Multimedia or Straight Text?

[Ishta]

Text. Unless it's memoir or non-fiction, in which case pictures/diagrams are fine, as long as they are static (no moving pictures, please). Basically, what you already get in a print book. No multimedia.

[Margo]

By the way, I wanted to mention another e-book innovation that's on the near-term horizon. Pretty soon you'll apparently be able to read an e-book on an e-reading device, then if you go for a drive or go for a walk you can switch over to the audiobook version, which will pick up right where you left off, and then when you want to read again you'll be able to switch back to text and it will sync to where the audiobook left off.

Only possible with digital.

If George Guidall reads them all, we might have a negotiation point for me to surrender text. I'm firm on that, though. :) And a pizza. I want a pizza.

[AnnElise]

I will always prefer straight text. If there must be something else, motionless illustrations are as far as I will go. Anything more than that detracts from the story and even the illustrations shouldn't be overdone. Count me as straight text, though.

[Margo]

Excellent. Many thanks for the additional opinions. It's at 6 and 6 now. Honestly, I don't expect a more lopsided split (in either direction) than, say, about 60/40. But it's interesting whatever the outcome.

[Mira]

Multimedia! I'd love pictures, interaction, even music with my books. How cool would that be?

But I wouldn't want them to do anything without the authors involvement. So, no going back and showing Romeo and Juliet doing a waltz.

[sierramcconnell]

Straight text is wonderful. But...if I could include something to go along the lines with this section...

His heart ached and his head lolled back against the Watcher’s shoulder as he was caught by the music of his words. His mouth began to quiver and he felt his resolve slipping as Nanyael cooed and purred to him that he was being such a good grandson.
And then the most horrible cacophony of sound chorused from above.
Mikael was trying to sing, his fingers shoved deep in his ears as he blocked out the melody of Nanyael’s voice. But it had had a double effect in that Carmine was no longer swayed by the honeyed words.

I could put a hover text in the line bolded. 'Click here to hear Mikael's singing'. And it would be the most awful sounding rendition of 'Angels we have 'eard on 'igh' that anyone has ever 'eard with that thick country accent of his. XD

It would certainly make them laugh. Because that's how the book is. At turns serious and silly.

And I could include pictures of the keys. And all sorts of notes and doodles I've done for the book.

WAIT. That's a MATERIALS collection. Something that, if the book is popular, is supposed to follow after the book.

What if they packaged it together? It would be more expensive, no?