need to have actual books anymore. Plus you don't have to worry about how to return them, when to return them or if you bought it, having extra books lying around collecting dust. Probably about 20 years ago this would have been a great well sought for service, but I just don't see it happening today.

Thank you so much for sharing! Very cool that you have a bookmobile service? Not many places still do...where do you live that offers these services? And, yes, of course, there are multiple factors that contribute to book buying decisions, mainly price and time and effort it takes to get the book. I believe, with exceptions of course in some areas and situations, that the idea I've outlined can get print books to readers a fast as any other service, but for a lower overall price.

And to your point on the shift to digital versus print reading preferences. While many are making the shift, studies show that close to 70% of Americans still prefer to read print books over digital, so I do believe there is a market worth going after!

Thanks again for bringing up some great points, I welcome further discussion!

[ianbuchanan]

I know is very convenient and is also the fastest way to purchase books regardless of your geographical location.

Thanks for sharing! Are you talking about the idea I've outlined in this post or another service that is very convenient and also the fastest way to purchase books regardless of your geographical location?

[ianbuchanan]

I love both paper and digital books. As for paying for an on-demand service to deliver paper books to my door...gotta go with a no on that one. I pay for Kindle Unlimited because I pay less per month for that than I would for the individual books. As for paper books, I use PaperbackSwap and am more than happy to wait for them to arrive. I pay nothing for books I order. I only pay shipping when I send a book out to someone.

I know the libraries near me used to do the bookmobile thing. I don't know if they do anymore, because I haven't used a library in years. Partly, because if you don't make the time to return the book(s), you have the fines you have to pay. I'd rather own the book and be able to get to it when I get to it.

Also, you can get cheap books from Goodwill. If you go on their 50%-off days, they're even less. I haven't paid more than 99 cents for a book in I don't know how long.

Thanks for sharing! With Kindle Unlimited you pay for the service and for individual books as well right? And PaperbackSwap seems like a really cool idea!

Yep, there are certainly several ways to get cheap books, and owning may be better than renting for some of course. This idea would offer readers another way to get books for a low price, free from any inconveniences...no need to travel to a store, no need to travel to return the book. While they'd only be able to rent books, they can always elect to renew their rented books, and can do so online.

With KU, you only pay the monthly fee, which is $10.85. I can read as many KU books every month as I want. I can only "borrow" 10 at a time, but I can return them and take another as many times as I want every month. I can also "borrow" it for as long as I want. I've got at least a couple that I've had for several months. With everyone in my family having their own Kindle, it makes it super cheap for the entire family to read, because we share the KU.

I also know that the library system where I live has an electronic book system. I could, if I chose to, borrow books from the library and read them on my Kindle.Those return automatically unless they're renewed online.

That all makes sense and is very convenient and makes for a nice experience. How long have you been reading digitally? I'm curious what caused you to make the switch from print to digital and if it was an easy or difficult transition?

[ianbuchanan]

What a great idea! Though only charging for delivery doesn't seem very realistic. Would you source from every library in a community? Would every library have its own delivery staff? If so, how does that delivery staff get paid? In a highly technological world, libraries are becoming more and more common for people to hang out and get some studying or research done instead of actually renting books. Because of this, we see many library budget cuts (because they are funded by the government). How would a library sustain this system, when it is already struggling to sustain itself?

Like I said, I love this idea I feel that the main problem with it is the funding. If you can get those kinks worked out, I feel that you're on your way to a great business!

Thanks so much for sharing and bringing up some great points! I've definitely had those concerns myself, but I believe I've determined the right business model to make it feasible. Similar to other on-demand services, such as GrubHub, DoorDash, even Uber and Lyft, the drivers would not be employed by the libraries or even our company, but instead classified as "independent contractors" that choose their own working hours. Under a system like this, a percentage of every delivery charge that our customers would pay to get their books would go to the delivery driver, just like how it works in the companies mentioned above. Of course, the amount of money to be made has to be attractive enough to entice drivers to sign up to deliver books for our company.

Does this make sense? Thanks again for the response and encouraging words!

[alangner]

[Edited because I didn't quote the earlier string with Ian in my response below - whoops ]

My youngest daughter has had a Kindle since she was 9, so about 7 years now. She used it mainly for apps, videos, and music until the last couple years. Amazon has most of the classics available for free and I loaded her Kindle up with them for her to read. She also has "independent reading" for school, and a lot of times it was faster to get her the book digitally than wait for it to arrive in print.

