Aussie Readers discussion
Archives
>
Which source for eBooks?
Ahhh I just re-read my review. You probably missed it because it was so pathetic. I might have to have another go. :P
Gail "cyborg" wrote: "Ahhh I just re-read my review. You probably missed it because it was so pathetic. I might have to have another go. :P"LOL - no, actually, it's not showing up on my feed. Seems to happen now and then, my rating/review numbers often don't match between the 'x ratings and y reviews for this book' and the feed on the book listing. *shrug* Weird.
Oh no it was so bad it the filter caught it and didn't send it though to you. ‡O
Gail "cyborg" wrote: "Oh no it was so bad it the filter caught it and didn't send it though to you. ‡O"LOL - it seemed OK to me, but I think I get what you're talking about - short and a little vague? *shrug* It's pretty rare that I manage to write anything else for a review, so I know the feeling.
Naomi wrote: "Justin wrote: "Thanks Murray and Naomi for your advices. I'm considering signing up with Smashwords. Despite it's odd name the organisation seems a fair and ethical operation. I've printed their 5..."
Hi Naomi
Thanks for the friend invite which I was pleased to accept. I'll certainly join the ANZ Authors Group as well. So I gather inclusion in the Premium Catalogue is desirable - what quantifiable affect does same have on sales, in your experience?
Justin wrote: "So I gather inclusion in the Premium Catalogue is desirable - what quantifiable affect does same have on sales, in your experience?"Premium Catalogue = distribution to other retailers, like Borders and Angus & Robertson. :-)
Justin wrote: "Murray wrote: "Justin wrote: "Do independent ebook shops such as Diesel and Fictionwise sell independent author's works that the author may promote on his own website, as in my case? If so, what sh..."Smashwords are great. I have my six books with them. They distribute ebooks to Apple, B&N to name a couple and collect your dues for a small fee and will place the money in your bank account, Paypal or whatever. Just make sure you follow their style guide closely. Laurel
Justin, My novel 'Ice King' is listed with Smashwords as well as being in their Premium Catalogue. I must admit it took some messing about to get the format correct - but that could have been my fault. I have allowed 25% of the novel to be downloaded free of charge as a sample.
The sample can be downloaded in the following formats
HTML, Java, Kindle, Epub, PDF, RTF, LRF (for Sony), Palm doc, Plain text download & view.
It has been distributed to Barnes & Noble, Sony, Kobo, Apple, Diesel - it was already on Amazon so I blocked Smashwords uploading to Amazon.
Smashwords shipped around the 14th & 15th Oct to the above sellers and it will take about three weeks to register on each of the sellers sites. No idea why it takes so long. On my own site only the first chapter is available for sampling www.geoffwoodland.com
cheers
Geoff
Justin,Diesel I don't know, but Fictionwise charge U$15 per title per month to list a book - whisch they take from your royalties. I rarely get any money from them, after my publisher and Fictionwise have grabbed their share.
Amazon will list independent books, but the terms are not very attractive. You need someone trustworthy who accepts credit cards for online sales and Smashwords seems to fit that description. I too would be interested to hear from someone with direct experience.
This is an excellent article from the Reactions to Reading Blog by Aussie Reader Bernadette about the geographical restrictions imposed on ebook consumers in Australia. I'm totally fed up with these big pubishing companies doing their best to block our access to ebooks. Frankly when I read articles about hard times for the big publishing companies it makes me smile. Bernadette writes: "The stupidity of territorial restrictions part 1
This week’s eAdventure is a little earlier than usual because today I received an email that has me a little hot under the collar.
The message was from Waterstones, a company from which I have purchased several eBooks in the few weeks I’ve owned my eReader (the text is verbatim, the highlighting is mine):
Dear Customer,
We see from our records that you have previously purchased an eBook from Waterstones.com whilst having a registered address outside of the UK and Ireland.
