Tag Archives: book publishing

Is the paperback a dying breed? In twenty five years time will pristine copies of certain paperbacks be auctioned on the Antiques Road Show and will people be remarking,

‘I took one just like that to the Oxfam shop twenty years ago. I knew I should have kept it!’

I personally don’t think so. What will you take to read to the beach? Or will it be frowned upon by then to relax at the sea side, even with a sunshade? I certainly wouldn’t leave my latest e reader or Kindle hidden under my towel while I have a swim. Would you?

When on holiday, I love to browse in gift shops and book shops for a local flavour, both in fiction and non-fiction. A click of a few buttons on Kindle just doesn’t do anything for me to fill that gap. I know we’ve got at least ten walking books in Cornwall which we always forget to take with us but that’s not the point. What else would fill an inclement afternoon with the same amount of pleasure?

When there’s nothing on TV, and even with all these Freeview channels there’s still little to inspire me at times, and I’ve been staring at a computer screen all day, the last thing I want to do is curl up on the sofa with yet another screen.

I was talking to a fellow lover of real books in Horatio’s on Saturday, who was also devastated that the Ampthill bookshop is closing, and she said she’d always prefer to enjoy the feel and weight of a real book. It’s a pleasure turning the pages in anticipation of more delight or excitement, secure in the knowledge that you’re not even half way through and there’s so much more to enjoy. Then there’s the tension as you are nearing the last few pages. Should you save it for another day and switch off the light or snuggle further down under the covers until the last sentence is read? Will we have a voice a bit like a bored Sat Nav speaker saying in stilted English, ‘YOU NOW HAVE 27% REMAINING.’

I’ve read that there will be fewer paperbooks but, to satisfy our unquenchable thirst for tomes to fill our bookshelves, hardback books will return to popularity and you’ll only keep copies of those really precious reads you’re likely to revisit, or ones which remind you of a particular phase in your life. You see, a bookshelf is a bit like a record collection; it tells another story of your life and gives away some of your secrets.

‘I never in a million years thought you’d read ‘Chick Lit!’

‘Oh, you know how it is.’ I reply red-faced. ‘It’s sometimes good to relax with something light and humorous!’

So, I believe that the paperback book is still worth backing. I’ve decided that my next novel, which I hope to tell you a little more about shortly, will be published in both paperback and as an e book. It is also tempting to read the signs and plan for a limited Christmas edition in hardback too.

Watch this space!

If you would like a direct email about my next novel then please send me your email address by email or contact me via Twitter messages or Facebook.

dianariduna@yahoo.com

Riduna on Twitter

Diana Jackson’s author page on Facebook

Look forward to hearing from you.

All the best

Diana