Flights of Fantasy discussion
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New Experiences in Reading
That looks really interesting. Shame it's only for iproducts, although I assume they want to check that the model actually works for them before they expand to other devices.
Emily wrote: "Also a Netflix for books: libraries. :)"Yes but you have to have a good one for that to work..and I don't. Our library system is sorely lacking, and even though they connected to Overdrive last year, they are still limited.
I find it fascinating how people so quickly jump to that option, assuming that it hasn't been tried.
Ohhh. I would love to use something like this. I read only ebooks anymore. And this is something I would definitely pay to use. But, alas, I don't have an iPad or iPod. Why do they always get the cool stuff? :(I'll keep checking to see if they add more devices.
It looks good BUT I'm too OCD for that, I think. I need to either borrow or own my books - and the idea of putting out $10/month to read books that I don't own bothers me.IDK, I always assumed I would want this kind of program but now...
Nyssa wrote: "Yes but you have to have a good one for that to work..and I don't. Our library system is sorely lacking, and even though they connected to Overdrive last year, they are still limited.I find it fascinating how people so quickly jump to that option, assuming that it hasn't been tried. "
I was about to ask you if you tried Philly & the Korean(?) one but then I remembered someone on MR said Philly stopped and so did the Korean(?) one. I was never able to get into the Korean one to begin with. I did use Philly but I didn't until the $35 fee. :( I miss out on all the good stuff.
Too bad you don't live around me. Our library system is a LOT better than the one I had in the city (which is STRANGE) and this one also has a great inter-library system, too.
MrsJoseph (taking back my data & giving GR the middle finger) wrote: "It looks good BUT I'm too OCD for that, I think. I need to either borrow or own my books - and the idea of putting out $10/month to read books that I don't own bothers me.IDK, I always assumed I..."
I hear you.
I like the idea for things like Group Reads where you may not want to keep the book. Also, our library caps us at about 4 or 5 books at a time - for adults - not that I've ever had that particular problem there, whereas Oyster seems to cap at 10.
{Off topic - a bit] I complain about our current library system, but it was much worse when we lived in Texas. Our local library was half empty, and we ended up donating a good 6 or 7 boxes of books when we moved.
MrsJoseph (taking back my data & giving GR the middle finger) wrote: "Nyssa wrote: "Yes but you have to have a good one for that to work..and I don't. Our library system is sorely lacking, and even though they connected to Overdrive last year, they are still limited...."No, I thought about Philly for a long time, but ended up not trying it. It was so popular that I would have spent a good $70 - $105 before getting the handful of books I wanted to read at the time. It was cheaper just to buy them when I could.
Nyssa wrote: "MrsJoseph (taking back my data & giving GR the middle finger) wrote: "It looks good BUT I'm too OCD for that, I think. I need to either borrow or own my books - and the idea of putting out $10/mon..."Oh I was just joking around. Teasing tones don't write well on the Internet. I, too, have been tempted by Oyster.
But our library is awesome (I also live in Texas). We have a 5 library system for my one town, a 50-item limit, and up to 5 renewals. I even have an app that I can renew and request books on. I am so library spoiled, I can't imagine cheating on them. ;)
MrsJoseph (taking back my data & giving GR the middle finger) wrote: "It looks good BUT I'm too OCD for that, I think. I need to either borrow or own my books - and the idea of putting out $10/month to read books that I don't own bothers me.IDK, I always assumed I..."
You bring up a good point. And if I read a book I borrowed and liked it I would probably end up buying it anyway. Spending me even more money instead of less. I would probably give it a trial for a month or two and see if it was saving me money or not. Right now I pay for Netflix and I hardly watch it.
I would love to check out ebooks out of my library but their selection is horrible and they only have a few copies of each eBook. It really isn't an option for me.
Emily wrote: "Nyssa wrote: "MrsJoseph (taking back my data & giving GR the middle finger) wrote: "It looks good BUT I'm too OCD for that, I think. I need to either borrow or own my books - and the idea of putti..."Oh thats awesome!
We were out in Lubbock.
I didn't have time to try the library when we were in Dallas, although I'm sure it is 1,000 times better.
