“In today’s world, it [books] isn’t cheap entertainment anymore,” he says. “With the computer and with iPods and Netflix, I mean, you can get all sorts of other entertainment.”

Absolutely. I saw a book in the gay fiction section of Borders the other day and was headed to the register to pay, when I realised it was $45! So it went back on the shelf.

Now it might have been wonderful, and I still want to read it. But when I can
1. Pick up pretty decent novel length m/m at an epublisher for under $7
2. Write it for free
3. Read quality fanfiction for free if all I want is gay romance

$45 is just not good value. No novel is going to be worth that kind of money.

On the other hand, we just paid $30 for a book on Australian native plants, and had the one we wanted been available, would have paid $90 for another on that subject. We’ll pay big bucks for reference books. Or rather, my net-phobic spouse will.

Disposable fiction in print doesn’t compare in value to a ticket to the movie or a cheap DVD, or an ebook. Sure, you can reread the print book, and give it away or sell it but who thinks of that when you buy a book, unless it’s bought specifically as a gift?

Ebooks are the way to go for fiction, especially genre fiction, I’m convinced of it.