We regret that as of 20th October 2010, we are no longer able to sell eBooks to customers placing an order from anywhere outside of the UK and Ireland. We have had to take this action to comply with the legal demands of publishers regarding the territories into which we can sell eBooks." Read more.
Sounds as if the international legal regime is set up to protect big business at the expense of ordinary people. It's enough to turn anyone into a conspiracy theorist.At least, my ebook editions are available world wide...
Carmel wrote: "Mandy wrote: "This is an excellent article from the Reactions to Reading Blog by Aussie Reader Bernadette about the geographical restrictions imposed on ebook consumers in Australia. I'm totally fe..."Carmel, one of the girls at work just told me that the latest Target catalogue even has ereaders in it! But just to have a look why don't you check out Borders bookstore and they will probably give you a demo of their ereader. At least you will see what it looks and feels like. The e-Ink technology is interesting to see. You could probably go to an Apple store and check out iPads too and ask them to show you their ereader apps. But son't buy anything quickly. Best to look around for a while before you make up your mind.
Geoff wrote: "Justin, My novel 'Ice King' is listed with Smashwords as well as being in their Premium Catalogue. I must admit it took some messing about to get the format correct - but that could have been my f..."
Hi Geoff
I'd be interested to hear how Smashwords works for you. I've heard varying reports. Maybe other authors reading this may like to comment.
Gail "cyborg" wrote: "Target catalogue - ereaderhttp://target.dynamiccatalogue.com.au..."
Thanks Gail! I've not heard of either of those two brands so I might check them out myself this weekend.:)
The price on ereaders is coming down so quickly. It might be handy to own a couple so you have access to all ebook formats.
When I first started looking at ereaders they were between $400 - $500US (when the dollar was about 70c).
When I first started looking at ereaders they were between $400 - $500US (when the dollar was about 70c).
what is DRM? and why is it bad?the target e reader is DRM enabled, i was going to get one until i heard that.
i have heard DRM is bad, but i don't know why.... a little help.
and another thing .. should i still get the e reader?
Adele wrote: "what is DRM? and why is it bad?the target e reader is DRM enabled, i was going to get one until i heard that.
i have heard DRM is bad, but i don't know why.... a little help.
and another thing ..."
Here is the wikipedia definition of DRM: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_...
I know that Murray and Naomi have often talked about DRM but I haven't really got into it myself. Maybe wait to buy it Adele. I'll have a look tonight after work and can maybe offer you some better advice. Or someone who knows more than me can chime in!:)
EDIT: The first one has an LCD (computer) screen not eink which can be a bit rough on your eyes. It looks like the first one can read PDF, Epub and ADOBE. And the Eink one can read ADOBE. That means you have to buy ebooks in that format. Just for an example Adele you could go to the Fictionwise ebooks home page, look up some of your favourite books and see if they're available in any of those formats.
As a writer I've sold maybe 20 books through Smashwords compared to over 2000 at Amazon. Apart from Erich's Plea, where I didn't know any better, all my work is DRM free so you should be able to buy it anywhere and read it on any e-reader.Personally I love my Kindle, I have the K3 but there's a lot of other great e-readers out there
As a reader I tended to buy most of my online books from Smashwords until Amazon dropped the $2 [very recently] so now I just get all of my books over there but I do buy a lot of Indie authors too so....
Adele,DRM is a code attached to book, music, film files that mean they can only be read on a nominated piece of equipment. For instance, with Fictionwise you can nominate up to 4 devices when you buy an ebook, and if you try to read it on anything else, the DRM code will stop you. (Means you can't make multiple copies of the ebook and then sell them.)
DRM can be attached to any file format, and it allows the publisher to collect on his copyright. So - all popular modern ebooks are likely to be DRM protected.
Of course, there are people who would much rather that DRM did not exist, but in reality it is the only thing that allows authors to get paid for their work and encourages them to keep writing. If a publisher sells a book without DRM, it has to be at a very low price or customers will go to the pirates instead.
