Do older people like computers and ebooks?

I was just reading a transcript of #followreader on Twitter. It was a chat for readers to express to publishers what they like and dislike about books. Two things struck me as commentable: 1) Why do the readers seem to think ebooks are all $10.00 and above, as expensive or more expensive than paper books? 2) Why do the readers think that people my age (I'm almost 50) and older, don't as a big group like ebooks or computers? First, not all ebooks are $10.00 and higher. I don't know in what universe these people got their information. Oh, I'm sure there are some ebooks that cost that much and more, but most? NOT my publishers. For example, my novel length book "Shipwrecked" at Total-E-Bound costs $5.08. "Friction" an anthology of 7 stories, cost $9.67 - But that's a lot of stories and more words than an ordinary novel. At Ellora's Cave my novel "American Beauty" costs $5.95 in e-format. The print version, which is coupled with "Better Than IceCream" is called "Sweet & Sticky" costs $12.99. Truth, Justice & The Vampire Way at Ellora's Cave costs $5.20. Sex Kittens, an anthology at Ellora's Cave costs $6.99 in e-format. The print book costs $11.99. Have I convinced you yet that a lot of ebooks are affordable and less than print books? What about the other question? Is it fair to assume that the majority of people 50 and older are not computer literate? Or that they don't like computers or ebooks? I'm not sure. Maybe we should take a poll. I'm almost 50 and I like to think I'm pretty computer literate. I'm very comfortable with Excel, Word, Power Point, and the Internet. I love to read ebooks. I think being tech savvy is cool. At my day job, my coworkers in my department who are in their 40's and 50's are also computer literate. They love to play and work on the computer as much as I do. However, the majority of the people who are 60 and older, are not into the computer. One of them dives in and seems to like it. The rest seem hesitant, even scared of computers. It seems like a lot of the people who call us and are older, tell us they don't have a computer or don't like computers. Some are very indignant when we mention the word "computer" or "Internet". However, I have at least two friends in other departments who are in their 60's who love the computer and are also very good with it. My father who is 80, was a computer programmer and an electrical engineer who designed at least one computer. He's very good with computers - but it amazes me, he's not really into the Internet. He'd prefer to look up a phone number in the old fashioned phone book rather than pop onto Whitepages.com. I don't get it at all. My kids have no problems reading ebooks. They seek out stories on line all the time. Strangely, they're not into Facebook or Twitter like me. Maybe age makes no difference to whether or not someone likes computers, ebooks, or different applications, just the individual. It's generally not fair to make assumptions even about one person much less large groups of people. Who's making this assumption? Do they have any data to back it up? I'd be interested to see data if it exists.

You'll also want to see what Amarinda Jones, Anika Hamilton, Anny Cook, Barbara Huffert, Brynn Paulin, Bronwyn Green, Dakota Rebel, Kelly Kirch, Molly Daniels, Sandra Cox, Regina Carlysle, and Cindy Spencer Pape are up to, so make sure to visit them also. :)

Accessing information is so much easier nowadays

Writing and submitting now is so much easier than pre-Internet days. Do you remember having to go to the library or bookstore to get reference books to find out who the publishers are, where they are located, what type of books they publish and who their editors are? Then, because the books couldn't be updated daily like the Internet, we'd have to make a phone call to make sure that editor was still with the publisher or to find out who the current editor was? If we needed to research a book, we'd have to haul our heines to the library again and find a bunch of books on our subject. We might have to put some of those books on reserve and wait weeks to get them. We might have to call or drive to interview someone. About the only time we ever got insight into publishers' and editors' minds was at writing conferences and in industry magazines. And then it was a few here and there. Fast forward to October 2008 and all the advantages we have now. We can log online from our bedrooms 24-7 and access a ton of information and industry news daily. We don't have to wait for a month or more to meet with our writing groups or go to a conference or get our monthly writers' magazine to get new information. With the flip of a switch and a few keystrokes, we merely sign online and start reading articles and chatting with fellow authors and other industry professionals. Editors post daily blogs now about what they like and don't like. They're very helpful and the insight is amazing. We meet with our critique groups online and can get help within days, sometimes within hours or even immediately. We definitely live on the information highway. I found a new editor's blog tonight and added it to my favorite links list. I found her on Twitter. Not only has our writing and publishing world become easier, but our social networking has an added dimension. I chat with people across the globe, daily. I've become friends and business partners with many people I've yet to meet face to face. Two of my cousins met their spouses online through E-Harmony. One is already happily married. The other is engaged and has yet to meet his fiancee face to face. I'm sure there are many more things we can do online that are good (and not so good) that we couldn't do before. Personally, I get sidetracked by visiting blogs, mahjong, and scrabulous too much. And as wonderful as it is to have more knowledge about my career, it means my competition is larger and fiercer because they too have all these added bonuses. Don't misunderstand: I still love books and libraries. We don't always find everything on the Internet. I have reference books on my shelf. But I'm in awe that I can look up editors and read their thoughts and tips so easily. You'll also want to see what Amarinda Jones, Anika Hamilton, Anny Cook, Barbara Huffert, Brynn Paulin, Bronwyn Green, Dakota Rebel, Kelly Kirch, Molly Daniels, Sandra Cox, Regina Carlysle, and Cindy Spencer Pape are up to, so make sure to visit them also. :)

Internet Abuse

I saw the cartoon to the right and just had to comment. A person was fired from my day job several months ago for too much personal Internet usage. Our company's CEO warned us about using the Internet for personal use at the day job - or else. (Ditto for cell phone usage.) And yet, as I walk through my office at the day job, when we're swamped with work and people tell me they're so busy they can't get all their work done, I see Internet sights up on their computers that definitely have nothing to do with our day job. You know, QVC, Recipe Sites, Celebrity Pics, Amazon, E-bay... In case you can't read the cartoon, it says, "Stan correlates office productivity with periods when the Internet crashed." Hm...Internet misuse seems to be rampant in the business world. It lures me, too. I'm human. I need the day job and so I force myself to behave at the day job, but as you can see, now that I'm home and should be writing - my night job - I'm looking for and finding funny cartoons on the Internet for my blog. Oi! I have to go to Borders or somewhere that will let me sit and work on my computer for long periods of time just so I can avoid the Internet's siren-like draw so I can write. It's a good thing Borders charges an outrageous $ amount to use the Internet or I wouldn't get work done there either. I'm afraid the cartoon above is too true, too many times these days. As much as I love the Internet and all the good things about it, I'm not blind to its drawbacks, either. It's like anything else - we're adults and we have to be responsible for ourselves. Our boss shouldn't have to tell us to work and not play on the Internet. My day job polices the Internet as best they can. They've blocked AOL Mail (guess how I know that - yeah, I'm sooooo bad). They block job sites. They block naughty sites (no, I didn't find that one out personally - a little old lady coworker tried to pull up MSN and porn pictures popped up and she was shocked and shaking. Of course, my IS department tried to tell me they've blocked pop ups and so she must have gone to the porn site herself on her own initiative.) They run a "Top 10 Most Wanted Internet Abuser" list that they give to the CEO. (I have inside information.) So, if you have a job, do you get lured away by the Internet? Much? You'll also want to see what Amarinda Jones, Anika Hamilton, Anny Cook, Barbara Huffert, Brynn Paulin, Bronwyn Green, Dakota Rebel, Kelly Kirch, Molly Daniels, and Sandra Cox are up to, so make sure to visit them also. :)