Q&A: John Fawcett-Peck: manager @ Exclusive Books, Hyde Park

Q: How do you think the proliferation of eReaders will affect the concept of reading?

A: Reading is an extremely intimate experience, between the reader and the author. This makes me question whether technology will ever alter this relationship. In my opinion, people who read for leisure will always prefer a physical book.

When one starts to look at different genres, I believe travel guides, text books and reference books will be the most successful when migrating to the eReader. It’s all about accessing information at the touch of a button.

As an avid reader, I only read physical books. Having said that, if I travelled more, I’d love to get an eReader to take with me on business/holiday trips loaded with ten books or so, instead of packing those paperbacks into my hand luggage.

I believe people who really love books will stick to the old-fashioned kind, be it fiction, biography, cookery, philosophy, business, science, or photography.

Children's books are the single most important section within the paper vs. screen debate. If a child starts reading on a Kindle, that’s what they will become used to, but who would want to stick a Kindle into a toddler’s hands to "page" through a picture book, for example. Therefore, I believe physical books will always be the first introduction to reading.

When it comes to selling books going forward, I would like to see computers in stores where customers can download books and pay at till points, hopefully while paying for other printed books. This kind of marriage would only enhance the book lover’s experience and thus energise the book trade as a whole.

Q: What do you think is the biggest advantage and the biggest disadvantage of eReaders?

A: The biggest advantage would have to be in the travel genre, due to the fact that accessibility, convenience and obtainability (speed) of titles would improve.
The most obvious disadvantage would be the troublesome nature of technology, having to lug around accessories like power cables, etc. Take the iPod as an example. When I upgraded to an iPhone, I started listening to more music because it’s all contained in one device. Not so with eReaders. Image taking your eReader to the beach, on safari, etc. – and discovering the battery is dead? Not so ideal.

Q: What’s happened to audio books? Are they still big in SA and around the world?

A: Audio books are still around and always sell, perhaps not at the same rate as bestsellers, but they sell at a steady rate in our shop. Sales are constant throughout the year, with holiday periods reporting peak trade.

Audio books are great when you’re stuck in traffic, or have long distances to travel every day. You could listen to a book or two in one week. People would be less frustrated as they’d be engrossed in the story. One snag would be arriving late for an appointment because you wanted to finish a chapter of the audio book. The audio market is thriving when it comes to children’s books. Audio books on CD have been around for over ten years and we have slowly started seeing mp3 versions of audio books.

Q: How will authors and publishing houses be affected when/if reading books online takes off in a big way?

A: There is still great debate about this topic. This is where eReaders will affect everyone. Book shops need knowledgeable staff, excellent stock and a great shopping environment for the customer. Coffee shops are there to enhance the browsing experience. You cannot get that in the comfort of your own home, apart from a cold cup of instant coffee. And nothing can replace the feeling of browsing through numerous books and picking the ones you like.

Authors spend months, even years, researching for their next book, which you can then purchase for next to nothing. In other words, there is no return on investment for the authors and hence less authors would write. This would cripple the industry, dumb down society and offer the consumer fewer choices.

Publishers worldwide put huge effort into editing and producing the meticulously prepared, well-glossed finished book, as well as into events and marketing. Can you imagine only being able to browse the internet, without being able to pick up the book because of the enticing cover, peeking inside, and deciding whether you like the style of writing - and at that instant, your eye catches another alluring cover. You stroll over to it and proceed to do the same. As any book lover will tell you, this is key when choosing a book, and is something that keeps the wheels of the book industry turning.

Q: What is your opinion on Google wanting to put every single book ever written on the internet?

A: It sounds a bit like George Orwell's 1984 - very controlling in a Big Brother-ish sort of way.