E-book Vs. Hardcover Vs. Paperback: What Do You Prefer?

Some of you may love to smell of the musty pages of a classic hardcover, fresh ink of a new paperback, the bumpy texture of a book jacket or run your finger along the crease in the spine to get a sense of nostalgia triggered by holding a book in your hands. However, avid readers can find it a bit traitorous to switch to a Kindle or other electronic reading device when faced with the collection of hardcover and paperback books lining the shelves of your living room.

E-book or Hardcover or Paperback: What do you prefer? This has been one of the trending topics among readers across the world except when you are willing to try all three versions. Yeah, why not try all and not debate on it instead let this topic rest at peace. 

In this post, I’m going to discuss about the differences between E-book, Hardcover and Paperback and hope it will help you to choose your books according to your needs. 

  

E-book 

E-book is a lighter load compared to the traditional books- be it a hardcover or a paperback. If you are one of those people who walks out of the library or bookstore with book piles up to your chin, then Kindle is a whole lot easier to carry than to haul your books with you to the beach or coffee shop. Also, you won’t regret leaving one of your books at home because it was too thick, heavy or oversized to carry with you. 

With eBook, you will never lose your place while reading a book on Kindle because no bookmarks are needed. Moreover, you can read what you want, where you want without being judged. Kindle is discreet and even has privacy settings to keep nosy family members out. You need not hide the book jacket out of embarrassment or to a controversial argument. eBooks make is easy to make your book choices on what you actually want to read instead of what you think others expect you to treat. So, break out the Superman or Spiderman comic books, without being ashamed.  

The best part of preferring eBooks over the traditional books is the built-in dictionary and the font size. When reading a traditional book, I’m often lazy to get up and find the dictionary to look up a word I don’t know. But with a Kindle, it is easy to look up the words right on your device. You can increase the font size to make it easier to read without needing to look for a large print edition or make the font size smaller to fit more words on a single page. 

Hardcover 

It is a book bound with thick protective cover with usually a paper or leather dust jacket over the main cover. The aim of the hardcover is protection and durability. These types of books are mainly for long-term use and collector’s editions. They last far longer than the paperbacks and do not get damaged easily which makes them perfect for great literary works, reference guides, etc.  

Additionally, the hardcover books have long-lasting acid-free type paper having a pH value of 7 (neutral) that makes it highly durable. Also, these papers are stitched and glued to the spine of the book. Hardcovers are prepared for commercial works, reference books, best sellers, etc. that should be long lasting. If the market value of the book in question is quite high, then publishers will print out the hardcover first before paperbacks, as it is more profitable for them as well as for the readers wanting the book to last long with no damage.

  

Paperback 

It is prepared for non-commercial works and those books which don’t get much exposure. These books have covers made of thinner paper or cardboard with glue to stick to the leaves. As the cost of production for paperback is low, so they are produced in mass and usually released after the hardcover edition is published. Often, the paperback is meant for short term reads such as for people boarding planes, trains, etc.  

There is another type of paperback edition known as trade paperback which is created with more durable paper than the mass market paperbacks.  

The best-selling writers will often have their hard cover editions released first because it is an indication that their fans will collect the book. Whereas, most new writers will start off publishing their book as a paperback.  

Wrap-Up 

It is worth nothing for both hardcover and paperbacks you need no battery to recharge your Kindle as when you are traveling or reading away from home. Also, it is easy to borrow or give your book as a gift unlike with an e-book. Last but not the least, books are quite affordable compared to a Kindle device. Also, you don’t have to worry much about dropping the book in the bathtub or spilling coffee on the pages as with an electronic device. Except in case of rare editions and other exceptions, books are cheaper to replace than a Kindle.  

Whereas, Kindle saves paper and eBooks are forever treasure that will neither be old nor get torn as with traditional books.  To all the naysayers who insist you must hold a book, turn its smooth pages and smell that clean, new paper smell, I understand you with all my heart. Why not use Kindle for travel, and read books at home. 

Whatever you choose from among these three different mediums the most important thing is reading well because “Reading is to the mind what is exercise to the body.”  

Happy reading!

Reading a Paper Book Vs. an E-book: Which is Better?

With the advance of smartphones and tablets and they being quite affordable these days, e-books and e-readers have become quite a popular standard for reading. With dedicated e-reader, you can easily download and buy new titles. You can store thousands of books on a single SD card and read them in the dark without an external light. Still, there is something about the feelings you get while reading a book from the old-fashioned paper.

In this post, we’ll look at which is better- reading a paper book the old traditional way or an e-book. 

Reading a Paper Book 

1. Traditional Books or Paper Books are More Tactile 

Clearly, the traditional books or paper books are more tactile in nature. They have a heft in the hand that feels entirely different compared to holding an e-reader. There’s a certain feeling that comes with smelling the paper in the books, turning pages, and seeing permanent words emblazoned on pages. Basically, the paper books feel good for those readers who enjoy physically collecting things or prefer a more sensory experience.  

