Using a Kindle

ixoy

Toby Take a Bow wrote: »

Could authors who are published in paper form not use all those forms to publicize their work (blogs, recommendations)?

They still need to get the book printed in the first place though, which means a vetting process at publishers. Publishers don't always pick out the right clients - there's plenty of classics and/or big authors who suffered multiple rejections (most recently being J.K. Rowling).
The e-book element might allow them a chance to get out there.

Any of the self-published work I've read has been self-published for a reason. But bringing new authors to the fore - and I'm sure it's only time before someone who is actually good and whose books are well-written - can only be a good thing.

That's how I see it. There is going to be a lot of mediocre crap out there but we should eventually see new talent arise.

Actually, another good example is out-of-print works. Right now I'm reading "The Parasite", a novel by a reasonably successful sci-fi author (Neal Asher). The original print rights have expired, so he decided to publish it as an e-book as it was a quick way to get the book to his fans. Similarly it's a great way for older books to be re-released, getting back catalogues out to the public without the more expensive option of ordering a print run.

Dades

Toby Take a Bow wrote: »

I presume Amazon and the rest think they can beat the illegal download market, in the same way as the music industry thought they could too. As long as they look after that market, and release a new-better-more improved model every three years or so, they should be doing nicely.

I doubt any of them are as naive to think they can beat the illegal market. I have a Kindle 3, and using a bit of free software you can just drag and drop any filetype on the device and it appears on your reading list. They haven't even tried to lock it down.

I'm not advocating it - the last few books I bought on Amazon were all sub $5 - but it's just accepted like the music industry has finally done with MP3s.

Toby Take a Bow

ixoy wrote: »

They still need to get the book printed in the first place though, which means a vetting process at publishers. Publishers don't always pick out the right clients - there's plenty of classics and/or big authors who suffered multiple rejections (most recently being J.K. Rowling).
The e-book element might allow them a chance to get out there.

JK Rowling is an interesting example: when she did (finally) get published, her books were, if not well-written, at least told a story. Then she got famous and seemed to ditch any pretense of an editor, and they became huge bricks of unreadable unedited pap. So it would seem even if you are published, you can get away with writing unedited crap.

ixoy wrote: »

Actually, another good example is out-of-print works. Right now I'm reading "The Parasite", a novel by a reasonably successful sci-fi author (Neal Asher). The original print rights have expired, so he decided to publish it as an e-book as it was a quick way to get the book to his fans. Similarly it's a great way for older books to be re-released, getting back catalogues out to the public without the more expensive option of ordering a print run.

That's a great development. A lot of the writers I read who may be out of print, I can still track down on Amazon for the 1c price, but having easy access to this sort of thing would make a reader a little more enticing for me.

Dades wrote: »

I doubt any of them are as naive to think they can beat the illegal market. I have a Kindle 3, and using a bit of free software you can just drag and drop any filetype on the device and it appears on your reading list. They haven't even tried to lock it down.

I'm surprised at that. Maybe they've just given up on the selling of books and are planning on making money on releasing new versions of the Kindle every two years.

syklops

Then she got famous and seemed to ditch any pretense of an editor, and they became huge bricks of unreadable unedited pap. So it would seem even if you are published, you can get away with writing unedited crap.

Thats your opinion.

Dades

Toby Take a Bow wrote: »

I'm surprised at that. Maybe they've just given up on the selling of books and are planning on making money on releasing new versions of the Kindle every two years.

In market situations like this companies rarely make money on their hardware. Microsoft (at least used to) make a loss every time they sold an Xbox - they just needed people to have consoles to buy the expensive and profitable games.

I stood on my Kindle and broke it and they sent me a free replacement within a week - no questions asked. They just want you to have a working device that has access to their bookstore only. With regard to book piracy they realise that unlike, say, pop music fans, most "readers" won't be so computer savvy so the percentage of people using their product without buying from them would be acceptable to their business model.

syklops

I'm surprised at that. Maybe they've just given up on the selling of books and are planning on making money on releasing new versions of the Kindle every two years.

Put it this way, if a heavy reader reads 1 novel per week, and each book costs 5 dollars, then that is $110 they would spend in the course of a year, the same price as the basic kindle model.

