The great debate: physical or digital mediums?

The two heavyweights of the writing world – but is it better to rely on digital mediums, or physical? Despite the recent publisher preference for digital publishing, there’s something special about a tangible book, with flippable pages and that unmistakable smell.

We’ll be turning over rocks in this blog post, as we search for the truth: which is better, physical publishing or digital? In many ways, it does depend on opinion, but there are also statistics and trends to look at, so we may even be able to find an answer!

Physical mediums

Physical mediums include hard copies of books, newspapers, magazines or other printed material. They come with the added reassurance and longevity of an item over a digital copy, although they aren’t immune to natural disasters like floods or improper storage, and hoarding them leads to clutter. Though I’ll get around to reading them soon, promise…

Physical mediums have been used for centuries, with their own ‘storied’ history (forgive me) – from ancient relics like carved tomes to the modern media industry churning out tonnes of printed media like leaflets, there’s plenty to go around. And for some people, that’s the problem – especially in the over saturated marketing world, where innovation is championed above all else.

In modern times, trends may indicate a slight drop in the popularity of physical media – less children are reading books, although the numbers may be lowering as they’re simply finding reading material elsewhere. Sustainability, cost of production and other concerns may be causing people to choose digital media as a more accessible (and often cheaper) option. However, statistics show that book sales are on the rise – as much as 5% in the USA in the first part of 2024 – so don’t be worried that print books will be dropping off the map anytime soon.

Publishing digitally

Digital publishing has definitely seen an increase in popularity since it became a mainstream format of distributing media. It has the unique ability to spread far and wide due to its accessibility – often, all you’ll need is an internet connection – and its innovation means that it’s still evolving as a novel way to get your daily dose of words.

There are now more ways than one to devour a story – as well as digital libraries, you can listen to audiobooks (they still count!) on a wide array of topics, as well as reading online articles. Due to the fairly recent emergence of this media, we’re still seeing unfathomable technological advances that leave us wondering what the future might hold.

However, battery life becomes a limiting factor – and with publishing becoming more accessible, some authors are turning to quantity over quality with their books, muddying the prestige of a good series. Though, there’s something to be said about how quickly eBooks have risen in terms of market share and sheer possibility – even the format can be adapted, with ePubs, PDFs and many more! 

Advertising and other types of publishing

For those who still haven’t made up their mind, a popular technique is a blend of both. A virtual launch could be curated for a newly published book, or a leaflet (with a QR code) could be made to advertise a newly released chapter of an audiobook.

As mentioned before – and like the record-hounds who scour markets for ‘outdated’ vinyls – it’s likely that we won’t lose our love for digital books anytime soon.

Drawbacks of dust jackets and positives of power

As well as being more interactive and eco-friendly, digital books can receive real-time updates – so if an error appears, it can be tackled quickly before anyone notices. Additionally, there’s nothing better than waiting for the next chapter of a novel to be uploaded and seeing that notification pop up – it fosters a community atmosphere (if you were around in the golden age of Wattpad, you’ll know what I mean). 

However, digital media may start to lead to technology dependency, as well as fatigue or eye-strain. Of course, that sounds like I’ll start telling you that your eyes will go square if you sit too close to the TV, but it is a real concern. Even more so is the omniscient issue of privacy and data usage – those cookies may be keeping an eye on you whilst you’re distracted by a brooding, mysterious stranger…

As for physical mediums, a lot has already been mentioned, but readers tend to appreciate the physical experience of reading – you’re invested and focused, having to turn the pages and concentrate totally on the story. In some ways, it could be seen as a ritual – escapism is definitely appreciated – especially in recent times – as well as a callback to childhood. Well, only if you were a bookworm when younger.

Shut down and switch off!

If this blog post has been even more wishy-washy than usual – which it has – then you’ll be picking up on my author’s bias. It would be a bit rude of me to sit here typing this article and not mention that there are advantages and disadvantages to both formats. But all in all, the statistics show that physical mediums are here to stay – and they also show that digital formats are exploding in popularity, too.