So dead literary greats like Jane Austen, Tolstoy etc sell at a dollar a pop, but you have to stump up $5 to buy something of mine... I cannot see an alternative approach because my share of a $1 fee would be so tiny I wouldn't bother, and neither would my publisher.
Adele wrote: "what is DRM? and why is it bad?the target e reader is DRM enabled, i was going to get one until i heard that.
i have heard DRM is bad, but i don't know why.... a little help.
and another thing ..."
DRM is Digital Rights Management. It's designed to stop you pirating ebooks and sharing/selling them to all and sundry. It can be a pain because it requires a buyer to go through extra steps to read their books, and if they move to a different device, they might need to re-buy their books or 'liberate' them from the DRM.
HOWEVER... an ebook reader _supporting_ a version DRM is a good thing. It means that you can buy DRMed books from, say, Kobo - and read them on your ebook reader. If your reader doesn't support DRM in any form, you'll only be able to read ebooks without DRM on them. Make sense?
Now - DRM versions. Adobe DRM is the most common - used by Sony ebookstore, Kobobooks, and a number of others. To read an ebook with Adobe DRM on it, you'll need to download the free Adobe Digital Editions software, install it, and 'authenticate' your computer and reader with a free Adobe account based on an email address. Once you've done that, you can download the ebook via ADE, then in ADE, transfer it to your reader.
Typically, if the file format is EPUB and it's protected, it'll use Adobe DRM. There's one exception, though - B&N use a different form of DRM. Their form uses your credit card number to encrypt the file. Probably won't matter to Aussies, though, as B&N don't like to sell outside North America anyhow. ;-)
I am so glad we have you, Jacqueline and Naomi to explain the techo stuff to us. I understood that. :)
Thank you Jacqueline and Naomi, you explanations have really cleared the fog in my brain! :o)i might hint to my boyfriend tonight that i want one...that way he makes the choice to buy it and not me!!!
>> For instance, with Fictionwise you can nominate up to 4 devices when you buy an ebook, and if you try to read it on anything else, the DRM code will stop you. (ok, good...)
>> Adobe DRM is the most common - used by Sony ebookstore, Kobobooks, and a number of others.
(ok...)
but, I'm still confused.
What if, say, I buy a certain e-reader that works with Adobe. Does that mean I can only get books that are protected by Adobe?
Because it seems like all these discussions say 'don't buy a Kindle because you have to buy from Amazon.' Is that true, or can I put fictionwise books on a Kindle, for example?
I'm not saying I want to get rid of DRM protection so I can buy an ebook and then put it on more than one device (neither sequentially or simultaneously). I'm saying I want to choose one device and be able to put *any* e-book on it. Is that possible? If not, to what extent is it not possible, that is, when/where could I not do that?
Cheryl wrote: ">> For instance, with Fictionwise you can nominate up to 4 devices when you buy an ebook, and if you try to read it on anything else, the DRM code will stop you. (ok, good...)
>> Adobe DRM is th..."
Cheryl you may find this link helpful:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparis...
and other sites accessed by googling "ereader comparisons"
Started up the computer this morning and found an email from Amazon offering their latest wireless Kindle for only $139. Much lower than competitive devices and must be a key part of their strategy to dominate the ebook market. Customers going for this offer will be effectively locked into using Amazon for all their ebook purchases.It is rather like Caltex selling cheap cars that only use their petrol.
I'm afraid this approach is probably going to work.
Cheryl, you have put your finger on the problem. Ebook retailers are trying to sell ereaders that tie you to their store. Amazon is the biggest offender here but I believe some of the others are trying the same thing.So if you buy a Kindle and want DRM protected books, Amazon is your only choice. Conversely, if you buy a non-dedicated ereader, you cannot buy DRM protected titles from Amazon because their proprietary file format is only available on Kindles. (All readers will accept non DRM ebooks.)
I am beginning to think it is time to make a pact with the Devil and buy a Kindle.
