A reader's take on ebooks.

delphidb96 · 02-06-2010, 04:34 PM

This whole MacM-stiffing-readers kerfluffle has made me ponder a bit on what has changed for me since switching to ebooks.

Prior to changing to an ebook library, I had 28 'core' authors whose titles I would automatically purchase. There were another 30 who I have a single title sitting on my bookshelves, but that's it. And the authors were pretty much from hard SF and Fantasy genres.

Since late 2007, which is when I switched to a primarily-ebook option, I have added 377 'core' authors from whom I'll almost automatically purchase titles. (Yes, I took the time to count the authors!!! I spent nearly five hours working my way through my various ebook libraries to do so and I only counted those who I have more than two titles on hand.) These authors cover mainstream, 'chick-lit', paranormal thriller, romance, paranormal romance, dark-fantasy, suspense & thriller, mystery, paranormal mystery, steampunk (including my latest, "Steamed", a steampunk romance from Katie MacAlister that I consider a light, fun read), along with my more normal hard SF and Fantasy.

In other words, the ease of buying and maintaining my ebook library has made it far more likely I'd buy from the offerings made by the publishers each month. Ebooks have dramatically increased my reading horizons ahd made it more likely that I will give new (read: first-time and unknown) authors a try.

Derek

Boston · 02-06-2010, 05:32 PM

Like you, I have expanded my reading choices because of ebooks.

Another change (and one that directly benefits the publishers/authors) is that I was buying ebooks instead of used books.

Because books were getting so expensive, I was starting to buy more from the secondary market. A practive I have recently started going back to as ebook prices increase.

astrodad · 02-06-2010, 05:39 PM

I'm with you both. The ease of obtaining a book made me much more likely to pick up stories I never would have read otherwise. For me, eBooks opened up the world of autobiographies, from Ben Franklin to Andre Agassi.

Critteranne · 02-06-2010, 06:20 PM

Thanks to the $9.99 price on the nook, I bought a new mystery novel set in Finland. It's a new hardback, so If it hadn't been available at that price, it would have sat in my wishlist forgotten for a couple of years. By that time, I would have found it remaindered for six bucks.

There were several other books I bought this way, not just this past month but over the last few years. Too many, really.

delphidb96 · 02-06-2010, 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Critteranne

Thanks to the $9.99 price on the nook, I bought a new mystery novel set in Finland. It's a new hardback, so If it hadn't been available at that price, it would have sat in my wishlist forgotten for a couple of years. By that time, I would have found it remaindered for six bucks.

There were several other books I bought this way, not just this past month but over the last few years. Too many, really.

Was that the one with the Finnish cop married to the American mall manager??? If so, I bought it too!

Derek

Critteranne · 02-06-2010, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by delphidb96

Was that the one with the Finnish cop married to the American mall manager??? If so, I bought it too!

Derek

Yes, that was the one.

When I think about it, many brick and mortar bookstores might not have had a copy because it's a hardback and not a huge best-seller. Thanks to ebooks, if it's available for the nook, it's available, period. Even if I decide to buy it at midnight.

Alisa · 02-06-2010, 07:33 PM

One of the things that has really encouraged me to step outside of my normal reading habits is the ability to get free samples. It's no risk to me. If something looks even moderately interesting, I just get a sample. I don't have to debate whether I'm apt to like it or not.

guyanonymous · 02-06-2010, 08:51 PM

+10 points for introducing me to the term "chick-lit".

kennyc · 02-06-2010, 08:56 PM

I can't say I'm reading broader, I already read pretty broadly, but definitely reading more and spending more money on ebooks (and a few pbooks as well).

phenomshel · 02-06-2010, 09:02 PM

I spent more on books this last year than I have ..well, probably ever. While I did buy some paperbacks of authors that aren't available in ebook and I just couldn't wait for them to get available, it was mainly ebooks. I blame it both on my ebook reader, and joining that Yahoo group that turned out to be mostly cozy mystery authors. I now find out about more titles becoming available than I ever had information about before. But I still say, regardless of Amazon and whatever publisher, and DRM, and geographical restrictions, and some backlists not being available, that switching to ebooks was the best thing I ever did for my reading obsession, which has been lifelong.

Marcy · 02-07-2010, 01:25 AM

Ebooks have definitely gotten me to purchase more books. I have always been a voracious reader, but ran out of space for my books. I gave away 10 boxes of books to my local library last year. Now I buy exclusively ebooks -- they don't take up any space in my house. If it doesn't come as an ebook I won't buy it. I might borrow it from the library, but that's it.

Like many others have mentioned I have also broadened my reading horizons, especially if a book is at 100% rebate at Fictionwise. I figure I'm out nothing if I don't like it anyway, since I can buy other books I do like with the rebate.

