Thursday, June 19, 2008

Digital vs. Paper

I gotta say, one of the absolute coolest things about being a writer is getting letters from readers. I mean, actual letters: thoughts jotted down on paper and sent out in an envelope with a stamp through the US Postal Service and delivered to my door (or my publisher's door).

Don't get me wrong, I love emails too. I completely dig seeing a letter from a reader in my inbox, one that says "Hi C. Leigh, I love your book..." But a letter on a piece of paper just seems so real. The writer went to such trouble to get it to me! So naturally, I respond in kind - and that too seems so real to me.

I mention this because of the ongoing debate about e-books and traditionally-printed ones. A book on paper, like that fan letter, just feels authentic. I understand e-books are the wave of the future but I hope the future doesn't come too soon.