Carmel wrote: "Mandy wrote: "This is an excellent article from the Reactions to Reading Blog by Aussie Reader Bernadette about the geographical restrictions imposed on ebook consumers in Australia. I'm totally fe..."Carmel, the Sony store isn't far from Bourke Street Mall if you want to have a look at a Sony reader, and there is a Borders store not far from there if you want to play with the Kobo.
For people who are not buying ebooks because of regional restrictions, there is a new website called Lostbooksales.com. The aim is to let publishers know how many sales they are losing due to issues like the lack of availability of books due to geographical rights.http://lostbooksales.com/
Cheryl wrote: "What if, say, I buy a certain e-reader that works with Adobe. Does that mean I can only get books that are protected by Adobe? "Basically, yes - except you can also use non-DRM ebooks in EPUB format. On the bright side, almost every ebookstore except Amazon and B&N use that Adobe DRM.
So, if you buy a Sony for example, you'll be restricted to stores selling Adobe EPUBs and ones that sell non-DRMed content in EPUB, PDF, TXT.
If you buy a Kindle, you'll be restricted to Amazon (they're the only ones who sell DRM copies for Kindles) AND stores selling non-DRMed content in MOBI format.
The only real difference (now that Amazon has eliminated the $2 surcharge per book for Aussies) is that with a reader supporting Adobe DRM, you can buy your mainstream ebooks from more than one store. With a Kindle, the mainstream ebooks are really only available from Amazon.
Justin wrote: "Geoff wrote: "Justin, My novel 'Ice King' is listed with Smashwords as well as being in their Premium Catalogue. I must admit it took some messing about to get the format correct - but that could ..."
Jason,
Sorry I'm late in replying, but have been off-line for a day or so.
As for Smashwords : now that I have become more familiar I find it easy to update the book file (I found an error recently, corrected it and the system updated the book's file automatically).
The files are DRM free and can be downloaded for a number of different formats. This is a great advantage for those who do not wish to spend a lot of cash on a reader - you are not locked in to a certain system e.g Kindle or Sony although you can download any book in these formats.
On my web site I have a direct link to my book at Smashwords - anybody looking for the book does not have to search - just click the link. The first chapter can be read on my site, but 25% of the book is free on Smashwords - you are the one to decide how much should be free to read via Smashwords, you also dictate the price, which can be changed at any time and the new price pops up immediately.
I recently received a review of Ice King from Tracy Falbe of the Historical Novel Review web site. http://historicalnovelreview.blogspot... which made me think a little more laterally. I didn't know Tracy until she, as a reviewer for Historical Novel Review, read Ice King in e-book format & sent me the above review. It turns out that she is also a member of Goodreads and has given the book four stars (which was very nice to receive).
This is where the lateral thoughts came in to play. I am considering offering ten (maybe more) free e-copies to Goodreads bloggers. Through Smashwords I can do this, whereas if I was to do the same via Amazon someone (me) would have to pay Amazon.
I think I am a lot older than most members of this site, which means I am not a Twitter (no idea what this is in today's world, but used to be called a twit at school), nor do I have a Facebook account, so e-book marketing is an uphill problem.
Using Smashwords and offering free e-books to bloggers, in exchange for a review on their web / blog site, with a link to the book's location on Smashwords, I am hopeful the book will become known to a wider audience and perhaps one or two of the blogger's readers will buy an e-copy via Smashwords. Smashwords has to get something, they are in business after all.
The only hitch is that I must trust that the blogger will not copy the file (which is DRM free) and distribute for free or on sell, but I have faith that the majority of people will do the 'right thing'. :-o)
I will supply a code to a blogger, via e-mail, which will allow them to download the book from Smashwords for free.