But if Amazon were planning on giving books away for free and just making money on the hardware and everyone bought a new one every two years, then they would only make $110 every two years. I think it is in their interests to keep selling books.

Toby Take a Bow

syklops wrote: »

Thats your opinion.

It sure is.

Dades wrote: »

With regard to book piracy they realise that unlike, say, pop music fans, most "readers" won't be so computer savvy so the percentage of people using their product without buying from them would be acceptable to their business model.

That's a dangerous model to follow, surely? I'm not particularly tech savvy but I know how to go about illegally downloading music. As you said yourself (I think it was yourself) a simple enough programme and you're good to go.

syklops wrote: »

Put it this way, if a heavy reader reads 1 novel per week, and each book costs 5 dollars, then that is $110 they would spend in the course of a year, the same price as the basic kindle model.

But if Amazon were planning on giving books away for free and just making money on the hardware and everyone bought a new one every two years, then they would only make $110 every two years. I think it is in their interests to keep selling books.

True enough (except wouldn't they be taking in $260 a year?), but say the heavy reader only buys 5 novels a year (at $5 dollars each) and supplements the rest of her reading with free classics, then Amazon would really be losing out. Or they increase the cost of the newer models by x percent?

Also, as far as I'm aware, you can read books bought from other e-resources on the Kindle? So, Amazon wouldn't be guaranteed that money. Buying their product (with the ad-ons) ties you into their experience and upgrades, regardless of where you buy the books from.

Censorsh!t

I don't mind other people using kindles, but personally they're not for me.

I love physical books, I love the smell and the texture, the memories, little notes found inside them, underlining favourite lines and passages, no worry of breaking my book. And I can fall asleep with a nice soft book on my face, when I'm just too tired to put it aside.

I'm only 21, so it's nothing to do with being too old for them or anything.

MagicMarker

Censorsh!t wrote: »

I don't mind other people using kindles, but personally they're not for me.

I love physical books, I love the smell and the texture, the memories, little notes found inside them, underlining favourite lines and passages, no worry of breaking my book. And I can fall asleep with a nice soft book on my face, when I'm just too tired to put it aside.

I'm only 21, so it's nothing to do with being too old for them or anything.

Have you ever used a kindle?

Laserhead

I was fortunate enough to win a kindle keyboard last January in a draw, so despite not having a huge interest in e-readers at the time, it was a good opportunity to try it out. Initially my problems with it have been more technical, it's not great for reading PDF's (though this changed after I found conversion software like calibre). Later the screen broke, but Amazon replaced it quickly enough and at no charge.

I haven't committed myself fully to e-books just yet though, since it's still as cheap for me to buy hard copies in shops and the convenience of having my library altogether doesn't outweigh the awkwardness of using the kindle for longer titles. I tend to flick back through a book really quickly whenever I pick it up again, just to re-familiarise myself with what's happened so far, that's just far too awkward on a kindle for me. As such I find it perfect for reading short stories or newspaper articles (Calibre keeps me updated with the Irish Times, The Guardian and -more importantly- The Onion via RSS feeds). If I ever go on a long travelling trip, I'll no doubt be glad I have my kindle, but for lying in bed at home I know I'm going to reach for a paperback novel first.

Censorsh!t

MagicMarker wrote: »

Have you ever used a kindle?

I've looked through a friend's one before. It just didn't appeal to me.

Enkidu

Toby Take a Bow wrote: »

Then she got famous and seemed to ditch any pretense of an editor, and they became huge bricks of unreadable unedited pap.

They're also books for children or young teenagers. I wonder if Thomas the Tank Engine also disappoints you for not commenting on the human condition.

Toby Take a Bow

Enkidu wrote: »

They're also books for children or young teenagers. I wonder if Thomas the Tank Engine also disappoints you for not commenting on the human condition.

Who said anything about commenting on the human condition? I actually preferred the earlier books in the series which were far simpler and more obviously geared towards children. And were more readable. Which is kind of the opposite of what your strawman reference to the human condition was trying to imply, I suppose.

