Over 20 years ago, people said to me that books were going to be a thing of the past. The prediction that we would no longer see any printed newspaper or book was devastating for me, because my desire to be an author and a journalist just didn’t seem right without them.
When I heard that, I grieved the lost experience of touching books, taking my kids to the library, smelling the printed paper and sitting in the kids’ corner, reading, enjoying the moment and imagining we are in a different world.
Inside, I prayed it wouldn’t happen. At least, I prayed it wouldn’t happen too quickly.
I think my wish came true.
I published my first book, Be Special, Be Yourself for Teenagers, in 2005. It was an easy choice, because there were still many books around and it was first published in print.
Over the past 14 years, digital options (eBooks) became more and more popular, so when my other books were ready for publishing, I wondered how to react to the trend to move to digital books. Should I go with the flow and have my books in digital formats only, or should I still print them?
I could see the advantage of electronic books. People buy them and get them immediately. They can read them on every screen they want. They can take them in any bag and need no extra space for them.
So, we ended up having digital copies available, but my heart kept craving printed copies to touch, to hold, to smell, to flip and to be able to write on.
Why I love printed books
In our house, we still have 4 bookshelves. Although we read a lot on the screen, books are still a big part of our life.
I still have a shelf with cookbooks that I use, and when I make the recipes I like, I still prefer the printed version. So, even when I find a recipe online, I print it, try it and write notes on it, in case I like it and use it again.
When I was young, I learned that books were friends. I could not bring books to the dining table or make “elephant ears” (folding the corners to mark pages), to keep the books clean and undamaged.
I have a bond with books. If I find a book that has changed the course of my life, I buy it. Having it near me, and going over it from time to time, gives me the feeling the book is part of my life.
On some of the non-fiction books I buy, I highlight interesting bits, add comments and feel the book is alive. For me, writing inside the book is the way to make it mine and suitable to my needs.
Printing Motivating Kids
Over the last four years, since my book Motivating Kids was published as a digital book, I dreamed of printing it as well. It was not easy, because it is a large and very colorful book.
Wow, it was so exciting to get it by mail and hold it in my hands. It was not the same as when we first published it electronically. I was proud and happy then, but didn’t feel this much excitement.
Four years passed, and I am happy to say that my parenting book Motivating Kids is now available in print.
If you are like me, and love to touch your books and flip their pages, this is for you. A printed version you can highlight, write comments, open from time to time and review.
More than anything, you can use the tips in the book to motivate your children to be, do and have all the things you wish for them.
I would like to thank my husband Gal and my son-in-law Sandy for making it happen and plan to make my upcoming book, “The Will”, available both digitally and in print from the beginning.
I still pray that the predication about the vanishing of printed books will not come true as long as I’m alive.
Until then, we will have all my books in both formats, digital and printed. This will be my contribution to keeping printed books alive a little bit longer.
Happy reading,
Ronit