I would appreciate anybody picking holes in the idea - all ideas have holes :-o)
cheers
Geoff
Thanks for all the advisements. I'm getting closer to understanding the issues - and further from buying any device. Oh well, I have enough paper books in cartons in my room to last for decades. :)
Marg wrote: "For people who are not buying ebooks because of regional restrictions, there is a new website called Lostbooksales.com. The aim is to let publishers know how many sales they are losing due to issue..."Marg THANKS SO MUCH for that website!! I am definitely spending some time listing all the books I've been unable to purchase due to geographical restrictions and I urge other Aussies frustrated with these restrictions to do the same. It's very easy. You just click on 'Help Us' then 'Submit A Lost Sale' and fill in the details. Takes just a couple of minutes and it's very satisfying to be able to fight back against unfair ebook trading rules in OZ.
http://lostbooksales.com/
Just as an interesting development. I purchased a book from a small indie publisher today and instead of have to choose the format I wanted (as with previous transactions), it gave me a choice of which device I wanted to download it on to. By clicking "My Kindle" then "Submit" it sends the ebook directly to my Amazon Kindle account and is put on my kindle automatically. I had to first go to my kindle account and add the email address of the publisher but once I did that the transaction was easy. You could also click on "My iPad/iPhone/iTouch" but no other devices as yet.
Wow that sounds great Mandy. The easier they make it the more they will sell. Surely they will all wake up to this soon.
Mandy wrote: "Just as an interesting development. I purchased a book from a small indie publisher today and instead of have to choose the format I wanted (as with previous transactions), it gave me a choice of w..."www.smashwords.com seem to have a variety of formats buyers can shoose from. I didn't realise what a problem it was until joining this group. I still don't know what ereader to buy when I do. I want one I can download anything I choose. Laurel
At the moment Laurel that product doesn't exist. It isn't quite as simple as picking up a paperback. Not all ebooks are compatible, not all ebooks that are compatible are available to Australians. It is frustrating, but you do still have the option of buying the paper version if the ebook is not available. I don't mind that. If you are after ease of purchse, the kindle offers the easiest shopping experience.
Gail "cyborg" wrote: "At the moment Laurel that product doesn't exist. It isn't quite as simple as picking up a paperback. Not all ebooks are compatible, not all ebooks that are compatible are available to Australians. ..."Thanks for this, Gail. This is the first time someone has explained ereaders so positively. Laurel
To put in terms of the music industry, it's like buying a record released by EMI then having to buy an EMI stereo/iPod/whatever to play it on. It is just a new way of monopolising an industry. Guess who loses out? The consumer. Same old story.
Sounds like a great trip to Melbourne to me Carmel. :)
Carmel wrote: "Sony Touch - $299, is that reasonable, anyone?..."A little exy perhaps but it depends on the features. Also Borders is an expensive store, maybe they've put a big mark-up on the Sony. Maybe you could go online and check the price elsewhere. Does it have wireless Carmel (able to download directly from the net without connecting to your computer)?
In the end though you should buy whatever appeals to you. I'm always prepared to pay a bit more for something that really suits me.
Sony Touch is $299 everywhere, from what I've seen. Sony store AustraliaALTHOUGH - Myer may include it in their electrical deals, so if you see them advertising __% off electricals, check it out.
Carmel wrote: "My Melb visit to check out e-readers was well worth it. went to Borders & the young girl was really helpful - explained the kobo & both of the Sony readers (pocket & touch), it was a great opportun..."Carmel, that's cheaper than my Sony Touch was and it was worth the extra. Remember, the touch is more than just a reader. You can annotate as well, so if you're studying (or just like highlighting favourite passages) you can do it. If you just want to read, I'd go for the Kobo.
Speaking of ebooks and world publishing rights, I've never had a problem buying ebooks from USA & UK. Never been knocked back from any source - but maybe because I don't have .COM.AU on the end of my email address?
Next time you need to change email addresses it would be worth thinking about.
Sandra that doesn't help. I don't know how you got around it but my email address doesn't have .com.au and I still get knocked back.
My Kindle is on its way from amazon. Now I will be able to read all my ebooks in bed.
Bah. Freebies are meant to be free. Reviews in 'payment' are highly appreciated, but even that's not expected. ;-) Thanks for the review, in other words. *lol* I hadn't seen it, actually... that's kind of odd...