Dades

Toby Take a Bow wrote: »

That's a dangerous model to follow, surely? I'm not particularly tech savvy but I know how to go about illegally downloading music. As you said yourself (I think it was yourself) a simple enough programme and you're good to go.

I think the bookselling industry realised it's better to embrace the future, rather than resist it. By getting in early, Amazon now have a huge eBook/eReader market share in a market they would inevitably have to enter at some point. The same goes for the early adopters in the MP3 industry, a la Apple and iTunes.

Toby Take a Bow wrote: »

True enough (except wouldn't they be taking in $260 a year?), but say the heavy reader only buys 5 novels a year (at $5 dollars each) and supplements the rest of her reading with free classics, then Amazon would really be losing out. Or they increase the cost of the newer models by x percent?

Just to note that most contemporary eBooks would be around the $10+ mark. The books I buy for under $5 are random pulpy sci-fi paperbacks - a guilty pleasure!

Censorsh!t wrote: »

I don't mind other people using kindles, but personally they're not for me.

They're not for most people until a need arises. People who love books don't just buy an eReader because it's new - but because of a benefit that will allow them to indulge their love of reading that traditional books couldn't match.

syklops

Toby Take a Bow wrote: »

True enough (except wouldn't they be taking in $260 a year?), but say the heavy reader only buys 5 novels a year (at $5 dollars each) and supplements the rest of her reading with free classics, then Amazon would really be losing out. Or they increase the cost of the newer models by x percent?

Yes you are right. Post phail

flyaway.

Dades wrote: »

They're not for most people until a need arises. People who love books don't just buy an eReader because it's new - but because of a benefit that will allow them to indulge their love of reading that traditional books couldn't match.

I agree with this. I hear lots of people say ''I could never use an ereader because I love the feel and look of books etc'' but so do people who use ereaders. It doesn't have to be one or the other, it's perfectly possible to appreciate both.

I own over 400 paper books and I love them- and I have almost 300 ebooks and I love those as well. I love being able to go somewhere for a few weeks and not have to fret about running out of reading material. Not to mention the fact that I have run out of space in my house for ''real'' books.

For me, the best thing about ebooks is the free advanced reading copies I can get. I use NetGalley which is where lots of (very big) publishers put up ARCs of their books that you can request to download. For most of the publishers, you have to have a large online book presence with reviews and everything but since I have that, I've already gotten 23 books there, most of which are not due out until spring 2012. I love it.

Censorsh!t

Dades wrote: »

They're not for most people until a need arises. People who love books don't just buy an eReader because it's new - but because of a benefit that will allow them to indulge their love of reading that traditional books couldn't match.

I know. I don't know where you got the sense that I was saying people are buying them just because they're new. I realise people are buying them because, yes, they are pretty handy and easy to carry about and get books on, but I just don't really like them. And because I prefer reading traditional books doesn't mean I am any less a lover of reading, as you seem to be implying. I do apologise if I took that the wrong way.

syklops

Censorsh!t wrote: »

I know. I don't know where you got the sense that I was saying people are buying them just because they're new. I realise people are buying them because, yes, they are pretty handy and easy to carry about and get books on, but I just don't really like them. And because I prefer reading traditional books doesn't mean I am any less a lover of reading, as you seem to be implying. I do apologise if I took that the wrong way.

I dont think its you. Its just every thread I have ever read involving a kindle there is always at least one person who says that they will never use a kindle, love the smell of books and that using a kindle would be an affront to their reading pleasure etc etc. Some go as far to say that people who use kindles aren't real book lovers etc. On some fora it has become almost religious in nature, and so I think some of your comments were taken to mean more than what you intended.

I love books too. I currently have 5 on my desk, as well as many much thumbed magazines. Its not an either/or situation. Its just the next step for the medium.

Dades

Censorsh!t wrote: »

I know. I don't know where you got the sense that I was saying people are buying them just because they're new. I realise people are buying them because, yes, they are pretty handy and easy to carry about and get books on, but I just don't really like them. And because I prefer reading traditional books doesn't mean I am any less a lover of reading, as you seem to be implying. I do apologise if I took that the wrong way.

I think you did take me up wrong, which could be my fault too.

