Most authors have more ideas than they will ever use, or at least that’s the way it is with me.  At any given time I have a multitude of ideas ripening - or perhaps fermenting - in my brain, some written down on paper, others filed in computer document files, some fully fleshed out, some just jotted down.

But the sad fact of life is, there are a finite number of positions on any major publisher’s calendar.  Print books are expensive to create, requiring dozens of people, hundreds of man (woman?) hours of work, a publicity budget, etcetera, etcetera.

So what’s a poor writer to do with all these ideas that languish in the dark and mossy corners of our brains?  

E-books, my friends!  I know they’re not for everyone to read; most of us spend far too much time at our computers as it is, but now many are purchasing e-books to read on PDA’s, laptops, notebooks and even dedicated readers. My e-book publisher, Blackfriars Books, has published four of my novels so far, with more to come.  Though e-books have been condemned by some for the cheesy covers (I’ve seen some that make me cringe for the poor author) I happen to think my cover designer is the absolute best in the business… and no, it’s not me.  I don’t have the technical ability nor the imagination.

For those interested, here they are:  

So, has anyone here read an e-book?  What did you think of the quality?  Some have been condemned as second rate, poorly written, poorly edited, or technically lacking.  I think it probably depends on the publisher.  

What I like is the freedom to have some control over so many things, the subject - one can write currently unpopular formats - for instance, Absentee Heart is a traditional Regency - and with most e-book publishers you can say and do whatever you feel is necessary.

I think they’re here to stay, and make a great alternative to paper books for some folks.  I don’t think, though, that they’ll ever replace the feel and smell, as well as the portability and convenience, of a print book.  There’s just something about a book. 

However I do think that the day will come when more and more textbooks, especially, will be electronic; think of how great it would be if instead of a stack of ten heavy hardback textbooks, you could just load them all into your laptop!  I would have loved that when I was in university, and the cost would have been less, especially considering that many texts in the sciences are changed every single year.  Or am I behind the times… has this happened already?

‘Nuff said; I’m obviously sold on the viability of e-books, but what about you?