e-Reading Guide

Quality

Why Most Ebooks Are Poorly Formatted (and How to Spot a Good One)
ByThomas Reed

Ebooks promise flexibility, comfort and accessibility, yet many fall short of that promise. Readers often assume that if a book looks wrong on their device, the problem lies with the app or the screen. In reality, poor formatting is usually the result of decisions made long before the ebook reaches the reader.

This article explains why badly formatted ebooks are so common, what “good” formatting actually means, and how readers can quickly tell the difference.

Why Ebook Formatting Is Often an Afterthought

Despite years of digital publishing, many ebooks are still treated as secondary products. In traditional publishing workflows, the …

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Health

Reading on Screens All Day: What Actually Causes Digital Eye Fatigue?
ByThomas Reed

Digital eye fatigue is often blamed on screens themselves. Readers are told that staring at displays for too long damages eyesight or that digital reading is inherently harmful. The reality is more nuanced. Eye fatigue is real, but it is usually caused by a combination of environmental, behavioural and technological factors rather than screens alone.

This article looks at what actually causes digital eye fatigue, why reading is often implicated, and what readers can do to reduce discomfort without abandoning digital reading altogether.

What Eye Fatigue Really Is

Eye fatigue, sometimes referred to as digital eye strain, is not the …

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Rights

Do You Really Own Your Ebooks? A Plain-English Guide to Digital Ownership
ByThomas Reed

When you buy a physical book, ownership is straightforward. You can keep it, lend it, resell it or give it away. With ebooks, the situation is far less clear. Many readers assume that purchasing an ebook confers the same rights as buying a printed book, but that assumption is often incorrect.

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Policy

How Public Libraries Decide Which Ebooks to Buy
ByThomas Reed

Public libraries are often seen as neutral providers of books, quietly making titles available based on community need. In the digital world, however, ebook selection is shaped by complex commercial, technical and policy decisions that are largely invisible to readers.

This article explains how public libraries decide which ebooks to buy, why availability can feel inconsistent, and what constraints influence digital collections.

Ebooks Are Not Bought Like Print Books

Unlike print books, libraries do not usually buy ebooks outright. Instead, they license access under terms set by publishers and distributors. These licences define how many times a book can be …

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Production

From Print to Digital: Where Book Design Commonly Goes Wrong
ByThomas Reed

When books move from print to digital, something is often lost. Readers may struggle with awkward layouts, confusing navigation or text that simply does not behave as expected on a screen. These problems are not inherent to ebooks. They are usually the result of design assumptions that work well on paper but fail in digital environments.

This article examines where book design most commonly goes wrong during the transition from print to digital, and why those mistakes continue to appear.

Print Design and Digital Reality

Print design is based on fixed pages. Designers know exactly how wide a page is, …

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Research

Is Reading Faster Digitally Helping or Hurting Comprehension?
ByThomas Reed

Digital reading tools often promise efficiency. Features such as instant search, adjustable text and progress indicators can make reading feel faster and more controlled. Many readers report that they move through digital text more quickly than print. The question is whether this speed improves understanding or quietly undermines it.

This article examines how reading speed changes in digital environments, what happens to comprehension, and how readers can balance efficiency with depth.

Why Digital Reading Often Feels Faster

Digital reading environments encourage pace. Screens are optimised for scrolling, tapping and rapid navigation, and readers are accustomed to skimming online content.

Several …

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Why Ebook Formatting Is Often an Afterthought

What Eye Fatigue Really Is

Ebooks Are Not Bought Like Print Books

Print Design and Digital Reality

Why Digital Reading Often Feels Faster