Emily wrote: "But our library is awesome (I also live in Texas). We have a 5 library system for my one town, a 50-item limit, and up to 5 renewals. I even have an app that I can renew and request books on. I am so library spoiled, I can't imagine cheating on them. ;) "Damn.
I think I hate you, lol.
Soooo jealous.
Nyssa wrote: "No, I thought about Philly for a long time, but ended up not trying it. It was so popular that I would have spent a good $70 - $105 before getting the handful of books I wanted to read at the time. It was cheaper just to buy them when I could. "Now that you mention it, it was horrible for waits. I would usually grab a book I wasn't looking for because the waits were too long.
Nienna wrote: "You bring up a good point. And if I read a book I borrowed and liked it I would probably end up buying it anyway. Spending me even more money instead of less. I would probably give it a trial for a month or two and see if it was saving me money or not. Right now I pay for Netflix and I hardly watch it.I would love to check out ebooks out of my library but their selection is horrible and they only have a few copies of each eBook. It really isn't an option for me.'
You know, I do that now, lol. I borrow books and when I love them I buy them.
Nyssa wrote: "Emily wrote: "Nyssa wrote: "MrsJoseph (taking back my data & giving GR the middle finger) wrote: "It looks good BUT I'm too OCD for that, I think. I need to either borrow or own my books - and the..."I actually live out in Plano, though I keep meaning to get a Dallas library card as well.
Emily wrote: "Nyssa wrote: "Emily wrote: "Nyssa wrote: "MrsJoseph (taking back my data & giving GR the middle finger) wrote: "It looks good BUT I'm too OCD for that, I think. I need to either borrow or own my b..."My babies were all born in Plano, but we lived in Dallas and then Irving.
My brother was in Austin for a few years. I loved it and I want to move there. Hubby isn't down - he says its too far from family. But it's sooo pretty.
Nyssa wrote: "My husband found the following site a few months ago, and thanks to Santa, I get to try it now: Oyster Books Its a Netflix for readers. Here's an overview.The biggest negative out of the gate i..."
I've decided to wait until Feb. for my free month. I already have copies of everything I'd like to read this month (save one book), but I do not have copies of either of the Group Reads that I would like to read next month (Gardens of the Moon & Howl's Moving Castle).
I grew up spoiled by my library, so I assumed that everyone else's library was as awesome as mine but then I started talking to GRers and found that was a myth. Plus, I moved to another town where the system is not as great. They have a lesser selection of books, but at least they have Overdrive and interlibrary loans so I can probably get my hands on any book at this point unless it's a very obscure book. It saddens me that some library systems are so poor. I would definitely do something like Oyster Books or even book swap if I was in that situation.
For those who don't have Apple product, http://www.scribd.com has pretty much the same service that began in Fall of 2013. Its available on Android, too.I'm not very comfortable with these services, personally, because I'm not sure how they're going to affect authors and libraries but my guess is that it will be mostly negative. Its obviously very useful for the e-reader crowed, and I'll admit that the price makes it incredibly tempting. It will be huge service, the user base grew twice its size already.
But me, I'm a dead tree girl - if I don't have to go digital for a book, I won't. Its part luddite disdain, but mostly that I don't find it comfortable reading a screen for more than about two hours, even with e-ink.
Sophie wrote: "For those who don't have Apple product, http://www.scribd.com has pretty much the same service that began in Fall of 2013. Its available on Android, too.I'm not very comfortable with these servic..."
This was printed in the FAQ of the site you just linked:
Are authors being paid when I read books this way?
Yes. Scribd's subscription service operates legally through agreements with authors and publishing partners. Revenue that Scribd earns from monthly subscription fees is paid out to the original authors of the included titles, ensuring that they can continue to write great books.
And here is what they say on Oyster:
Do you pay publishers? How does that work?
We’ve worked hard to create a sustainable business model that provides value to readers while providing attractive economics to publishers and authors. In order to deliver readers the best content, Oyster has direct agreements with publishers and aggregators, to whom Oyster regularly makes payments based on how often their books are read on Oyster. These companies then pay authors based on the specific agreements they have with their authors.
