So chances are, you’ve read something digitally. Whether an entire book or a shorter PDF, the amount of people e-reading is growing at an astronomical rate. According to Barna Group’s most recent study in May of 2013, “one-quarter of American adults own an e-reading device.” That’s a lot of people, and the trend is only going up from here.
Before I share reasons why I believe e-reading is awesome, let me clarify that I’m not anti-physical books. I love reading paperback and hard back books, and I always will. However, my love for reading, and my desire to grow as a person as a result, transcends this one particular medium. We don’t have to choose either-or.
1. Make the most of your waiting. Life is full of unexpected lines and delays. Rather than just scrolling through Twitter or Facebook, use this time to read meaningful books on your smartphone. Who knows, you might read something life-changing while you’re waiting for your food to come out.
2. Free e-books and PDFs. Major publishers and individual authors give them away all the time. Seriously, I’ve read more quality content for free because of constant deals and giveaways for e-reading. Start following authors/publishers on Twitter and you’re bound to find these amazing freebies.
*2.5 Get the free stuff even if you don’t have a smartphone or tablet. You can always read on your computer, or, if you’re planning to get a device later (Christmas will be here before you know it), you’ll have those books ready to upload to those devices once you get them.
3. Read faster! If you have both a tablet and a smartphone, these devices can naturally sync to the most recent page where you left off. Regardless of which device you pick up, it can open up where you last read. This seamless updating can help you work through content more quickly because it’s not dependent on having one particular device with you at all times.
4. Experience reading with multiple senses. Many E-books have various videos or images integrated into them, and when you read on a device you can experience a book in a more dynamic way. (i.e. my new book has brief 45 second intro. videos like this to watch before launching into each chapter.) This also allows for amazing connection between the reader and the author.
5. Save a lot of money. I remember sitting in a book store a few weeks ago with a book in my hand ready to buy. It was $24.99, but looked great. I was excited to buy it, but just in case, I decided to check out how much the e-book would be on Amazon. It was $11.99. I simply have to save that kind of money when I can. The gap isn’t always this big, but e-reading is usually way cheaper.
6. Read in bed. If you’re spouse is laying next to you snoozing it up, you’ll need something to do that won’t bother them. With E-reading, no lights or lamps are needed. You can adjust the brightness of your screen so that it’s not too harsh on your eyes. Best way to read in bed!
8. Save your time. We live in an amazing age. You can buy just about any book you want within minutes. Rather than having to make the trip to the bookstore and hoping they have it in stock, all you need to do is get on-line and find your book of choice. This convenience can’t be overlooked.
9. Highlighting feature. Certain books beg to be highlighted. It’s incredibly easy to highlight with the drag of a finger, as well as typing in notes to go with those marks. On Kindle, you can then easily retrieve your notes on Kindle.com and share with others so they can grab hold of the important stuff (Think “Cliff Notes” back in high school.)
10. Last but not least, E-reading rocks because my brand new book #LiveFully is now available in all E-book forms. And yes, it is also in paperback and audiobook.
For all forms of the #LiveFully book, just swing by Amazon to check out.
