Week Eleven Prompt Response

I never really thought of appeal factors as something that can be affected by the title’s medium. The appeal factors we’ve studied thus far center around the content of a book, such as themes, characterization, pacing, tone, and so on, but these factors do not change between formats. I would argue that differences in media do not affect these appeal factors at all, but are instead a matter of preference. The differences themselves, instead, create their own separate form of appeal factors.

Audiobooks are hands-down my favorite way to read. I can process information better through listening and multitasking, which audiobooks are perfect for. However, a big “unappeal” factor with audiobooks (for me, at least) is how slow the narration often is. A slow narrator can bog down a fast-paced story and distract from the plotline. However, many could find a fast narrator inaccessible and end up missing large parts of the story. These factors don’t affect the book’s content, but they do affect the reader’s experience of the content. This particular appeal factor can be solved through e-audiobooks, which thankfully have adjustable speed. Mediatore also notes pacing as an appeal consideration, along with the problem of choosing the right narrator (319). Narrator casting has never affected my reading experience beyond very mild annoyances*, and I’ve never encountered a patron who even mentioned an audiobook’s narrator. Just because I’ve never experienced this preference, though, does not mean it doesn’t still exist. Overall, audiobooks are a great medium for accessibility, as people with attention issues, visual impairment, different processing styles, etc. can still enjoy the same titles. These factors can help enhance a reader’s ability to interact with the title’s appeal factors.

Ebooks’ main appeal issue (and boon!) is also access. Not everyone has the physical technology to consume e-books, and not everyone is comfortable enough with their tech knowledge to figure the process out. On the other hand, the availability of differing font sizes, search features, color schemes, and built-in dictionaries are lifesavers. Not to mention- ebooks don’t require a flashlight when reading under the covers! While they are incredibly expensive to obtain, ebooks (especially ones with read-aloud features) are an accessibility godsend for people with sensory issues, learning disabilities, visual or hearing impairments, etc. Ebooks also provide the same experience as reading physical books, even to the point of still having page numbers/progress points. Like audiobooks, the format doesn’t change the content of the book, but instead provides more options for the reader to interact with the material. While audiobooks and ebooks are both excellent for making titles more accessible, they are also hindered by the “not real books” argument. Any format that differs from the traditional will be invalidated by this argument, and while I have trouble seeing the basis for this belief, it is a preference that needs to be anticipated from patrons in terms of appeal (or “unappeal").

Audiobooks and ebooks, as relatively new formats, definitely need appeal consideration. My question is, though, has there been a lot of consideration for traditional books’ format-based appeal factors? Traditional books are so often seen as the default that their physical form is erased. For example, I hate when books have deckled edges. I’ve also chosen not to read a book because of its font or spacing. Many people talk about specifically loving old books for their smell. Dozens of patrons at my work have put books back because the font was too small (or there wasn’t a large print copy available). One patron, when The Goldfinch had just come out on DVD, requested the large type edition only to find that it was 1,248 pages and sent it back. Who can comfortably hold a book that large? If format-specific appeals are becoming considerations, they should be applied everywhere.

While a book’s appeal factors are the same across all formats, format does affect the reader’s ability to interact with these factors. I’m still unsure as to whether or not the benefits and drawbacks of each format should be considered “appeal” or become its own set of classifications, but they should be considered nonetheless. To borrow from Ranganathan, every reader their format, and every format its reader.

*The narrator for Rainbow Rowell’s Landline pronounces the “t” in “Christmas,” and the entire book takes place over Christmas break. Also, Wil Wheaton narrates Ready Player One and you have to sit through a passage about how everyone in the book thinks Wil Wheaton is so awesome that they elected him president. No joke.