Why does a writer who's print-published choose electronic publication?
Why do I, as an educator and parent, see children loving e-books and
a bright future for e-books in schools?
and

Looking at my crystal ball here... I see Electronic Books, or E-Books, playing a major role in children's lives.
Why?

Children are fascinated by computers and anything electronic. They love pagers and cell phones, video games and boom boxes. TV and VCR's are a staple in their lives. Reading, for fun, and education even, is enhanced "fun" when presented in this mode.
Kids love new ways of doing things. Grownups are sometimes afraid to try new things. Children aren't. The newer, the better.
They learn quickly. Who programs the VCR at your house? When I was visiting my son, my five-year-old granddaughter showed me what buttons to push on the toaster oven, microwave, and coffee maker. (Isabel is a great little helper!)
E-books come in a variety of forms—disk, CD, audio—with something to appeal to every child's interests and modes of learning. Some kids are visually-oriented, some comprehend better by listening, others are tactile with a need to touch or manipulate.
Kids will be introduced to them in school. Reference books are some of the first that schools will order. Encyclopedias can be stored, updated, and accessed easily this way. No one can tear out a page or color in them. Great for home use too!
Enrichment appears at a click of the mouse. With some books, the reader can click the mouse on a highlighted word and be whisked to sites that enrich a story. Example: Your child is reading about aquatic animals and the word "sharks" appears in brightly colored letters (hypertext), one click and presto—shark-infested waters appear. Tails slap and mouths snap, and the reader sees and hears them, gobbling up oral or written facts offered with sound and visions. Art and craft activities, games, poems and songs—the possibilities are endless.
Interactive E-books cost less and last longer than print books with pull tabs, windows, and plastic buttons to produce sounds and music.
Interactive E-books foster decision-making and independent learning. With my mystery book, CAMP CHEER, about a girl who's uncovered a mystery at cheerleading camp, the reader helps Keely decide what to do next. Each decision leads to a new situation and another decision to make. Another example of lasting longer, this book is one that middle-graders and teens can read again and again, with dozens of ways to reach the 11 different endings.

I see E-books in schools...

Some of the reasons are the same as above +
Electronic books are less expensive, attractive, easier to store, and more durable.
Reference books are less burdensome and being smaller, less daunting to children.
Interactive books offer opportunities for reinforced and extended learning, making it easier for school to teach to the individual child's needs. A child can see a vocabulary or spelling word, hear it pronounced, and access pictures that demonstrate or illustrate at the same time. As a former teacher of 23 years, I'm intrigued by the possibilities. A fast learner can go on to enrichment activities (vertical learning) while the slower learner practices and reinforces learning with activities at the same (horizontal learning).

And for adults...

Putting down my crystal ball, I pick up my diary and admit...

I was an E-Book Holdout. "I want to curl up with a book," I wrote. "I spend enough time at my computer writing; I don't want to sit there to read."
Past diaries report that I didn't want to use a computer either. And now, if the house caught fire, I'd carry it out second, right after I rushed my backup discs to safety. (My kids are grown and we don't have any pets.)
The first time I tasted pizza, I thought it was revolting. I wasn't going to wear bell bottoms, or short skirts, or long skirts... Times change and we learn. Change is good. Change is wonderful.
New publishing opportunities turned me on to E-books and I joined EPIC, Electronically Published Internet Connection, because I wanted to learn more and more.
And I did! There are new products on the market called PDRs (personal digital readers) that make the reading of an e-book as easy as reading any standard book. Portable and light weight, with a back-lit screen, rechargeable battery, built in dictionary, adjustable font size, a PDR is capable of holding from 10 to 100 average size books. With one of these, you can read in your easy chair, in bed, or anywhere else you choose. And think how great they'd be when you travel. (Two on the market are the Softbookâ and the Rocket eBookâ)
But...you don't have to have one of these new products to enjoy e-books. Most e-books can be read on any computer, IBM compatible or Mac, as well as on a laptop, PowerBook, or PDA—a portable digital assistant such as the Palm Pilot. Read e-books on the screen, or if you like, print them out to read on paper.
With over half of all of the homes in the United States having at least one computer, most schools and a growing number of public libraries containing many computers, access is not a major problem.

So, why not e-books?

E-books are attractive, easy to obtain and easy to read, and the price is much more affordable than many traditional books.

Up to the age of eighteen, give or take a few years, most people welcome new ideas, and then they slowly become more resistant. You don't want to be considered an old fogy, do you? I know I don't!

Why e-books for authors and readers?
I'm not going to pit print publishers against electronic because there's plenty of room for both, and I still want to write and publish both ways. But with E-publishing, the opportunities to write and read a variety of books are expanded.
My books aren't what I'd call controversial, but MALE WANTED was turned down by an editor at a large publishing house because it's based on a "no-no." The heroine, a school librarian, must chaperone the Homecoming Dance. She told a little white that she was engaged and now that she needs a date, she's in a bind. So, she places an ad for a single white male to date, and the stand-in editor (the hero, of course) misprints it to indicate she wants a sadomasochistic male to mate. There is no S&M in this zany romance book, but a few weird men knock on her door, so the editor gallantly becomes her live-in protector. The outcomes of the newspaper error are hilarious (I hope), and there's some emotional growing taking place as well, but the mere mention of S&M and a supposed danger to the heroine, is a "no-no" in traditional romance books. I loved writing this book and I hope my readers will love reading it.
This country was founded on diversification, and there are many E-publishers, which gives me more places to submit, and a better opportunity to find what I'm looking for in work relationship. Print publishing companies are lumping together into huge conglomerates and saving money by cutting editors and staff. Editors are overworked and few nurture new writers. E-publishers, at least the ones I've met, care about their writers and while their standards are just as high, they'll encourage you to write the book of your heart.