My husband has had his Kindle for about 3 years now. The Kindle Unlimited subscription was actually for him because he was going through books so fast and ran out of free ones that he wanted to read. He was spending more each month than the cost of the subscription. Either that or the first one in a series would be free and the rest would have to purchased UNLESS you had KU.

I just got my Kindle about a year ago. Up until that point, I was staunchly against e-books and only read "real" books. I've been a member here for quite a while, but never really engaged with the site much until recently. Since the books that are available are in digital format, I decided to bite the bullet and start reading e-books. Additionally, it helps when I'm sitting in bed at night reading, because then I don't have to have my bedside light on, which annoys my husband to no end, in order to read.

As for making the transition, it was pretty seamless. I still get and have print books and read them, just not at night. Honestly, the most difficult part is reading a book for review for this site, since you have to make note of the first 10 errors. I've put Kindle for PC on my computer and I read them on my computer until I've noted the first 10 errors, then switch over to reading them on my Kindle.

[klwoodford]

The Library Book delivery idea is great! If someone tried to keep a book would they be charged such as at the library? My biggest issue is cost but I love that e-reader books are typically less expensive. I do love paper books though. There's nothing quite like them.

[Taekwondoqueen]

My father told me about this book mobile thing he had while growing up that would come once a week full of books. I wish they still had that, but the world is so cruel.

[Sharill Rasowo]

I only buy physical books on special occasions because in my part of the world the books have to be delivered from another country like the US which is costly. I not only incur buying costs but also shipping costs. Your idea os wonderful but I think it would only work for certain parts of the world.

[ianbuchanan]

I only buy physical books on special occasions because in my part of the world the books have to be delivered from another country like the US which is costly. I not only incur buying costs but also shipping costs. Your idea os wonderful but I think it would only work for certain parts of the world.

Thanks for sharing! I agree with you, it would be more difficult to implement this idea in certain areas, but hopefully, one day we could find a way to make it work in the vast majority of areas. And yes, a huge component of the idea is to minimize costs, removing the need to pay for the book and for shipping (if buying online)!

[ianbuchanan]

My father told me about this book mobile thing he had while growing up that would come once a week full of books. I wish they still had that, but the world is so cruel.

Thanks for sharing! Yep, this idea is quite similar, but expanded! It would essentially be an on-demand book mobile available to all in any location.

[ianbuchanan]

The Library Book delivery idea is great! If someone tried to keep a book would they be charged such as at the library? My biggest issue is cost but I love that e-reader books are typically less expensive. I do love paper books though. There's nothing quite like them.

Thanks for sharing! Correct, the fines and fees would be the same as what the library charges for lost or stolen books. We may also charge an additional fee for the inconvenience it causes and to further discourage such behavior. Cost is such a major issue for many! That's a primary focal point of the idea, to minimize costs as much as possible. Agreed! I will always prefer the paper book to an e-book, hard to explain why, but there's just something about them.

[ianbuchanan]

[Edited because I didn't quote the earlier string with Ian in my response below - whoops ]

My youngest daughter has had a Kindle since she was 9, so about 7 years now. She used it mainly for apps, videos, and music until the last couple years. Amazon has most of the classics available for free and I loaded her Kindle up with them for her to read. She also has "independent reading" for school, and a lot of times it was faster to get her the book digitally than wait for it to arrive in print.

My husband has had his Kindle for about 3 years now. The Kindle Unlimited subscription was actually for him because he was going through books so fast and ran out of free ones that he wanted to read. He was spending more each month than the cost of the subscription. Either that or the first one in a series would be free and the rest would have to purchased UNLESS you had KU.

I just got my Kindle about a year ago. Up until that point, I was staunchly against e-books and only read "real" books. I've been a member here for quite a while, but never really engaged with the site much until recently. Since the books that are available are in digital format, I decided to bite the bullet and start reading e-books. Additionally, it helps when I'm sitting in bed at night reading, because then I don't have to have my bedside light on, which annoys my husband to no end, in order to read.

As for making the transition, it was pretty seamless. I still get and have print books and read them, just not at night. Honestly, the most difficult part is reading a book for review for this site, since you have to make note of the first 10 errors. I've put Kindle for PC on my computer and I read them on my computer until I've noted the first 10 errors, then switch over to reading them on my Kindle.

