ROBUST discussion
Book Talk & Exchange of Views
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Why Smashwords is even more important for readers than for writers
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Interesting that you'd bring up Smashwords and libraries in your link . . . I wrote to the head guru at Smashwords yesterday to ask if they're marketing the books to libraries (seems like a natural marriage because of EPUB). He wrote back that they're not there yet, but they're working on it.I don't have your misgivings about the loss of Kindle books if one's Kindle dies or if another ereader wins the reader's heart sometime down the road. Kindle books will remain in my Amazon account and if I'm determined to read them, I can -- on the computer or some other compatible device. But if I've already read a book, I wouldn't care at all if I'd no longer have access to it (I don't re-read books and routinely permanently delete them from my Kindle account so my archive is easier to sort through when I'm looking for something to read). The only type of book I might feel a twinge of regret over losing is a reference book, but I find the Kindle to be a rather lousy vehicle for reference books. I'd rather have the physical copy.
Time was when I held onto every book I'd ever touched. I got over it about three years ago when I realized how they'd taken over my space, and for no reason other than aesthetics and sentimental attachment. They certainly weren't there in the expectation that I'd take them down from the shelf again. I unloaded thousands of books at that time, holding onto only the ones I was most sentimental about -- but recently I let go of most of them (library donation) because I wanted others to have the chance to read them.
I agree with Patricia. As with music, if I really want too keep a book forever I will buy a physical copy. Even if Amazon went under, the money spent would have been like going to the movie theater. You paid your money, you were entertained, you didn't get to keep the movie in the end. But that's ok.
Mod
I'm (cough) years old and the number of times in my life that I've wanted a book I had previously read but no longer owned = 4. I really don't see it as a big deal. Or any deal at all, actually.
Mod
I agree with most of the commenters here--I rarely reread books, mostly because there are so many other books to discover! In the event that someone does want to reread a favorite, you could borrow a copy from a friend or library if you don't want to rebuy (though by the time your Kindle breaks or stops working, the book you first bought might not be too expensive, anyway).But I do think Andre has pointed out something useful. I hadn't thought too much about losing my Kindle books, although the potential loss of electronic copies is a risk with any medium, especially music. If I'm not purchasing a physical copy, I'd feel safer having backups or options (like different formats via Smashwords). So thanks for posting that article, Andre. It's good to at least be informed. And people may change their tune about this issue if/when something does happen to their device or Amazon in general.
When you think about it, you're not too much safer with a physical copy--actual books can get lost or thrown away, too!
Honestly, if I purchase a book on Amazon and really, really love it, I might keep an eye out for a used, physical copy for my bookshelf (they're cheaper and you can find them lots of places, local and online). I don't have a lot of shelf space right now, which is why I got a Kindle (I prefer holding a real book, as many people do), but I will have more room in about a year, when I relocate.
However, I can't see myself switching over to a different e-reader company (Amazon's Kindle is, hands-down, the best e-reader on the market currently), and I don't see myself owning an iPad ever, either. And e-readers aren't, in the grand scheme of things, all that expensive.
But this is an issue worth thinking about when purchasing e-books from Amazon. I don't know if I want to use a Kindle or any e-reader forever, after all. Even physical formats of music are coming back in style because people want that nostalgic feel and more security than digital files.
So maybe, be selective about whether you want a physical copy or a Kindle e-book. If it's an author you really love, maybe go with a physical copy. If you're just reading any old thing, an e-book might be smarter. Or just go with whatever's cheaper at the time. You know, iTunes is elitist like Amazon's AZW file, too.
Mod
I'm not so much concerned with something happening to Amazon as with what Amazon might do itself in the urge to massage the quarterly profits. Microsoft has gotten away for years with orphaning their operating system every few years, even with the larger-than-life example of Apple (who's very good about backwards compatibility) available right next door.
I repeat. Amazon aren't book people, they're traders. It doesn't matter to them what they trade. There is nothing special about books for Amazon. They're just commodities. The implications for their behaviour are profound.
Mod
Books grow like Topsy. I've had to move twice because my books were threatening to collapse the house, and I had twice that many books in storage, and my CD collection was starting to weigh tons too. I was heading for an intimate acquaintance with the divorce courts if I bought another book or disk, or build another 300 pound amplifier or half-ton horn speaker. Electronic books are the future, for sure, but tying yourself and your books to any commercial entity isn't smart. That is why I think Google's wide-open Android will win the etablet operating system wars, even against the glory of Apple's reputation and marketing clout. Amazon, big as it is, in those classy leagues doesn't stand a chance. As I pointed out in January in "Why Amazon will recover falling profits from indie writers" http://coolmainpress.com/ajwriting/ar... Amazon used the Kindle and cheap books from the indies to try and buy a market, at enormous opportunity cost (accounting euphemism for lost profits), and now market share is slipping away from them. Their plan hasn't worked; it was never likely to work.
http://coolmainpress.com/ajwriting/ar...
Sample text:
"If you’re a Kindle-owner, you don’t own anything. Instead Amazon owns you, lock, stock, and literature. You have to keep buying your tablets from Amazon forever, or take a hit in the books."