As I was standing on the subway reading an ebook, I was looking at all the other things people were reading. I like doing that. It’s like a mini-social interaction without actually having to engage. If I’m reading a book, I’m generally excited about it and wouldn’t mind recommending it, just by showing off the cover.
It’s something I miss with an ebook.
What I want is a clear sleeve that can go on the back of my ebook reader, or the case, so I can slip in a printout of the cover art. Having a cover flat like that also means that if I meet the author, I have something I can get signed.
Then I just have to convince publishers that downloading the ebook also gives me a full-color printable cover flat to tuck inside the sleeve.
Who wants to create this for me? Or if such a thing exists, please give me the link.
Just have authors sign your ebook reader! 🙂
That solves the what to have author’s sign thing but not the urge to collect or to see what other people are reading.
I’m such a snoop when other people are reading books. I always wander around them, or contort into odd positions just to see what they’re reading. I never really thought about the fact that eReaders will remove this aspect of reading, though. Sad to think about.
You can still read over people’s shoulders but you can’t tell what they are reading from across the room.
I think it’s more likely that they’ll eventually make e-readers that have a screen on the back that automatically displays cover art for whatever you’re reading (or at least they will if they’re clever enough to recall the advertising power of traditional book covers). Of course, that doesn’t solve the signing problem, and that’s one of my reasons for asserting that print books will never become extinct. E-readers will be for reading, print books for collecting/displaying. I for one am both a reader and collector, but I like to read something electronically first and then decide if it’s worth collecting.
Except for your book, of course. I will be buying it in both print and electronic forms immediately. As should all of you, gentle readers, because your signed copy will one day be very valuable, and you should not risk damaging it with inevitable repeat readings. 😉
I don’t think a double-sided screen will take off anytime soon because it would be obscured by protective cases. Plus, the collectible issue.
Signed cover flats can be collectibles, though not as cool as books. They’ll survive the upgrade to a new reader. I agree that print books will probably never go away, but that their status and purpose will shift.
That is a brilliant idea! But I would expect nonetheless from you. There should be some engineering types at your friendly neighborhood cons that could probably do that in a heartbeat.
I like the signed cover flats idea, but the last thing I want is for people to be able to tell what I’m reading. I buy bookcovers! I like my eReader just the way it is–I have a cover with a ribbon and magnet strap that turns the whole thing into an easel so I can set it upright on the table and read while I eat.
RF Long (http://www.rflong.com/) gets postcards made with the front cover of her book (and also book marks) which she gives out at conventions etc. If you buy her ebooks she would probably send you the current set (maybe with some extras to give to friends)
Certainly if you wanted her signature on them, it would be just as simple to arrange….
That’s a great idea!
One of the cool things about being a teacher is I have the power to be nosy. When I see kids reading a book I always ask them what they’re reading, and if I know anything about that book or genre, a lot of times we’ll have a conversation about it. I have yet to have a kid bring an e-reader to school, though. It’ll probably happen this year.