Do you provide reporting necessary for publishers to pay authors?
Yes, we have designed our reporting to easily flow through to standard publishing royalty statements and financial systems without any incremental effort required of publishers.
Does Oyster work directly with authors?
At this time, we do not work directly with authors. However we have a partnership with Smashwords. If you are an author who is working with Smashwords, we’d love to have your titles on Oyster and we encourage you to reach out to them to ensure that is the case.
Nyssa wrote: "It doesn't affect the authors negatively at all...At least in the case of Oyster. They work with/contract through the actual publishers, meaning, just like Netflix, they have to pay in order to offer the books to the public."It could still have a negative impact, especially on libraries. Not sure about authors but I suspect that if services like that become too popular, it will be bad for authors, too.
Why would anyone buy books brand new at full price if they can get new bestsellers for $9.99 a month? I would just wait for the book to show up.
I usually spend much more than $120 a year on books. My challenge goal is to get down to a manageable $240 a year - that's a lot of lost money.
NYT does their best seller list based on books purchased in DTB format in the first week of sales - I wonder how this would change based on subscription models like this?
I deleted that post and printed the FAQ responses to the question instead. I personally believe that if libraries aren't hurting authors then services like this won't hurt authors either. ITs the same as you said...people just wait for the books to show up in the library (if they have a good library system, that is).
I also believe that people who can afford to buy books will always buy books regardless of where else it may be available; just like people still go to the movie theater and/or buy DVDS/BlueRays, even though they can wait for them on Netflix or rent them from RedBox.
Nyssa wrote: "It doesn't affect the authors negatively at all...At least in the case of Oyster. They work with/contract through the actual publishers, meaning, just like Netflix, they have to pay in order to offer the books to the public. "Sure, but its a brand spanking new model so its early yet to say where the losses will come from. It happened in the movie industry and the music industry. All of the articles and analysis on these new services are also scarce because its so new. Publisher get a LOT of marketing and sales data from this, which does help authors - they'll know what to sell, to who and just how to do it. They can create tastes and trends. All good things for the publisher. The only break down I've found for profits was this interview:
( http://www.fastcompany.com/3024129/mo... )
FAST COMPANY: How does the all-you-can-read deal with Scribd work for Smashwords authors?
The first 10% of every book from page one forward is available as a free sample. If readers read an additional 20% more, the author and publisher get credit for a full sale of the book, 60% of the list price. Another interesting component is that Scribd will also pay in cases where the reader reads more than the first 15% of the book, but less than 30%. In that situation, the author gets a “browse credit.” For every 10 browses, they get credit for a full sale.
Its a great service for readers, but I want to wait and see what authors will have to say about it.
The difference is that this is a paid service coming out of your after-taxes paycheck (unlike libraries in which the money comes out of taxes).I have access to Amazon Prime streaming, Netflix and HBOgo. We do rent from Redbox on occasion (as we only pay for the Prime, the rest is family) but we do not buy DVDs/BlueRays. We also rarely go to the movies - we often say, "wow! That looks great...for Netflix."
Of course, this is just us...but I can see it becoming an issue. I DO think that people who use this will use libraries less (which is a bad thing).
But this is just how I feel - that services like this will be disrupters - and doesn't necessary mean it will play out this way.
MrsJoseph (taking back my data & giving GR the middle finger) wrote: "The difference is that this is a paid service coming out of your after-taxes paycheck (unlike libraries in which the money comes out of taxes).I have access to Amazon Prime streaming, Netflix and..."
My family does all of the above.
If its a movie that we really want to see then we'll go. We also, however, use Netflix, Hulu Plus, RedBox, and if all else fails Amazon Prime. If we really, really like the movie(s) (or series - Yay Dr. Who) we then buy them on BlueRay. We did, however, cancel our DirecTV service, as it was just too expensive for the services we received (no premium channels, yet still over $100 a month).
My husband takes the kids to the library on a regular basis..they're more likely to find something than we are, but we also buy books from Amazon, B&N, Books a Million (rarely - they're far from us), and 2nd hand shops.