Thanks for such detail! Sounds like you and your family have had a pretty good experience with digital reading for years now! Currently, I am in the same boat you were in just a few years ago, I greatly prefer print books to digital, couldn't really explain why, but there's just something about them. I frequent my local library to get my books for free, which I just absolutely love, while not optimally convenient at times. I have been and certainly will continue to consider digital reading, as I am becoming more and more aware of the certain benefits it provides.

Just out of curiosity, all things equal (time to get the book, price, etc.), would you prefer print books or digital e-books? I'm interested to find out where people stand on this in today's day in age.

[alangner]

[Edited because I didn't quote the earlier string with Ian in my response below - whoops ]

My youngest daughter has had a Kindle since she was 9, so about 7 years now. She used it mainly for apps, videos, and music until the last couple years. Amazon has most of the classics available for free and I loaded her Kindle up with them for her to read. She also has "independent reading" for school, and a lot of times it was faster to get her the book digitally than wait for it to arrive in print.

My husband has had his Kindle for about 3 years now. The Kindle Unlimited subscription was actually for him because he was going through books so fast and ran out of free ones that he wanted to read. He was spending more each month than the cost of the subscription. Either that or the first one in a series would be free and the rest would have to purchased UNLESS you had KU.

I just got my Kindle about a year ago. Up until that point, I was staunchly against e-books and only read "real" books. I've been a member here for quite a while, but never really engaged with the site much until recently. Since the books that are available are in digital format, I decided to bite the bullet and start reading e-books. Additionally, it helps when I'm sitting in bed at night reading, because then I don't have to have my bedside light on, which annoys my husband to no end, in order to read.

As for making the transition, it was pretty seamless. I still get and have print books and read them, just not at night. Honestly, the most difficult part is reading a book for review for this site, since you have to make note of the first 10 errors. I've put Kindle for PC on my computer and I read them on my computer until I've noted the first 10 errors, then switch over to reading them on my Kindle.

Thanks for such detail! Sounds like you and your family have had a pretty good experience with digital reading for years now! Currently, I am in the same boat you were in just a few years ago, I greatly prefer print books to digital, couldn't really explain why, but there's just something about them. I frequent my local library to get my books for free, which I just absolutely love, while not optimally convenient at times. I have been and certainly will continue to consider digital reading, as I am becoming more and more aware of the certain benefits it provides.

Just out of curiosity, all things equal (time to get the book, price, etc.), would you prefer print books or digital e-books? I'm interested to find out where people stand on this in today's day in age.

That's a hard question. I'm inclined to say print. I really love print books. Digital books are convenient and easy to store, plus I can read them with the lights out, but I just love print books. Also, it seems to me that print books are better edited than digital books. I rarely, if ever, find an error in a printed book. However, I find multiple errors in every single digital book I read.

Currently, I'm on the fourth book in a series. The first three books only had a few errors in them. This one has tons of errors. It's like whoever was editing got lazy or something. It really disgruntles me to find errors in books. One or two is understandable. Humans are fallible and I can realistically see missing just a couple things. More than that is just unacceptable. It's disrespectful to the reader and readers are what keep authors in business.

So, taking all that into account...I'd have to say print books are and will always be my preference.

[ianbuchanan]

[Edited because I didn't quote the earlier string with Ian in my response below - whoops ]

My youngest daughter has had a Kindle since she was 9, so about 7 years now. She used it mainly for apps, videos, and music until the last couple years. Amazon has most of the classics available for free and I loaded her Kindle up with them for her to read. She also has "independent reading" for school, and a lot of times it was faster to get her the book digitally than wait for it to arrive in print.

My husband has had his Kindle for about 3 years now. The Kindle Unlimited subscription was actually for him because he was going through books so fast and ran out of free ones that he wanted to read. He was spending more each month than the cost of the subscription. Either that or the first one in a series would be free and the rest would have to purchased UNLESS you had KU.

I just got my Kindle about a year ago. Up until that point, I was staunchly against e-books and only read "real" books. I've been a member here for quite a while, but never really engaged with the site much until recently. Since the books that are available are in digital format, I decided to bite the bullet and start reading e-books. Additionally, it helps when I'm sitting in bed at night reading, because then I don't have to have my bedside light on, which annoys my husband to no end, in order to read.

As for making the transition, it was pretty seamless. I still get and have print books and read them, just not at night. Honestly, the most difficult part is reading a book for review for this site, since you have to make note of the first 10 errors. I've put Kindle for PC on my computer and I read them on my computer until I've noted the first 10 errors, then switch over to reading them on my Kindle.

