[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by marvmax

First of all I just would like to say that I really love this site. I've been lurking around ever since I found out about it two weeks ago from the Baen Bar. (Personally I think that Baen has done everything right, except the Bar. I find it hard to use, and slow. Slow is the killer)

Welcome to MobileRead!

I can deal with the Bar, but I find it easier to deal with getting it as an NNTP feed in Thunderbird. Since there still seem to be occasional issues with posts not making it out through NNTP, I check the web version occasionally. Mostly, NNTP works.

I didn't realize there were so many commercial readers out there. I personally use a Dell x51v. I pretty much use it primarily as a reading device anymore. However, I really like the flexibility it provides. For example I use it to read and study the scriptures with two different scripture reading software, and I make notes with Mobile Word, which allows me to move those notes to my PC.

Then I read my books on it. I'd been using Microsoft Reader but switched to Mobireader because of this site.

You aren't alone. I use a Palm OS based PDA for similar purposes, though I prefer to grab the HTML versions from the Free Library, and convert for the Plucker offline HTML viewer for Palm OS. (Incidentally, there's a PocketPC viewer for Plucker files called Vade Mecum, here.)

Anyway back when I got my first PDA I was looking for reading content, and I checked out the latest Honor Harrington book from the library. What was in the back of that book? Everyone probably knows, one of the Baen Free Library CDs. Nirvana. Or Literary Crack. I agree completely with Eric Flints views on copyright and DRM. Since that first taste of e-books I've spent $1020 on webscription books (I know this now because I just came from another thread where they were discussing how much they have spent because they saw it on webscriptions.

The last I knew, Baen stated that Webscriptions made more money than sales to Canada. I have the complete run of Baen CDs, and tehre are Free Library titles on those that aren't on the web site.

I personally think that e-publishing is a way for authors to get more money not less. From this site I've been led to a few sites where it looks like the authors are self publishing where it would seem like they would make even more money per book.

They can. The question is the number of copies they sell.

The biggest problem for any author is simply letting folks who might be interested know their books exist. Unless you are a name author with best sellers, the publisher won't be much help: they reserve promotional dollars for established authors with followings, to let the followings know new books by their favorites are out.

This is precisely the function the Free Library serves: it promotes authors. People read one of more books by an author in the Library, devcide they like what the author does, and buy new new one in hardcover (or through Webscriptions).

While I don't mind paying what I consider a reasonable price, I hate feeling like I'm getting shafted. What do I consider getting shafted? Paying for printing costs, and distribution costs when those cost couldn't possibly be included in an e-book that I'm downloading. I would even consider paying a little more for new release of an e-book just for the pleasure of reading it right away.

Publishers charge what they believe the market will bear. I concur that pricing an ebook at the same level as a hardcover is absurd. Some specialized titles I would expect to cost more in any case, since they are aimed at niche markets.
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Dennis