BLUESTOCKING BLUES: Is My New Book A Mistake?

I hope I did not make a bad business decision by publishing another book--"LAID-BACK SKIER"--this September. I'm talking about an actual book, in three-dimensions, not an e-book, which seems to be the trend for people who buy and read books.

An e-book might have made more sense: It certainly would have cost a lot less money to publish electronically.

Illustration by Patty Leidy for Friday Jones Publishing.

But I don't want real books to go down on my watch. I want to be a friend of the book--my longtime companion in bathtubs and beds, on beaches and airplanes. For take-off and landing, federal aviation requirements never require passengers to turn off a real book. And for actual books, there is no power source necessary, aside from the ability to turn a literal page.

I'm plugged in and wired, too, and all for e-books, as well, in certain situtions. But electronic reading, no question, is a different experience. I hear owners of Kindles and Nooks and other e-readers rave. I myself have no desire for another gadget that requires a power cord. At least not yet.

"Laid-Back Skier" is a beautiful book to hold and behold--if I'm allowed to say so myself. With sumptuous yet eco-friendly paper and almost 40 full-color illustrations, "Laid-Back Skier" even includes a printed book plate with the Latin phrase "Ex Libris" (From the Library).

But "Laid-Back Skier" does not require much reading: The book's main section includes only one sentence per two-page spread. This was intentional: Like many wired people, I find myself struggling to read. My attention span shrunk when I dove deeper into the digital age defined by abbreviations, acronyms and 140-character Tweets. With "Laid-Back Skier," readers revive the pleasure of reading an actual book, cover to cover. I envision adults reading "Laid-Back Skier" to kids unable to read for themselves. Everybody will enjoy the illustrations by Denver artist Patty Leidy.

"Laid-Back Skier" celebrates the art of the book. With a colorful, satiny cover, artful design, textural paper, and even an unusual format with the spine on the top of the book rather than the left side, "Laid-Back Skier" delivers information, entertainment, practical help in print--a skier's journal and a skier's packing list. "Laid-Back Skier" is a sensual experience, a labor of love, an ideal gift book "for skiers, riders, and snowflakes of all ages."

More information about "Laid-Back Skier" can be found at FridayJonesPublishing.com.

Wag your tale.