When you say a Kindle is "not for you" because you like the smell/feel of books, I was simply saying that people don't buy eReaders because they don't feel the same way - they buy them as they see advantage that outweighs the romantic aspect to the feel of a book.

In other words it's not the fact that you love the feel of books (who doesn't?) that stops you buying a Kindle, it's the lack of any necessity on your part to utilise what eBooks have to offer. Lucky you I say!

Paparazzo

I'd be the complete opposite to the op. Why would you not buy a kindle! Depends on the person, the smell or feel of a book aren't real issues with me, but the kindle is far more practicle in so many ways than books.

MagicMarker

Kindles are just a slimmer, lighter, easier, better way of reading books.

The ''not for me'' folk will eventually come around just like the ''not for me'' folk did for tapes, CDs, MP3's, DVD's and Microwaves.

syklops

Mr Gutenberg: Goodnews everyone! I have come up with a way to print stories into a smaller more manageable format, and we will be able to copy them much easier too! Win win huh!?!
Person: But your so called 'books' are small, and they make a noise when they fall out of your bed, where as writing stories onto vellum you have the beautiful pictures. Plus the smell! Mmm I love the smell of vellum in the morning.

Censorsh!t

Dades wrote: »

I think you did take me up wrong, which could be my fault too.

When you say a Kindle is "not for you" because you like the smell/feel of books, I was simply saying that people don't buy eReaders because they don't feel the same way - they buy them as they see advantage that outweighs the romantic aspect to the feel of a book.

In other words it's not the fact that you love the feel of books (who doesn't?) that stops you buying a Kindle, it's the lack of any necessity on your part to utilise what eBooks have to offer. Lucky you I say!

Ah okay, I see what you mean. Sorry for that!


@MagicMarker: I don't think I'll come around any time soon! I just don't really like the feel of a kindle (I guess they're too solid - the same reason I don't buy hardbacks), and I feel they make my eyes a bit tired and strained. But sure, who knows. I guess I just find the whole experience of a traditional book more appealing also, as unimportant as it may be. Perhaps I have a fetish.:pac:

mickoregan

Well, I think it's become pretty much obvious through the thread that the e-reader is useful in a lot of circumstances that I hadn't thought about.

Though it's not for me at the moment, I guess it may become necessary in the future. Who knows??

triseke

My OH got me a kindle for xmas, and I have to say, I LOVE it. I didn't think i would, but its just so easy to use. The ease at which buying books from amazon astounds me.

Bought 3 books in my pjs

mickoregan

triseke wrote: »

Bought 3 books in my pjs

Well....(cough)....there's another..um...advantage to the e-reader.

Dades

^^ That's actually a fair point for maybe a different reason.

I haven't been into Hoggis Figgis for too long.

perri winkles

Just a quick question!

Dad is looking to buy the kindle for my Mum, whats the difference between the one with the keyboard and the one without? The one without is much cheaper?

Would love some opinions

ceadaoin.

perri winkles wrote: »

Just a quick question!

Dad is looking to buy the kindle for my Mum, whats the difference between the one with the keyboard and the one without? The one without is much cheaper?

Would love some opinions

The one with the keyboard has 3G so you can access the Kindle store and download books anywhere. It's free so there is no monthly contract or anything. The smaller one is WiFi only so you need to be at home where your WiFi is or in a hotspot if you want to buy anything. I think the one with the keyboard has more storage too.

I got the non keyboard one last week and once you have wireless internet at home it's fine. You can buy books on the normal Amazon site too on your laptop or whatever and it sends it to the Kindle wirelessly once it's connected to the internet or you can attach it to the computer with a USB cable and add the book that way.

mcgovern

ceadaoin. wrote: »

The one with the keyboard has 3G so you can access the Kindle store and download books anywhere. It's free so there is no monthly contract or anything. The smaller one is WiFi only so you need to be at home where your WiFi is or in a hotspot if you want to buy anything. I think the one with the keyboard has more storage too.

I got the non keyboard one last week and once you have wireless internet at home it's fine. You can buy books on the normal Amazon site too on your laptop or whatever and it sends it to the Kindle wirelessly once it's connected to the internet or you can attach it to the computer with a USB cable and add the book that way.

The cheaper version of the one with the keyboard has no 3G.