Paper books aren’t just tools that help you to access information, but they are also decorative objects. Who hasn’t been warmed by a home full of booklined shelves? If you are still curious about my blog, check out What is Nyasa's Book Shelf. 

Being around your favorite volumes invite you to go grab them and browse through the pages. It is so easy to get lose in the world of book if they are all around you. 

2. You Learn More Easily with the Printed Books 

Retaining information can be quite easier with paper books. As per a Norwegian study that tested a group of readers on Amazon Kindle and another group that read the traditional paper-bound book, when both were quizzed post reading those who read the paper book fared better. 

This is because there is a sort of feeling that comes while reading paper books which actually fire a different set of synapses in our brains. Moreover, we are so accustomed to skim-reading the digital media that it’s hard to read with the same focus while we read from the paper books. 

3. Reading a Paper Back Wins Over E-Book When It Comes to Lighting 

Another possible negative experience from reading from tablets or smartphones is linked to their lighting strength and power. Though they boast of strong backlights, this high level of screen luminosity sometimes convinces your eyes that it’s daylight outside which may keep you awake all through the night for unnecessary amounts of time. The artificial light exposure causes a lot of sleep scientists and doctors to recommend reading from regular paper books over digital books. 

4. Some Readers Prefer the Feel and Utility of Paper Books 

When it comes to reading experience, I personally think the weight and feel of a paper book is hard to beat most of the time. Most people are still used to read the traditional books are they are a total paper book lover. It’s so satisfying to curl up with a book, the smell of the pages and the heft of the book. Also, it allows us to see immediately how far we are really in a book. Whereas, in case of e-book it may still show that we have read 84% of the book when the book ended as the remaining 16% are excerpts from the author’s other books, his/her interview and a discussion guide. 

5. Some Readers are Just Nostalgic Reading from Paper Books 

I may be one of those weirdos that likes the smell of a paper in a traditional book. But not everyone thinks the same way. The feel of the book is an advantage for some readers as we have been used to read the paper books. 

Reading an E-book 

1) E-books are Great for Reading on The Go 

A significant benefit of reading e-books is their small form factor along with their ability to store them without needing bookshelves. Whether you are a minimalist or a traveler, e-books are the ultimate portable way to enjoy reading. It needs not be filled in your suitcase as with a dozen heavy hardcovers. Simply slip your Kindle in your bag and you can have thousands of books on tap. 

2) Search and Navigation is Simplified with E-books 

With e-books search is super-simple, you can scroll the text with your finger to navigate easily through the texts. Eminently, e-books shareable; you can email an e-book to yourself or a friend easily. Not to mention storing e-book is a breeze.  

With e-books you can perform a text search within every single book in your e-library. Try doing that with traditional books! You’d have to first have every page scanned and put into a database before being interpreted. The chances of that happening is quite slim unless you are at a high-end research facility or a University library. 

3) E-books Have Visual Benefits 

E-books can be awesome for people with poor eyesight and who are dyslexic. This is because of all the e-readers or tablets have the ability to change the size of the text that makes it easier to read. You also have the option to change the brightness levels which not only alleviates the problems of screens being too bright at nighttime but also allows for easy reading in bright environments.  

4) E-books Have Audio Options 

E-books can be easily synced to the audiobooks which allows you to enjoy your favorite stories and volumes in the care or while you walk back and forth to your work. I must say listening to audiobooks is an all-together different experience but can be quite valuable, especially when you are listening to them as a way to make use of the time spent commuting to work. In my next post, I’m going to discuss about Reading a Book Vs. Listening to an Audiobook: Which is Better?  So, don’t forget to subscribe to my blog. 

5) Easy to Publish E-books and are More Affordable Than Paper Book 

Another important factor in the debate of e-book versus paper books concerns publishing. It is rudimentary and sometimes free to publish your book in the digital formats. This means you don’t need to find an agent to secure a book deal with a publisher.  

Whereas, if you want to self-publish a traditional book it may not be particularly as cheap as publishing an e-book. This limits the release of information in traditional media to people with money and resources for such an undertaking. 

Conclusion: Which is Better? 

To wrap it up, there’s not really any need to choose which is better between reading a paper book and e-book these days. As we have already discussed about both the pros and cons with reading a paperbacks and digital form of books such as Kindle, deciding which is better will differ as per the reader’s choice. Not many people start reading e-books and turn their back completely on their beloved, dog-eared paper books. 

It is better to consider both forms of reading have their own advantages and drawbacks, which is why can’t we just enjoy both of these forms.  

So, read on and enjoy! 

What do you prefer? Reading from a paperback or an e-book. Leave in your comments.