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Where Do You Buy Your Print Books?

booksbylyncote.com Posted on by

 

Unexpected DestinationsWeeks ago I asked the question: Do you prefer print or ebooks. I received many replies to my newsletter and a few here. If you’d like to read them or add one, here’s the link to that blog. And here’s my reply to those who responded.

I appreciate your responses. But I need to let you in on why ebooks are so plentiful and print books are less available. In 2007 Amazon released the first Kindle. And not long after that happened, the Borders and Waldenbook stores that had been in nearly every mall in the US folded. Take a moment and think about how that impacted publishers and authors. They lost HUGE amounts of selling space. Since then, Barnes & Noble has been near bankruptcy and has shut many stores and has reduced the bookshelf space in favor of toys, etc. Walmart is another major bookstore and it has also begun to reduce the space it holds for book sales. So authors and publishers have moved to ebooks which don’t take up physical shelf space in a store. I don’t expect this trend to change. Market forces are at work. So now you know–the rest of the story.

My November Question is related to my reply to the opinions. 

If you prefer print, would you buy print books through amazon.com? You see it would cost me about double to upload my books in print form onto Amazon.com. I need to know if it would be worth it. After all, I want my readers to read my books in the form they prefer, but I’m also living on my writing income. You see my dilemma. So what’s your reply?–Lyn

PS-The book above is one that I have published in both ebook and print. For more info, click here.

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Where Do You Buy Your Print Books? — 59 Comments

  1. I buy print books through Amazon when I can. I would prefer to get them in stores, but Amazon often has them before stores do. I prefer paper over a computer.

  2. Yes I have bought a couple pf print books from Amazon before, as I do prefer print books to ebooks: although I do read both.

  3. There is nothing like a book to hold in your hands. I love everything about books. Cozying up on the sofa or in bed with one. Looking at the cover, smelling the pages, turning the pages, reading all the extras like the dedication and author page, placing it on my bookshelf when I’m done reading it and getting a warm, fuzzy feeling whenever I look over at my beloved books. 🙂 So no, I could never switch over to reading a kindle. I’ve tried and well, the magic of reading the book dies. I’ve been buying your wonderful books on Amazon but just realized they’re cheaper sometimes through the Betterworldbooks site, Bluevase site and others like Barnes and Noble. So will try there first. I’m enjoying all the Love inspired right now. I also love visiting used bookstores to find Love Inspired books too! Blessings Lyn! Thank you for your wonderful, inspiring novels! Keep on writing for Jesus and shining His light in the world!

  4. I don’t buy my physical books through Amazon at all. I look first at Wal-Mart where they are discounted, then Barnes & Nobles, then Half Price Books.

  5. I get majority of my ebooks through amazon.com where they are free to download on my kindle. Other times, I get them (ebooks) free from my local library through hoopla and overdrive. When there is a book that I want and I can’t find it in ebook form, then I’ll try to win one through Goodreads. I occasionally buy printed books through stores(Barnes-n-Noble, Five Below, or Half Price Books) or through Amazon.com for myself and other family members.

  7. I’m disabled with a s!all limited income. Therefore, I need the less expensive item I can purchased. I appreciate you and anyone else connected who can release the book for free.

  8. I do buy some books on amazon, but the majority of my books bought online come through thriftbooks. They have the best prices – still 1 cent cheaper than amazon, even with their price increase. They also have the rewards program which makes their prices the best, by far! Usually, I buy brand new books on amazon, but older books on thriftbooks. I also buy many at the Friends of the Library booksale in the city. I try to make it there multiple times a year. I admit, I don’t run out of space. I have a room devoted to my library and just keep rearranging. Eventually my husband will be asked to build more shelves 😀
    But I use it as a library and share my books with many others, even using libib to track it. I also request that the library purchase books I want to read and get many books from them.

  9. I buy both ebooks and print books, although most of my daily reading is on ebooks. When I do buy print books, I usually go through Amazon.com or when shopping in store I buy from Barnes and Nobel stores. (These are often books I buy for gifts.)

  10. Hello, Lyn! I buy both eBooks and print books from Amazon.com. I try to support my local independent bookstore first but I’ve noticed that the historical romance section is much smaller than in the past decades. The store is a used bookstore primarily. I used to buy print books and take them to the used bookstore for book credit. It’s like “rent-a-book” which lowered my reading habit costs. I know this doesn’t contribute to the author’s revenues but my cost to read a book dropped to roughly $1/book. So I readily purchase eBooks for $0.99. If I’m going to pay more, I purchase the print book from Amazon and trade it in at the used bookstore for credit towards other books. I see the struggle at my bookstore and sadly wonder when the brick-and-mortar will disappear.

