Repost from Wyrdsmiths: The Kindle 2: More Than a Geek’s Dream?

This is a repost of a guest blog I recently did over at Wyrdsmiths (http://wyrdsmiths.blogspot.com/)

So, for those who haven't seen it, enjoy!

----------------

Okay, I'll admit it. I like my books. I like the way they feel. I like the way they smell. I like all the shelf space they consume in my room. Peruse my shelves and you will see rows of paperbacks with near-perfect bindings and others that have been read so many times that even an anal freak like myself can't keep them from showing wear.

So why on Earth would I ever consider -- gasp! -- an e-book?

Well, I haven't. Not yet at any rate. But I gotta admit, the Kindle 2 is piquing my interest.

Now, most of you don't know me, but I'm a tech geek. So, in the interest of full disclosure, you should know that I'm a bit biased when it comes to new technology. But still, that new Kindle, she looks smoooooth. She's got free wireless. I can sit in my comfy chair, shop for a new book, and then read it without ever having to get up. (Is that a good thing? That's probably a different blog post…) She can run for two weeks on a single charge, and she can hold 1500 books.

That's geektastic, folks.

But do I actually want one?

To be honest, I don't really know. I think it might be one of those things that you really have to try out before you decide if you like it. Even so, I experienced the same existential conflict with my music. I adore my music collection just about as much as I do my book collection. But now, two iPods later and with slew of DRM free music at my fingertips, I buy more music in electronic format than I do on CD.

My suspicion is that there are still a few hurdles to overcome before e-books go mainstream. First is the right reading device. The Kindle 2 may be the bees knees but $359? Ouch! Availability and variety of books is another thing. Sure, I can buy a book from my comfy chair, but according to the advertisements there are only 240,000 books available for it. Yeah, I could never read all those, but do I actually want to read any of those? (Let’s see… sci-fi/fantasy section… Dune? Read it. Neverwhere? Read it. Kurt Vonnegut? Not my thing. Halo? Huh?)

Now, here's where things get interesting. Technology is just beginning to break in to the publishing industry and you can already see signs of the major publishers acting the same way their movie and music brethren did. The Writers of Guild America has already come out strongly against the Kindle’s text to speech feature (that is a different blog post). And publishers? Offering up 240,000 books isn't exactly a firm embrace.

So what do you think? Readers, have you sworn on your copy of Ender’s Game that you'll never buy an e-book? Writers, do you have / want to have books published in e-book format?

Geeks like me want to know!

PS. Hi! Thank you to Lyda and to the Wyrdsmiths for letting me squat on your blog! (That's an odd image.) Assuming I don't get too many flames, I hope to bring more geektastic commentary in the not-too-distant future. Until then, cya!

PPS. Lyda requested a bio, so here it is. Hey all, I’m Shawn Enderlin. I’ve been writing off and on for almost ever but in the last few years it has turned into an obsession that is beginning to interfere with my day job (IT). I have taken classes at the Loft Literary Center with both Lyda and Kelly and am a member of the [UNTITLED] writing group along with four other fantastic up-and-coming authors. I am currently finishing up my first novel, To Kill the Goddess. You can find me on the web at http://twitter.com/seamusspeaks and at http://embracethedoppelganger.blogspot.com/.

Facebook crosspost: 10 books that stick with you

This can be a quick one! Don't take too long to think about it! Ten books you've read that will always stick with you! First ten you can recall in no more than 15 minutes!

This will explain a lot!

In no particular order:
1. The Belgariad -- David Eddings
2. Hyperion/The Fall of Hyperion -- Dan Simmons
3. The Elric of Melnibone Series -- Michael Moorcock
4. Midnight Nation -- J. Michael Straczynski
5. The Mists of Avalon -- Marion Zimmer Bradley
6. The Lord of the Rings -- J.R.R. Tolkien
7. The Gunslinger/Wizard and Glass/Song of Susannah -- Stephen King
8. On Writing -- Stephen King
9. Crossing the Threshold of Hope -- Pope John Paul II
10. Ender’s Game/Speaker for the Dead -- Orson Scott Card

final draft!

This has been many years in the making, but I can finally say that I am on my final draft of my first book, To Kill the Goddess.

I can't believe I just wrote that!

Aside from three new chapters that I'm placing at the beginning, this final draft is more of a tuneup than anything else. I'm sure that there will be a little bit of reworking involved but I'm not expecting to spend anywhere as near as much time on this draft as I have on previous drafts. My target is to have this final draft complete by late spring or early summer 09. That may be a bit aggressive, especially given what my work schedule is going to look like, but that's my goal and I am sticking to it!

So what happens after that? I'm not entirely sure. I do plan on beginning the process of shopping it around to publishers but I'm not entirely convinced that's the direction I want to take this. I've seen how some of my peers have been treated by the publishing industry and I haven't been impressed. My other option would be self-publishing via on-demand printing and e-books, but that is an option it's only in its infancy at this point.

So, what to do? What to do?

What I will do is start in on the third draft of book 2, which is tentatively titled The Siege of Ederea. Completion of that is probably another year and a half out. After that, it's on to the prequel book, The Others War, and then the fourth and final book in the Series, The Portal of Za'Duun.

Ack!

PS. Yes, Za'Duun is a blatant ripoff of Za'Ha'Dun, but as they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.