I used to be a library junkie with books piled on my nightstand. I’d be constantly renewing books until I finished all of them.

There had to be a way to escape the clutter.

That’s when I discovered e-book apps for my old Blackberry. I bought plenty of books and read and read and read. I even developed what I called ‘Blackberry Eye,’ small wrinkles under my eyes from staring down at my phone all day.

After jumping into the digital book world, I haven’t looked back.

Six years later, I have the original Nook, Nook Touch and a Nexus 7. I spend plenty of time reading on my gadgets, but still have the occasional physical book thrown in from the library.

But like any of my hobbies, I always end up wanting to write about them. Writing is my favorite form of expression, and writing about books and the industry came naturally for me.

TeleRead inspired that process. I used Calibre to download posts from the site onto my Nook – and suddenly, a wealth of publishing information was at my fingertips.

In the end, I wanted to know more. It’s what always drives me.

My professional background involves news media. I’ve worked as a sports reporter since 1998 – did I mention I love to write about my hobbies? – and have covered everything from the Super Bowl and the World Series to professional volleyball, car racing and even local rec leagues. I’ve also covered traditional breaking news – hurricanes barreling down on the Northeast, for instance, and the massive blackout in 2003.

I’m currently the football and hockey editor of Beckett Media, covering the trading card and sports memorabilia industry (there goes that hobby thing again). I oversee two monthly publications and create content for the Web. I also have strong digital and social media focuses.

One of the things I love about TeleRead is that it’s a central place to find what’s important about the publishing industry, and I want to use my journalism experience to bring important news to TeleRead’s audience.

If you have any ideas or comments, feel free to email at wordsbysooz@gmail.com. You can also follow me on Twitter at @SoozOnSports.

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  1. Welcome, Susan! The presence of good writers attracts more good writers, and I’m tickled that you’re joining Dan, Joanna, Juli, Chris and the others here at TeleRead. Based on what I’ve seen, you’re already off to a terrific start.

    I read of your sports journalism with interest. Any famous athlete(s) into e-books in a major way? That might make an interesting user profile and perhaps help him or her serve as a role model for young people.

    E-books could be especially good for pro athletes and others who travel. What’s more, I can see sports-related e-books as one way for libraries to entice young people to read. Any you can recommend in a TeleRead post, including those from indie writers? Bio, how-to books, anything sports related. Same for e-fiction–sports-linked of not–of special interest to younger people.

    Happy e-reading (and writing)!
    David

    David Rothman
    Founder, TeleRead
    Cofounder and Editor-Publisher, LibraryCity.org

  2. I love my nook, really.

    I also realized how much easier it is for me to read on the Nook and not get daunted by large books. I took out a book from the library that is about 700 pages, and thought “oh dear.”

    I never would have felt that way even if I had it on Nook.

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