I guess I just don't see the loss to which you guys are referring...
The movie, music, and book businesses seem to be thriving more than ever.
As for the libraries, I honestly think that has to do more with the local governments and tax payers than it does businesses like this. People run to other services when they can't get what they're looking for "at home". In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if thats what inspired these types of services - Well, that and, of course, the people who may be too busy to stop at their library on a regular basis. My sister is a NICU nurse, she works 12 hour days/nights and she sleeps. So a service like this would probably be invaluable to her.
Sophie wrote: "For those who don't have Apple product, http://www.scribd.com has pretty much the same service that began in Fall of 2013. Its available on Android, too.I'm not very comfortable with these servic..."
I took a look but no decision on if I want to subscribe yet or not. I love buying books and that won't change as long as I can afford it. As for my local library I haven't gone in years, and no plans to, so this would have no effect whatsoever on my library usage. Mainly I think I would use it for group read books and first books from series/authors I haven't read before. Both would probably save me a lot of money. Although, if I liked the book - I would have to buy it for my own library. It sounds good... but I keep hearing a voice in my head that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is too good to be true. The selection looks good. They have a ton of books. Most looked legit. A few looked sketchy. But I'm left wondering how legal is this. You know? I'm definitely going to look into it more. Its not a no from me. But not a yes either. Yet.
I took a longer look at Scribd and there are two types of downloads. Books - which do seem legit as far as I can tell. And Documents - which are obviously illegal copies of books not available on the site. Apparently Scribd started off as a place for users to "share documents". But users took advantage of the system to "share books" thru the site. And it became a site for online piracy.
I found (and copied) this quote that explains how publishing companies went into partnership with Scribd:
"Contrast that with recent developments at Scribd. With some 50 million users, Scribd was long seen as the scourge of the print content industry. Last year though, Scribd announced partnerships with a series of major publishing houses, including Random House, Simon & Schuster, Workman Publishing Co., Berrett-Koehler, Thomas Nelson, and Manning Publications. The goal was to use Scribd as part of viral marketing campaigns. Shortly thereafter, ScribD opened their “Scribd Store”, which sells view and download access to documents and books."
And it goes on to say that Scribd takes down illegal documents as quickly as possible today. But the system is still in practice.
I think any file sharing site is going to have that happen, but Scribd became kind of known for it because they do have a focus on documents & reading.
I will say that I never managed to find any books on Scribd, but I don't know if that's due to their efforts, or just poor searches or uploaded options. I'd find a TON of books in Spanish though!
Nyssa wrote: "I guess I just don't see the loss to which you guys are referring...The movie, music, and book businesses seem to be thriving more than ever. "
It all depends on what you consider loss, I guess.
Yes, the movie business is doing fine - but if you look into it you'd notice that there is a big disruption in the industry. They are going mostly for blockbusters and are passing on the new, fresh and different (chance). While this IS making them money, the new young talent are moving away from movies and into TV. Cable and streaming services like Netflix are making their own content now. I've seen a couple of stories on this. They were saying that in the near future movie studios will have to pay big bucks to try to steal writers and talent from Cable and streaming services.
Does this mean that movies will stop making money? Probably not. But it does mean that more and more people will be turned off after a period of time.
But, as I said, this is just how I feel.
I probably will not use it. I prefer library (it's about 1 mile from my house now) or purchase. I'm not going to pay for library services (esp $120 a year, which would not stop me from buying more books) but I can totally understand WHY people with bad libraries would be interested.
I've decided to give it a pass, for now anyway. The selection if books is good for a library system but most of the ones I took notice of are ones I either have read, already own, or have no interest in. Also, I have so many books to read that I already own it makes sense (for me) to read from my own library. If you don't own many books, if you're on a tight budget, and have a poor library I can see it being a good thing though.And $120 a year can go towards books I actually want. ;)
^Agreed on the $120 a year point.iOnly is a hindrance, especially for me since reading on e-ink is way nicer. I don't read on my iDevices. My library is awesome for selection and getting stuff so my tight budget goes really far into the lands of obscure books.
