The struggle is not to find the magazine that you want but to choose the one. Every magazine tries to push the narrative that it is the best business magazine, and this contributing factor makes it a difficult task to select one amongst the tons of publications. It might be time-consuming, but people all over the world still prefer a paperback magazine to a digital version of a magazine.
A digital magazine is an online version of a magazine, where you get access to your magazine right at your fingertips. You can save a lot of time and access the magazine easily because the internet makes it much simpler for you to read it anytime, anywhere. Suppose you have a tight schedule, then you can sit in the backseat of your car and read the insights online business magazine while you are on your way to the office. Internet accessibility also makes it easier for readers to choose the magazine that they desire to read.
However, digitalization has changed everything around us, and the same goes for the publishing industry. The tug of war over capitalizing on readers has given the readers a new way to access their favorite magazines.
Let us dive into the insights of the paperback vs. eBook and how digitalization has affected the traditional methods of the publishing industry.
Paperback: Readers’ Choice of Reality
Back in 2015, many surveys and studies predicted that eBooks would replace the paperback industry. Predictions can often be wrong, as who would have thought that in 2020 the world will together suffer from what feels like a never-ending pandemic. However, forecasts made in 2015 were not entirely wrong, but according to Print Impressions, this pandemic saw a rise in the sales of paperback books and magazines with 8.2%, selling over 751 million copies.
Several factors are responsible for this, and most avid readers choose to experience the feeling of turning the pages of a hardcopy rather than scrolling on a device in hand.
Paperback books or magazines have their advantages and disadvantages. The most prominent advantage is that they can be touched and felt by the reader. Another reason why the readers choose paperback is that it offers a completely different experience. According to Print Impressions, 66% of the top business magazine readers say that paperback magazines give a feeling of being more authentic. There is a sense of satisfaction and relatability while reading paperback magazines. Many readers also believe that reading paperback has a long-lasting impact than eBooks.
Some of the readers use paperback books as a sleep-inducing agent as it requires much concentration. Paperback magazines comparatively do not cause any harm to the eyes, which act as a significant advantage in being the reader’s choice to reality. Digitalization may not have adversely affected the paperback publishing industry completely, but indeed it has given them a reality check that the times are changing.
eBooks: Adventurous book of Advantages
eBooks and magazines have gained huge popularity since they hit the market. It provides the reader with every advantage that a paperback book does not offer. Accessibility is almost instant, saving a lot of time. Also, online business magazines or any online magazines can now be accessed on your mobile phone. Another advantage that these eBooks provide is that they will be there forever. Meaning there is always a chance of books being torn, misplaced, etc., whereas eBooks are on your device and at your fingertips. Apart from that, they are almost weightless. While the books can cause a lot of trouble while carrying them around, you can carry your personal library in your hand with devices like Kindle, etc.
Compared to paperback or hardcover books and magazines, eBooks are less expensive. The pricing was so less at one point that Amazon was forced to increase their eBook prices for healthy competition. eBooks have very little cost-cutting as the middle elements like printing, distribution, and even maintenance are eliminated. Online business magazine has the upper hand in eBooks because it saves a lot of time for businessmen. The availability and convenience in use can add a lot to the advantage of eBooks. Reading becomes hard when you have a tight schedule. Searching for words and highlighting quotes from eBooks becomes much easier in an eBook.
eBooks are superior to paperbacks because of the ease they provide while reading. A reader can change the size of the font, increase and decrease the brightness as per his/her convenience, highlight the quotes that they feel are worth highlighting, and even add their own annotations to the eBook. Being a digital file, which is available online, it never goes out of stock. The devices made especially for eBooks also have recently got an upgrade that allows listening to the digital copy instead of reading it. Just plug in your earphones and listen to the best business magazines to know the business insights.
A tied Tug of War
Digitalization has affected many industries; while some have been adversely affected, some adapted to the change to stay alive in the competition. Paperback and eBooks are constantly at war for being a superior choice for the readers. Paperbacks have an emotional connection with the readers, whereas eBooks are spontaneously adding more features that would attract more readership.
Today people are more comfortable with using digital devices, and somewhere these gadgets have become a part of our day-to-day life. In the midst of this confusion for the readers to stay updated with the technology or stay connected to reality somewhere, both eBooks and paperbacks are making a better experience for the reader. At the same time, the same user is using both depending on their convenience. This is because one likes to stay connected to reality while they are comfortable and when in a tight schedule, would turn to online business magazines to stay updated.
This healthy competition anyway has been beneficial for the readers because someone who has never read a book in their life will at least read a paperback book for its experience or would read an eBook to stay updated with the world.