Thanks for such detail! Sounds like you and your family have had a pretty good experience with digital reading for years now! Currently, I am in the same boat you were in just a few years ago, I greatly prefer print books to digital, couldn't really explain why, but there's just something about them. I frequent my local library to get my books for free, which I just absolutely love, while not optimally convenient at times. I have been and certainly will continue to consider digital reading, as I am becoming more and more aware of the certain benefits it provides.

Just out of curiosity, all things equal (time to get the book, price, etc.), would you prefer print books or digital e-books? I'm interested to find out where people stand on this in today's day in age.

That's a hard question. I'm inclined to say print. I really love print books. Digital books are convenient and easy to store, plus I can read them with the lights out, but I just love print books. Also, it seems to me that print books are better edited than digital books. I rarely, if ever, find an error in a printed book. However, I find multiple errors in every single digital book I read.

Currently, I'm on the fourth book in a series. The first three books only had a few errors in them. This one has tons of errors. It's like whoever was editing got lazy or something. It really disgruntles me to find errors in books. One or two is understandable. Humans are fallible and I can realistically see missing just a couple things. More than that is just unacceptable. It's disrespectful to the reader and readers are what keep authors in business.

So, taking all that into account...I'd have to say print books are and will always be my preference.

I totally understand what you are saying, there is just something, which is somewhat indescribable, about print books that make them my go-to choice over digital. And very interesting point you bring up about errors...I almost never see any errors in the print books I read. Of course there are some, but they're usually limited to one per book, at a maximum. Do you know why digital books tend to have more errors? Do they not go through the same standards of editing as a print book?

[alangner]

Thanks for such detail! Sounds like you and your family have had a pretty good experience with digital reading for years now! Currently, I am in the same boat you were in just a few years ago, I greatly prefer print books to digital, couldn't really explain why, but there's just something about them. I frequent my local library to get my books for free, which I just absolutely love, while not optimally convenient at times. I have been and certainly will continue to consider digital reading, as I am becoming more and more aware of the certain benefits it provides.

Just out of curiosity, all things equal (time to get the book, price, etc.), would you prefer print books or digital e-books? I'm interested to find out where people stand on this in today's day in age.

That's a hard question. I'm inclined to say print. I really love print books. Digital books are convenient and easy to store, plus I can read them with the lights out, but I just love print books. Also, it seems to me that print books are better edited than digital books. I rarely, if ever, find an error in a printed book. However, I find multiple errors in every single digital book I read.

Currently, I'm on the fourth book in a series. The first three books only had a few errors in them. This one has tons of errors. It's like whoever was editing got lazy or something. It really disgruntles me to find errors in books. One or two is understandable. Humans are fallible and I can realistically see missing just a couple things. More than that is just unacceptable. It's disrespectful to the reader and readers are what keep authors in business.

So, taking all that into account...I'd have to say print books are and will always be my preference.

I totally understand what you are saying, there is just something, which is somewhat indescribable, about print books that make them my go-to choice over digital. And very interesting point you bring up about errors...I almost never see any errors in the print books I read. Of course there are some, but they're usually limited to one per book, at a maximum. Do you know why digital books tend to have more errors? Do they not go through the same standards of editing as a print book?

I just finished the print copy of Ink and Bone by Lisa Unger and found some doozy errors in it (repelling instead of rappelling), which was extremely surprising to me. That said, in a 342-page book, I found less than 5 errors. And yet, when reviewing for OBC, you have to make note of the first 10 errors. That bespeaks an error problem.

Honestly, I think it's because a lot of digital books are self-published. Slap some words down on paper, format it for Kindle, and throw it up on the KDP site. Done. Abracadabra, you're an "author". Doesn't matter if you can't tell the difference between there, their, and they're - you're still an "author". And since the author is the one who made the mistake, and then the author is the one proofreading it (if they even do proofreading), how would they catch their own mistake if they didn't even know it was a mistake to begin with? Not knowing it was a mistake is an epic failure on the education system's part, but that's another topic altogether. haha

I did, however, come up with another reason that I prefer print books. They're actual novels. There are so many digital "books" out there that are less than 100 pages long. That's not a book. That's a short story. Too many digital books now aren't designed for character development, plot development, or an involved storyline that you can immerse yourself in. Yet, that's what a book is supposed to be.

In today's world, writing is kind of like the adage from Ratatouille that "anyone can cook". People seem to think anyone can write and it's just not so. Personally, if a digital book is less than 300 pages, I won't even consider it.