  11. When I purchase books, ebook or physical, I always check Amazon first. I have a credit card which gives me Amazon rewards for anything I purchase there. If I can’t find what I want at Amazon, I check Barnes and Nobles and then other stores.

  13. I love the feel & smell of a new book but, as I discovered when I moved house, my house was being held together by the thousands of books I had acquired! My moving costs would have tripled because of the sheer volume & weight so I made the decision to donate to a local charity & I bought my first kindle.

    That was 7 years ago & I can’t do without it! I dont have to worry about running out of shelf space or it getting damaged by friends & family who arent quite as careful reading as I am (I hate spines being broken or pages folded so they remember where they’re up to – have people not heard of bookmarks aaarrrgghhhh). I can get free books that introduce me to authors I hadn’t considered or heard of before, most ebooks are far cheaper than real books then theres all the cleverness with the kindle or kindle app – it remembers where you were up to, you can use the dictionary for words you don’t understand (if I’m prepared to check out words, it means I’m in tested in good book & author & that can only be a good thing, right?), you can change the background to suit the light & best of all, you can make text smaller or larger, dependent on if I can remember where I’ve left my 7 pairs of reading glasses LOL

    I would love to say print is the way to go but I dont think it is – ethically I feel guilt reading a real book as I worry where & how the paper is sourced & then there is the cost – recently I was tempted to by a real book that had just been released in paperback for £7.99 with free delivery – I was about to buy when I thought I wonder how much it is on Kindle plus I could read it there & then too – I was astounded! The ebook was 99p! I could have & did buy 8 x 99p kindle books which allowed me to continue on my journey with my firm favourite authors as well as stumble upon some newbies who have crept onto my ever growing list of great reads!

    So, yes I’d say ebooks are the way forward – we may not like it but its inevitable!

  14. Amazon is my go to place to buy print books. It is convenient to scroll through and look at book available. Then it’s like Christmas when you get a box from then with new books you can hold in your hand. I have a kindle and also but ebooks from Amazon. I am finding that my addiction to books has taken over my house but you can never have too many print books.

  15. I buy my books from amazon Walmart food lion Cvs thrift books and Barnes and Noble and or books a million. Anywhere I can get them pretty much. I also prefer actual books over ebooks. I tried the kindle and it only allowed 10 books if I get books I want to keep them not have to return one just so I can read another

  16. Maranatha, looks are always been a treasure but then Kendall came out and you can have thousands of books at the touch of your finger! Reading has always been escape and and learning tool. The books we purchase are used for study, to be able to go in depth
    as you study the Bible and commentaries. It is easier to find different passages or information if you highlighted it in a book but takes forever in a Kendall to go back to want you were studying! May this survey give you the wisdom to know how to sell your books, I would keep to the Kindle version also!! In His service

  17. I have certain books that I buy in print (Martha Stewart manuals, cookbooks). I buy books at B&N and Amazon. I prefer print to ebooks but I do have a Kindle (I am not big on it though) The cost of print books also is a factor (especially paperbacks).

  18. I prefer print books to ebooks as long as the price is right. I don’t like paying more than $5 for a print book, so I buy most anywhere, new or used, Amazon or bookstore. Makes no difference to me.

  19. When I purchase print books, it’s usually from Amazon. I also receive print books to review. It’s much easier for me to review print books as opposed to ebooks. I do fill in with ebooks – usually the free ones from Amazon.

  21. I am commenting on your question of 10/22/19: Would you buy print books?
    Answer: No. I have many health issues and some of them restrict the use of my hands. Holding a book open causes me pain in my hands and elbows so I have switched to ebooks. I read them on my Mac computer that sits in my lap and the screen can be adjusted to the correct angle for my reading.

  22. I don’t purchase from Amazon.

    While I read both ebooks and print, I purchase all from Barnes & Noble in the hopes they’ll stay afloat.

  23. I buy both print and ebooks through Barnes & Noble. My dear hubby gifted me with a Nook years ago and, when that died, I got a tablet and the Nook app. The reason I didn’t go with a Kindle is that, if I had questions, there was someone at B&N I could ask. I had a lot of questions at first.

    Most of what I read now is in ebook form but I do collect certain reissues in print form. I do not order through Amazon, however, as I’m trying to do my part to keep B&N in business!

  24. Print books make it easier for me to review. And I review every book I read, since 2014. One difference in holding an actual book is the attention it draws. When in line or waiting in a doctor’s office I’ve had comments and questions about what I am reading. I also like to donate my books to the church library after I finish them. We still have a Barnes and Noble here where I live but it’s the only actual bookstore. Walmart and Sam’s Club have drastically reduced their book selections. If I order a paper book I do usually order from Amazon because their prices are better and we have Prime so that shipping is free.

