Best seller lists punish e-books - Page 4

JSWolf · 10-21-2007, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jasonkchapman

Then Sony's next ad could say "Sexier than a Pontiac."

I have a better idea...

Picture it... Oprah sitting on her set reading an ebook on a Sony Reader PRS-505. The camera slowly pans in... A voice in the distance says, "What's that you have Oprah?" And Oprah says "Why it is my new electronic book reader the PRS-505 from Sony" It lets me carry around an entire library in one small portable compact device." She then hold it up next to her face and the caption reads... THE SONY READER PRS-505, SEXIER THEN OPRAH!"

And we have another advert the exact same almost except the caption this time reads ... "THE SONY READER PRS-505, SO SEXY EVEN OPRAH LOVES IT!"

Steven Lyle Jordan · 10-21-2007, 10:17 AM

Here's something that may be significant: How many of the books in Oprah's Book Club are available as e-books? If the answer is "not many," how much would Oprah want to support something that her own book club does not support?

Either way, what would we have to say to her that could convince her to support it, to the extent of "encouraging" publishers to go Electronic?

HarryT · 10-21-2007, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

Either way, what would we have to say to her that could convince her to support it, to the extent of "encouraging" publishers to go Electronic?

I suspect that words along the lines of "here's a check for $5m" would probably be required. "Celebrity endorsement" is generally received in exchange for hard cash. Or does anyone really think that it's done because they just happen to like the product so very much?

Steven Lyle Jordan · 10-21-2007, 10:34 AM

Okay, I guess we're straying a bit from the "best-seller" issue. Better to just get her to endorse an e-book, and let things go from there.

Still, there's no reason it can't be suggested for a future show...

kilohertz53 · 10-21-2007, 11:29 AM

Just for the heck of it, I went to the Oprah show website. I looked through the 2006 "O" list of products. The Sony Librie was on it, although I don't recall any e-book reader being part of last year's "favorite things" giveaway extravaganza. There is some awareness of of e-books implied by that, in need of updating.

Oprah Winfrey has featured other Sony products before -- mostly video cams, so perhaps there is some pre-existing relationship between her production company and Sony. For Sony to give away 500 Reader units with an Oprah book club selection pre-intalled to a studio audience would be a very cost-effective form of advertising. Hell, throw in a nice donation to one of her charities. After all, about 50 million people watch the show every day

Steven Lyle Jordan · 10-22-2007, 09:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kilohertz53

For Sony to give away 500 Reader units with an Oprah book club selection pre-intalled to a studio audience would be a very cost-effective form of advertising.

True... but Sony has already demonstrated (chiefly through inaction) that they aren't making any effort to advertise their e-readers. And if most of Oprah's product giveaways are generally the advertisers' initiatives, I guess we shouldn't expect to see the Sony readers anytime soon...

JSWolf · 10-22-2007, 09:24 AM

Well if Sony & Borders have ebook available in Borders stores, then that might help somewhat as far as advertising goes. But as it is now, in the Borders I've been in, it's been this tiny little kiosk that you could so easily miss if you were not looking.

Steven Lyle Jordan · 10-22-2007, 10:14 AM

FYI, guys, I sent off a suggestion to Oprah's Show Suggestions gateway this morning.

da_jane · 10-22-2007, 11:45 AM

Bestseller lists are hugely important to authors so whether they actually provide a lift in sales (they probably do) or are in anyway an accurate measure of books sold (they measure only velocity not actual sales over a length of time), they matter to authors and publishers who are the ones who control the ebook production.

As long as it is believed that ebooks can possibly hurt an authors' chances of getting on a major list, this belief will hinder the production of ebooks and, I believe, the price of ebooks.

As for JS Wolf's query about buying books and not reading them - welcome to the world of the genre romance reader. Nearly every woman I know that reads genre romance has a "TBR" pile (To Be Read). We buy books upon recommendations and impulse and then end up not reading them for years. I probably buy 10 books a month that I won't read. It's a compulsion, a weird one, to be sure, but a compulsion none the less.

Steven Lyle Jordan · 10-22-2007, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by da_jane

As long as it is believed that ebooks can possibly hurt an authors' chances of getting on a major list, this belief will hinder the production of ebooks and, I believe, the price of ebooks.

That's why I suspect that getting e-books noticed in the general public will help to put them on bestseller lists, and encourage more sales, thereby giving the perception of helping authors to sell. It seems to be primarily the publishers and authors who believe that e-books will hurt an author's chances of selling. Hopefully a push from the market will help them to see otherwise.

Quote:

Originally Posted by da_jane

As for JS Wolf's query about buying books and not reading them - welcome to the world of the genre romance reader.

That's so weird... I've not read only two books I ever bought, I think!

da_jane · 10-26-2007, 03:09 PM

I think part of it is the "glom" (see we have our own language). When a genre romance reader reads one good book by an author, we are driven to buy her backlist. When we go to the UBS, we snatch those up. It could be two books, it could be five. I think that is, in part, why the romance genre comprises so much of the mass market purchasing industry.

I remember when I read my first Jo Goodman book and was just blown away by her lovely prose, I went to the local bookstore and bought the four books that were in stock and then the next time I was at the UBS, I bought the remainder of her backlist that I could find. So now I own almost every Jo Goodman book published (I think its over 12 books) and I've read 6 or 8 of them. Someday I'll read the other ones but who knows when.

