To Be or Not to Be...aka Print Books vs. eBooks!

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Hello, my Favorite VIP Readers!

Last week, I meandered on about what I loved and hated about being a writer. One of the things I didn’t mention is all of the decisions that have to be made as an Indie author. Don’t get me wrong. I do love being my own boss because I need to control my work from start to finish. Type-A, table for one. What I don’t love is doing all of the work myself…well, beyond writing my own books. It’s the best part of being a writer!

The point is, once that book reaches THE END, there is still so much more work to be done to get the book ready for you, my reader. Edits. Multitudes of edits. Throwing our babies into the wilds of BETA Reader country, hoping their reviews don’t come back with, “I hate this. Please bury it in a hole. Start over.” Insert insecurities here. Formatting. Ugh! I’d rather clean the oven. Sending out ARCs (Advance Reader Copies) to readers. Again, praying for no haters.

Honestly, there’s an amazing amount of work following THE END that I used to believe was done entirely by traditional publishers. They actually don’t. Oh, they edit your baby, print it up for you, and distribute it both digitally and as a print book. That’s a huge chunk of work. They also take a huge chunk of the royalties. But THAT’s not today’s topic.

Yeah, yeah, I’m getting there!

The question is, how do I get the books to you, my readers? I know that a lot of Indie writers don’t even bother with print. It’s so much easier to release a book with a click (well, several clicks) of a keystroke than to try to figure out book sizes and bleeding margins, page layout, and whatever else is necessary to load a paperback version of the book.

Some authors say readers don’t want paperbacks anymore. I disagree. Do I sell a lot? No. Do I still provide my books in paperback? Yes. Do I think it’s worth my time? Of course.

I know many of you do prefer your eReaders. That’s great. With my eyesight issues, I prefer mine as well, although I do miss holding a book in my hand. There’s something almost magical in picking up a paperback and escaping between the covers.

Ahem, I digress.

I’ll admit that I release my digital versions of my books first, mostly because I can’t stand sitting on a story I want to get into your hands while I wrangle the print version. I know y’all are waiting on the next book…and the next. Then again, I love taking my time with those print books because there are so many wonderful ways to dress up the work these days.

My formatter and I have been playing with some graphics as we format (and reformat) my print books. Do they change the story? Nope. But they sure are fun to drop into the mix.

You can check some of them out in my KILLING SECRETS, Thorne’s Thorns Series Book 1. It’s just been re-released with the pretties. SHADOW PURSUIT, Thorne’s Thorns Series Prequel, will be in print by next week, so you can have matching paperbacks to read and put on your Keeper Shelf.

Happy Reading!

While I have your attention, which do you prefer to read?
Print or eBook? Comment below just for grins and giggles.

Interested in booking your own Book Talk Spotlight? Contact me at kldocter@yahoo.com. Does not have to be a new release. Only one spotlight per book.

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Explore this week’s books, spotlighted on Karen’s Killer Book Bench (spotlight) & Karen’s Killer Fixin’s (spotlight + recipe).

CONTEMPORARY BILLIONAIRE ROMANCE: The Billionaire’s Instant Family by Holly Rayner

SCI-FI WEREDRAGON ROMANCE: Kelan, Talonian Warriors by Celeste Raye

What are you reading? I’m always on the lookout for books to add to my TBR pile! Join me for the challenge. It will be fun to motivate each other.

You can find my 2026 Goodreads Challenge here. Happy Reading!

Thank you for being a huge part of my reader community. Y’all are the best! Wishing you oodles of reading pleasure and happiness. Be safe. Have a great weekend.

Happy Reading!

Karen

P.S. Every heart/like you click helps other people find my books. Leave a comment so I know you were here. I read every single one. Thanks for being here!

Women hunted by killers…men who’d die to protect them. K.L. Docter’s psychological romantic suspense novels are filled with romance, although the dangers the hero and heroine face are intense…usually because a serial killer is bent on ending one or both of their lives. You’ll find romance, danger, justice, and a happily ever after between these pages!

Romantic Suspense at It's Best

Romance with a kick of humor. Karen Docter’s romantic comedies and contemporaries are spicy-sweet hometown-hero romances filled with warmth, love, family, and happily-ever-afters. You might even laugh out loud.

Contemporary Romance With a Kick

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