Are printed books worth the effort?

All of my books are in both forms but I prefer printed for most books I read. I do like reading an ebook but I always intersperse it with a printed book. At present I am reading a print book and I am enjoying the feel and the ability to have the experience of holding a book in my hand. There is a difference between holding an iPad and a print book. I know children really love books and there is nothing better than cuddling up with a book and getting immersed in it. As an author, I have bookplates that I send to anyone who buys my books if they contact me. People really love print books. I have had a lot of success selling my print books at events and readers love to have your autograph. I think print books are going to be around for a long time because people want that experience.

I, along with many of the readers I've talked with, prefer printed books. Granted, most of these readers are of an earlier generation, but there is still a market for the "hard copy" of my work. Also, Print on Demand has eliminated many of the issues with paper books - no waste, no inventory - and the time between placing the order and receiving the book is usually 3-4 days.

The message is most important. How it's delivered is less so. However, there are many advantages to printed books. In fact, my client just had his printed book released via University of Akron press. It's much easier to take printed books to, say, the beach. If you are sitting in a waiting room, it's much easier to materials in print vs. electronic. I know it's been done, but I couldn't conceive of reading a book on a phone. However, reading a speech on a phone may be much easier than reading it from print. But, reading is reading. The message is what is important. The delivery method less so. 

I only buy ebooks, but that's because of my macular degeneration, I find it hard to read the print in real nooks, but I can make the print larger in ebooks. However, I publish my own books i print as well as ebook versions. Some people just need to have a bok in their hands. I think both are essential.

A topic often discussed in our writing community. Very few prefer EBooks, it seems owning or  borrowing a printed book is our preference.  I usually order 100 printed copies at the onset, and so far, I have managed to sell most of them.  If I can break even I count myself lucky.  I am published through a traditional publisher and the majority of their books are sold digitally.  

I think plenty of people still love the feel and smell of a book - I sure do. I think it will be a long time (hopefully never?) before serious books are no longer in print.  

I am old school and love that book in my hands - but digital is probably the way to go now - although I just recently did a Shutterfly publication in a limited number

I think it depends on your goals.  If your book is something like romantic fiction, for example, ebooks in that category sell well, I'm told.  Informational books would be better, I would think, in printed form.  I think right now is probably not a good time to query publishers about taking on a book, what with the uncertainties now with the pandemic.

If you're willing to put in a lot of work, you can have it both ways.  A friend of mine, working through Amazon's self-publishing program, created a beautiful book of her colorful artwork and writings about them, that can be bought either as an ebook or a 'print on demand' book.  The process of creating the book cost her nothing, and she gets, I believe, half of the price for online sales.  She orders small quantities of the book for her own sales at workshops or whatever.  She pays $10 each and sells them for $20.  They look totally professional, with great color and good solid binding.

I think Apple is now getting into the book-creation business as well.  I don't know what that entails.

This is a provocative question, given the costs today of printing and marketing a hard-cover book plus the ecological impact of producing the materials, warehousing, and shipping that make real a physical product. Digital offers so many economic and environmental advantages, yes. Nonetheless, as a writer we like "the feel of a real book in your hands." It makes our accomplishment more tangible; that is, more real. Physical books have substance and longevity, whereas digital media can disappear whenever electrons lose their way or get hacked into instant oblivion or otherwise deleted into the ethers. As a reader of others' books, we annotate as we read. Not so easily done with e-books. So for us, yes, printed books are still "worth the effort."

There are some occasions where printed books are appropriate: at book signings, for libraries, and for people who like the feel of a printed book.

I, myself, stopped collecting printed books a while ago, because (1), I like reading, and I had collected several books. (2) Physical books yellow, wear out, and collect dust. (3) They are also hard to pack and heavy to move if you are changing residences.

If a book is a collector's item, it may warrant a printed copy, but in general, I usually get eBooks.