Paper is for goons

"Larry, why don't you actually PRINT your book so that I (Luddite friend) can read it."

From Hugh Howey: It is often said that e-readers can’t replace physical books, because books have a certain heft and tactile feel and even a smell to them. Well what if those people are eventually wrong? We will one day build an e-reader that’s indistinguishable from a physical book, and I believe people alive today will live to see such a device.

That's why.

I've read a ton of blog posts (4) from writers who talk about how exciting it was to hold a book they authored in their hands. To see their name in print. To actually place it in the magazine holder next to the toilet along with the old issues of The New Yorker and Vanity Fair and in my case, medical journals that have subject matter such as, "Romosozumab in Postmenopausal Women with Osteopenia." They usually have an accompanying illustration which depicts medical peril (anal warts, fatty heart valve, etc...). I have a few framed.

Print. When I was an art director, I used to get a kick out of seeing my ads in print and later on T.V. and eventually on the web where it didn't count as print, but you could read the fucker so what does that mean? "Mostly print?" That's where I'm at with "Paradise Rot." I've had a few people ask for the "paper version" which I tell them doesn't exist because I love Mother Earth. But seriously,  I do ask if they have an e-reader of sorts or an ipad or anything electronic that displays words on it, because if they do, then they can read my book.They can also join in with other modern day technology like zippers and food in powdered form (Medifast).

I've never been big on delivery systems. I went from vinyl to 8-track to cassette to CD back to vinyl to MP3 and now Bluetooth streaming. However I can get the content quickly and easily is how I'll take the content. You can substitute "content" for "meth" in that last sentence, because really, that's what content has become. And I, like Walt Whitman said, "contribute a verse."

I am going to print about 30 copies on demand for a book reading in July at the local indy shop. I'm sure it'll be fun to hold a copy of the book in my hands. I designed the cover, so that should be pretty neat. I'm thinking I'll put an image of a kindle e-reader on the back cover with the blurb on it. How's that for harmonic convergence?

So no more, "I really want to read it, but it's not in print," bullshit. Instead say, "I have seen the future and it's digitized." Eh? C'mon, forfeit your flat earth society membership and climb aboard. I've got some great reading material for you.