Homeinmyshoes wrote: "^Agreed on the $120 a year point.iOnly is a hindrance, especially for me since reading on e-ink is way nicer. I don't read on my iDevices. My library is awesome for selection and getting stuff so..."
I love my Paperwhite, and use it predominantly, however, I'm not opposed to reading on my iPad...the Kindle app is quite nice.
The $120 a year is why I wish I could browse titles ahead of time. I'll just have to use the one month free to do that.
As for Scribd I'm not interested.
Anyone familiar with this site?Shelf Awareness
Sounds pretentious but interesting.
They have a FB page as well.
Nyssa wrote: "Anyone familiar with this site?Shelf Awareness
Sounds pretentious but interesting.
They have a FB page as well."
Nope. I just took a look, not my thing.
Anyone heard of/used literally.io? Seems like a social media friendly Goodreads-like site? I just got an invite and have a couple of invite codes if anyone is interested.
Emily wrote: "Anyone heard of/used literally.io? Seems like a social media friendly Goodreads-like site? I just got an invite and have a couple of invite codes if anyone is interested."I haven't heard of it...looks like it could be fun.
Please tell us what you think, if you decide to try it...
Well, I signed up and am uploading my Goodreads data to play around a bit. I will keep you in the loop!
Emily wrote: "Well, I signed up and am uploading my Goodreads data to play around a bit. I will keep you in the loop!"Thanks! Do they make it easy to upload?
Yes - you just export your csv file and import it over there. I am interested to see how it all comes up. But I am pretty active on Twitter and enjoy the thought of badges and whatnot. There are less than 100 people on the site so far and they seem really responsive to their Twitter account for suggestions and whatnot, so seems like an interesting time to join up.
Emily wrote: "Yes - you just export your csv file and import it over there. I am interested to see how it all comes up. But I am pretty active on Twitter and enjoy the thought of badges and whatnot. There are l..."Oh! Do you have to have Twitter for it to work? I don't have an account..nor do I really want one, tbh.
Nope. I think there are definitely things that add to the experience (badges, like Foursquare or something like that to reward you for your reading and whatnot). I only have a few friends, so I'll be interested to see how the commenting and whatnot works over there. I doubt anyone will takeover the Goodreads group experience anytime soon.
Emily wrote: "Nope. I think there are definitely things that add to the experience (badges, like Foursquare or something like that to reward you for your reading and whatnot). I only have a few friends, so I'll..."Thanks for the info! :)
Emily wrote: "Anyone heard of/used literally.io? Seems like a social media friendly Goodreads-like site? I just got an invite and have a couple of invite codes if anyone is interested."
Ooh, I'd definitely be interested in checking it out if you wouldn't mind sparing an invite code. :) As a gamer addicted to achievements and things, I love the idea of collecting badges as a motivational tool for reading. I backed a Kickstarter for something with a similar (I think) concept, The Game of Books, which I'm impatiently awaiting the release of.
Ooh, I'd definitely be interested in checking it out if you wouldn't mind sparing an invite code. :) As a gamer addicted to achievements and things, I love the idea of collecting badges as a motivational tool for reading. I backed a Kickstarter for something with a similar (I think) concept, The Game of Books, which I'm impatiently awaiting the release of.
How is it working out?
Oh like most new things I got distracted. ;) I spend a lot of time here and it's hard to want to split that at all.It's also so early in the beta that things are being added all the time. Maybe I will love it eventually?
Emily wrote: "Oh like most new things I got distracted. ;) I spend a lot of time here and it's hard to want to split that at all.It's also so early in the beta that things are being added all the time. Maybe I..."
I know the feels. I feel the same way about Leafmarks.
Flights of Fantasy
Books mentioned in this topic
Transformation (other topics)Roots: The Saga of an American Family (other topics)
The Color Purple (other topics)
Gardens of the Moon (other topics)
Howl’s Moving Castle (other topics)
The biggest negative out of the gate is that it is for iProducts only, although, when I asked on their facebook page, they did say they were hoping to expand, eventually.
I wish I could search for specific titles ahead of time, (thankfully they offer 1 month free) but with any luck I'll be able to find whatever it is you guys throw at me, going forward. :)