I'll have to do a post on this on the blog to see how much I can amaze the rest of you! LOL.

Steven Lyle Jordan · 10-26-2007, 04:56 PM

I was once like that with SF authors, especially Clarke and Bradbury, but others to a good extent, so I know just what you mean. I don't seem to do that any more, though.

Oh, Why Not? · 10-26-2007, 07:17 PM

There are a couple of mystery writers I do that with. I no longer find them in used book stores, so I broke down and started buying over the Internet. Gets expensive.

Steven Lyle Jordan · 10-29-2007, 02:29 PM

Well, it's been a week. No word from Oprah yet.

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10-21-2007, 10:17 AM	#47
Steven Lyle Jordan Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,478 Karma: 5171130 Join Date: Jan 2006 Device: none	Here's something that may be significant: How many of the books in Oprah's Book Club are available as e-books? If the answer is "not many," how much would Oprah want to support something that her own book club does not support? Either way, what would we have to say to her that could convince her to support it, to the extent of "encouraging" publishers to go Electronic?

10-21-2007, 10:34 AM	#49
Steven Lyle Jordan Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,478 Karma: 5171130 Join Date: Jan 2006 Device: none	Okay, I guess we're straying a bit from the "best-seller" issue. Better to just get her to endorse an e-book, and let things go from there. Still, there's no reason it can't be suggested for a future show...

10-21-2007, 11:29 AM	#50
kilohertz53 Zealot Posts: 141 Karma: 671 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Harwichport, MA Device: Sony PRS-500, Sony PRS-350, Augen "The Book"	Just for the heck of it, I went to the Oprah show website. I looked through the 2006 "O" list of products. The Sony Librie was on it, although I don't recall any e-book reader being part of last year's "favorite things" giveaway extravaganza. There is some awareness of of e-books implied by that, in need of updating. Oprah Winfrey has featured other Sony products before -- mostly video cams, so perhaps there is some pre-existing relationship between her production company and Sony. For Sony to give away 500 Reader units with an Oprah book club selection pre-intalled to a studio audience would be a very cost-effective form of advertising. Hell, throw in a nice donation to one of her charities. After all, about 50 million people watch the show every day

10-22-2007, 09:24 AM	#52
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 73,998 Karma: 128903378 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	Well if Sony & Borders have ebook available in Borders stores, then that might help somewhat as far as advertising goes. But as it is now, in the Borders I've been in, it's been this tiny little kiosk that you could so easily miss if you were not looking.

10-22-2007, 10:14 AM	#53
Steven Lyle Jordan Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,478 Karma: 5171130 Join Date: Jan 2006 Device: none	FYI, guys, I sent off a suggestion to Oprah's Show Suggestions gateway this morning.

10-22-2007, 11:45 AM	#54
da_jane Evangelist Posts: 405 Karma: 692 Join Date: Sep 2006 Device: Samsung Galaxy Note 3 \| Kindle Paperwhite \| iPad Mini	Bestseller lists are hugely important to authors so whether they actually provide a lift in sales (they probably do) or are in anyway an accurate measure of books sold (they measure only velocity not actual sales over a length of time), they matter to authors and publishers who are the ones who control the ebook production. As long as it is believed that ebooks can possibly hurt an authors' chances of getting on a major list, this belief will hinder the production of ebooks and, I believe, the price of ebooks. As for JS Wolf's query about buying books and not reading them - welcome to the world of the genre romance reader. Nearly every woman I know that reads genre romance has a "TBR" pile (To Be Read). We buy books upon recommendations and impulse and then end up not reading them for years. I probably buy 10 books a month that I won't read. It's a compulsion, a weird one, to be sure, but a compulsion none the less.

10-26-2007, 03:09 PM	#56
da_jane Evangelist Posts: 405 Karma: 692 Join Date: Sep 2006 Device: Samsung Galaxy Note 3 \| Kindle Paperwhite \| iPad Mini	I think part of it is the "glom" (see we have our own language). When a genre romance reader reads one good book by an author, we are driven to buy her backlist. When we go to the UBS, we snatch those up. It could be two books, it could be five. I think that is, in part, why the romance genre comprises so much of the mass market purchasing industry. I remember when I read my first Jo Goodman book and was just blown away by her lovely prose, I went to the local bookstore and bought the four books that were in stock and then the next time I was at the UBS, I bought the remainder of her backlist that I could find. So now I own almost every Jo Goodman book published (I think its over 12 books) and I've read 6 or 8 of them. Someday I'll read the other ones but who knows when. I'll have to do a post on this on the blog to see how much I can amaze the rest of you! LOL.

10-26-2007, 04:56 PM	#57
Steven Lyle Jordan Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,478 Karma: 5171130 Join Date: Jan 2006 Device: none	I was once like that with SF authors, especially Clarke and Bradbury, but others to a good extent, so I know just what you mean. I don't seem to do that any more, though.

10-26-2007, 07:17 PM	#58
Oh, Why Not? Groupie Posts: 176 Karma: 13065 Join Date: Aug 2007 Device: Galaxy Note 2; KindleFireHDX	There are a couple of mystery writers I do that with. I no longer find them in used book stores, so I broke down and started buying over the Internet. Gets expensive.

10-29-2007, 02:29 PM	#59
Steven Lyle Jordan Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,478 Karma: 5171130 Join Date: Jan 2006 Device: none	Well, it's been a week. No word from Oprah yet.

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