OCD, the Kindle and Me

Lately I’ve noticed that more and more publishers are relying on websites like Netgalley to get early proof copies to book bloggers. Recently I’ve been receiving more emails with a direct link to download an e-galley than I have with offers of a physical proof to read and whilst I think this is fantastic for a lot of reasons I couldn’t help but wonder if this is the way publicity is going in the future and how bloggers who don’t own or dislike e-readers feel about this new digital approach.

Personally I like my Kindle Paperwhite but I LOVE my physical books and really can’t see that ever changing. I have so many exciting books on my Kindle right now but they often get neglected in favour of physical books. In fact I’ll often be excited about an early e-proof for all of a day and then decide that I’d actually much rather wait and buy a finished copy which some people might think is a little crazy when I’m given the chance to read these books sometimes months in advance which brings me nicely on to a realisation I made the other day.

After thinking about this topic a lot over the last few weeks I realised that a large part of why I prefer not to read on my Kindle is because of my OCD. Part of my condition means that I have to do things as thoroughly and correctly as possible and when I’m reading on my Kindle I don’t feel like I’m getting the full reading experience. This is kind of silly when I’m quite happy to read proof copies that are subject to change but try telling my OCD that. I don’t get it either.

So after a lot of thought I have decided to make this year Project Learning to Love My Kindle. At the moment I tend to read one Kindle book per month (if that) and I’d like to start trying to up that to two or three books a month. I’m tired of not reading the books I want to read because I have this irrational fear of not reading the book properly. There are lots of pros for me personally for reading more on my Kindle and it’ll also help tackle an aspect of my OCD which can only be a good thing. I’m not saying that I want to become a full on Kindle advocate but if I can get to a stage where I feel like I can happily read what I want to on my Kindle that would be great.

If you’re a blogger who doesn’t own or dislikes e-readers I’d love to know how you feel about the rise of websites like Netgalley? Do you ever feel like you’re missing out on the latest thing? If you’re a publisher is there a future for paper proof copies? Or are you a reader who hates missing out on exclusive e-book short stories from your favourite authors? If for whatever reason you’ve ever missed out on reading a book due to a dislike of e-readers I feel your pain.

Make a Book Bloggers Dream Come True?

Hey Guys,

So if you follow me on Twitter you may have heard the news that I got into the last 10 of the Mira INK competition which I was beyond thrilled about! There were so many amazing entries that I didn’t think for one moment I’d make the top 10 and go through to round two, but here I am.

So here’s the part where I need YOUR help. The competition is to win a year’s paid contract with Mira INK as their book blogger (don’t worry if I win I’ll still be blogging here too! No way am I giving up my baby) plus a laptop or ipad. This is a dream come true for me but for this next stage I can’t do it without your help.

We’ve had to make a 60 second vlog explaining why we think we should win and in this stage it’s all about getting love for your video, likes, comments, views, I need to reach out to as many people as I can. So I ask you this, if you’ve ever enjoyed a post on this blog, if I’ve ever helped you find a book, you could say the biggest thank you ever by simply going and watching this video, liking it and leaving a comment showing your support. You guys have the ability to make my dreams come true and I can’t begin to tell you how grateful I would be.

Here’s the link to my vlog 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4eS-lewifg

And for anyone who’s interested here is the post that got me into the top ten http://shecanflyfree.tumblr.com/post/35646604803/thisisourstory 

Thank you so much for your support now and always.

Love Jess x