  25. I have bought many printed books from Amazon.com and will probably continue to do so in the future. Another place I like to purchase books is from ChristianBook.com. I buy many more books for my Kindle than printed ones these days though.

  26. I do like print books, but I have not bought one in quite a while. I would choose to purchase an e-book over a print book because it is much easier to read, due to the ability to adjust the size of the print.

  27. While I really prefer an actual feel of a book in my hands and believe it is easier to read, I buy ebooks from iTunes and Bookbub.

    I have an IPad Pro, and an IPhone. Plus, I lost my vision in my right eye. So reading an ebook allows me to increase the font size to a comfortable size.

    If I did purchase an actual hard copy book, I would buy from Amazon.

  28. If I am going to order a paperback book online, I would be more than likely to order directly from the author so that they could sign it for me. Most of my paperbacks that I own now are either ones that are signed by the author that I won through a contest of some kind or I purchased them at a second hand book store and have gotten signed bookplates from some authors to make them signed copies.

  29. If I buy print books it either via Koorong (In Australia) or via The Book Depository as it offers free shipping worldwide. Amazon costs to much from America although I do know they now ship books from the Australia warehouse.

  30. I have way too many print books. I love them and like to read them. That being said, I am making the move to ebooks. I find print books easier on my eyes than ebooks – I guess because my job keeps me looking at a computer screen most of the day. To answer your question, if I were going to buy a printed book I would most likely buy it from Amazon, perhaps eBay. But as I said, I am starting to shift to ebooks. They are more portable and private than a printed book. They are also less expensive. You are a well-known name so I would think people would buy your ebooks without a printed one being available.

  31. I now buy most of my books through Amazon. I still prefer a printed book, although I have a kindle with a large number of books on it. It has advantages and disadvantages, like reading in a car at night (my husband’s three favorite words in the car are “read your book”; otherwise, I “drive” whether I am behind the wheel or not). I do not like having to depend upon battery power. I often buy both the kindle version and printed version of the same book by a favorite author as I do like to keep my books in pristine condition. My husband turned a bedroom in our home into a library for me, and then there are “extensions” in the hall, guest bedroom, and master bedroom (hmm, do I have a problem?). One thing that annoys me is when an older book is hailed as a new release with a different title. I have seen this and when the plot sounds familiar, I have gone looking through my books, and usually there it is. I was so disappointed when Berean and Family Christian stores closed here. Will Spring’s Storm, Loving Winter, and Mistletoe and Sage be released in print? I do have them on kindle but want them on my shelf, as well. Thank you for providing such interesting books for us to enjoy!

  32. I have trouble holding a book so use a E-Z Book Clip to hold my book open and can read hands free. Better yet, I read most of my books on my phone or i-Pad. In view of that, at least for me, I will buy mostly e-books in the future unless the book is not available as an e-book.
    Your view is stunning!!!!

  33. I have been reading e-books for quite a while now on my Kindle for PC which is actually on my laptop. I used to read print books and didn’t want a Kindle but for some reason I kept on dropping the books. You can imagine how frustrating that was, I would have to find my page again and then I would drop it again. I have been checked for carpal tunnel and other causes but no reason found. My friend suggested I was falling asleep – who knows LOL. So I have donated most of my print books and have already reached over 3000 on my Kindle.

  34. I haven’t bought a print book since I got my Kindle years ago. I like that wherever I am my books are with me.
    I do love your books and many of the authors you have introduced through your newsletters.

  35. If I’m going to buy a paperwork, it won’t be through Amazon. I use CBD for those!

  36. I have so many print books and have loved every one of them. But—- You can’t beat not having to wear glasses or turn on the bright lights to read an e-book. I love my Kindle and now, don’t buy any print books. I got one of the very first Kindle’s on the market. Paid ahead so when my son went to pick it up he didn’t have to stand in line. Have loved it ever since. Love your books, too, and the lake picture is so beautiful.

  37. I don’t buy e-books but I do buy print books. I am a school librarian and the kids check out real books but don’t “touch” the ebooks in our collection. I will read ebooks but only if I get them free.

  38. Amazon, mostly, since my mobility is limited.
    I prefer print…easier to read, the only battery to die is me.
    Cheaper to replace if misplaced and can be donated to charities and hospitals.

  39. The only print books I’ve purchased through Amazon in the last few years have been textbooks.
    I don’t see myself buying fiction paperbacks through them…

  40. I have purchased a number of books from Amazon that I had to donate a lot of them to my Library. Just so many ooks shelves. I really enjoy my Kindle and E-books. I can enlarge the print and read easily in bed. I also have KU so I read a lot more books. I still have lots of books on my shelves.

