It's All About the Words

When my youngest son was two I was teaching full time and studying for a postgrad degree at Edinburgh. Thinking about ebooks brought that situation back to mind. In the evening, I used to retire to my room, small son in tow to read the academic papers required. These were usually photocopies supplied by the lecturer because getting to the library and finding the books actually in situ was virtually impossible. Beside me on the bed, my son read his book. On this particular night it was the Ladybird book Chicken Licken. You know the one where the sky is predicted to fall in? (Pretty well what Labour, Tories and Lib Dems said would happen if the SNP got into power). I glanced from my paper to Chicken Licken (it looked more imteresting) and my son told me sternly, 'Read your own words, Mummy.'
Why does this story spring back to mind? Because at the end of the day it's the words that count and the writers that write them. Not the format they are in. And equally important, that readers get ready access to them.
My friend and fellow blogger Nicola Morgan was enraged recently to discover the book shelves in her revamped supermarket (unnamed)were basically an advertising feature for one particular author.
Yesterday I went into my local corner supermarket (unnamed) and they were selling Kindles and advertising the fact that you could download any book (by any author) in thirty seconds.
It does level the playing field somewhat for both writers and readers.