  41. I have purchased print books through Amazon and will continue to do so, I’m sure. However, I probably don’t buy as many as I used to. It really is easier to read them on my iPad, since holding a book with my arthritic hands is almost impossible. I have also purchased books at Barnes & Noble and hope that they can survive the changes that are happening, as it’s a wonderful place to get many ideas 🙂

  42. As a professed bibliophile, used book stores were my absolute weakness and first place I would seek my favorite authors’ books. As those book stores have all but disappeared in my area, Amazon.com, Walmart, and Sam’s Club became my most reliable sources to locate books. I still prefer hard copies, but ebooks allow me to customize the font and print size and I don’t have to carry a flashlight to read at night! So, I buy the digital copy first and wait for the hard copy to become more affordable to purchase.

  43. I buy print books mostly from Barnes & Noble. There is a great store near me (MIlewaukie, OR). A staple on my gift list is a Barnes & Noble gift card. I do buy print books from Amazon if B&N doesn’t have them.

  44. I am retired and living on a very limited budget. Therefore, sites like BookBub are a gift to someone who loves to read. I have not read many print books since my cataract surgeries and now with the onset of macular degeneration, I have come to cherish e-books even more than print books. However, I have had many print books over the years, but have now given most away, so please do not stop publishing via technology, but perhaps find someone who is willing to give Amazon some competition. I was surprised to hear you say how expensive e-publication is with Amazon. There must be other options and if not, it could be a great opportunity for some enterprising entrepreneur, since this form of publication is on the rise! You are a gifted author so keep on writing ??

  45. Hey Lynn!
    I would buy paperbacks, but my budget will not allow hard back books that cost over 20 dollars.

  46. HI, I would not buy a book from Amazon and I prefer my kobo e-reader . I use Kobo because I can get library books with it.
    Christine

  47. I prefer print books and would only buy them through Amazon if there were no other way to buy them. I prefer buying print and e-books through Barnes & Noble. I go to Barnes & Noble first, then maybe Amazon. By buying/looking for print books I can spend a morning or afternoon at B&N. By browsing in the store, I often find other books/authors that I end up buying, not just the books that I went into the store for.

  48. I have always read and preferred print books. But now I am getting into e-books. I do understand why more books are going that way and well, adaption is a part of life changing. I have book cases of print books so having tons of e-books also is not a problem. And I am finding it easier to take my tablet every where I go, so I always have a book or email etc on hand.

  49. I generally buy print books at a physical store (mainly Mardel since they are closing Lifewaw stores and going to an online shop) or resale shop. Or go to the library. Usually I only download free ebooks and I’ve got hundreds.

  50. I love ebooks, because I have room for as many as I want! ? I would not buy them on Amazon, so don’t do it on my account. Hope that helps.

  51. I have purchased numerous books through Amazon and still have a few on pre-order at this time. I am sad to see fewer and fewer print books available. Right now the only places in my town to buy them is Wal Mart and Walgreen’s and they rarely have the authors I read. I don’t have the funds to purchase a new kindle so still have the original so don’t have the option of light and enlarging print and so on. For me being a Sen the print are just easier for me. If I would have to go to strictly ebooks I am afraid I would have to give up reading all together.

  52. Hi Lyn,

    I only buy print copies of Indie book through Amazon if it’s something my Mom wants since she’s 92 and won’t read on a kindle. Otherwise I can’t justify the price difference.

  53. Lyn,
    If I purchased a print book I would probably buy it from Amazon since there are fewer and fewer book stores to go to now.

  54. I’m living in assisted living home and need a wheel chair ambulance to go anywhere. That’s really expensive. I buy almost all of my print books from amazon.

  55. I buy all of my print books through Amazon.com. I have a Kindle but read very few books on it.

  57. I occasionally by books on Amazon, and hardly ever in a store, but I much prefer e-books so that if I finish one book, I already have another one to read without having to carry around more than one book at a time.

  58. Hello! First I wanted to say that I love reading your books. They are very inspiring and nice to read. The answer to your question is that I only buy ebooks now.

  59. Dear Lyn,
    Much as I love the feel of a print book I rarely buy now as run out of space and double parking.
    I would buy a print book as reference ie commentary or cookery book but only a print if I really wanted that book and I tend to buy in charity shops. I can’t remember when I last bought a print book new. I would never buy a new novel in print. I use amazon.co.uk.
    I suspect the days of bookstores and print for novels is passing rapidly. I note that our local library is reducing physical books drastically and even there I download ebooks and audiobooks instead of physical book.
    I am also shocked that videos and DVD players are becoming obsolete.
    Here the national trust and railway stations and phone boxes and hairdressers and and motorway service stations and hospital waiting rooms etc all have a display of second hand books for a donation or straight swap. People are clearing out print and I suspect less willing to buy new as such a choice of secondhand books readily available.
    So keep writing!
    Sheila

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