-Marcy

brentk · 02-07-2010, 01:55 AM

I read a lot more, but I'm not sure I'll ever get through just the free stuff I want to read. Really, I'd rather read most of what's available on Project Gutenberg than on Amazon. Volumes of books free and in my hand even more readable than paper copy in a matter of minutes. Ebook readers may be an evolutionary product as far as gadgets go--once you have the ipod the question is simply "what's next"--but for books, and really and hopefully civilization, they could be revolutionary. The things that few would ever read otherwise but ought to... Could we go back to being a society that reads???

02-06-2010, 04:34 PM	#1
delphidb96 Wizard Posts: 2,999 Karma: 300001 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Citrus Heights, California Device: TWO Kindle 2s, one each Bookeen Cybook Gen3, Sony PRS-500, Axim X51V	A reader's take on ebooks. This whole MacM-stiffing-readers kerfluffle has made me ponder a bit on what has changed for me since switching to ebooks. Prior to changing to an ebook library, I had 28 'core' authors whose titles I would automatically purchase. There were another 30 who I have a single title sitting on my bookshelves, but that's it. And the authors were pretty much from hard SF and Fantasy genres. Since late 2007, which is when I switched to a primarily-ebook option, I have added 377 'core' authors from whom I'll almost automatically purchase titles. (Yes, I took the time to count the authors!!! I spent nearly five hours working my way through my various ebook libraries to do so and I only counted those who I have more than two titles on hand.) These authors cover mainstream, 'chick-lit', paranormal thriller, romance, paranormal romance, dark-fantasy, suspense & thriller, mystery, paranormal mystery, steampunk (including my latest, "Steamed", a steampunk romance from Katie MacAlister that I consider a light, fun read), along with my more normal hard SF and Fantasy. In other words, the ease of buying and maintaining my ebook library has made it far more likely I'd buy from the offerings made by the publishers each month. Ebooks have dramatically increased my reading horizons ahd made it more likely that I will give new (read: first-time and unknown) authors a try. Derek

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02-06-2010, 05:32 PM	#2
Boston Fanatic Posts: 555 Karma: 40032 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Boston :) Device: Kindle, Kobo Aura H20, Pixel XL	Like you, I have expanded my reading choices because of ebooks. Another change (and one that directly benefits the publishers/authors) is that I was buying ebooks instead of used books. Because books were getting so expensive, I was starting to buy more from the secondary market. A practive I have recently started going back to as ebook prices increase.

02-06-2010, 05:39 PM	#3
astrodad Guru Posts: 962 Karma: 568242 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Kindle Oasis 3, Kindle Paperwhite 1, iPad, iPhone	I'm with you both. The ease of obtaining a book made me much more likely to pick up stories I never would have read otherwise. For me, eBooks opened up the world of autobiographies, from Ben Franklin to Andre Agassi.

02-06-2010, 06:20 PM	#4
Critteranne Guru Posts: 780 Karma: 21097142 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: MD Device: Kindle, iPad	Thanks to the $9.99 price on the nook, I bought a new mystery novel set in Finland. It's a new hardback, so If it hadn't been available at that price, it would have sat in my wishlist forgotten for a couple of years. By that time, I would have found it remaindered for six bucks. There were several other books I bought this way, not just this past month but over the last few years. Too many, really.

02-06-2010, 07:33 PM	#7
Alisa Gadget Geek Posts: 2,324 Karma: 22221 Join Date: Aug 2007 Device: Paperwhite, Kindle 3 (retired), Skindle 1.2 (retired)	One of the things that has really encouraged me to step outside of my normal reading habits is the ability to get free samples. It's no risk to me. If something looks even moderately interesting, I just get a sample. I don't have to debate whether I'm apt to like it or not.

02-06-2010, 08:51 PM	#8
guyanonymous Guru Posts: 692 Karma: 27532 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Ebookwise 1150 / 1200	+10 points for introducing me to the term "chick-lit".

02-06-2010, 08:56 PM	#9
kennyc The Dank Side of the Moon Posts: 35,872 Karma: 118716293 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Denver, CO Device: Kindle2; Kindle Fire	I can't say I'm reading broader, I already read pretty broadly, but definitely reading more and spending more money on ebooks (and a few pbooks as well).

02-06-2010, 09:02 PM	#10
phenomshel ZCD BombShel Posts: 4,793 Karma: 8293322 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: The Frozen North (aka Illinois, USA) Device: iPad, STB Kindle Oasis	I spent more on books this last year than I have ..well, probably ever. While I did buy some paperbacks of authors that aren't available in ebook and I just couldn't wait for them to get available, it was mainly ebooks. I blame it both on my ebook reader, and joining that Yahoo group that turned out to be mostly cozy mystery authors. I now find out about more titles becoming available than I ever had information about before. But I still say, regardless of Amazon and whatever publisher, and DRM, and geographical restrictions, and some backlists not being available, that switching to ebooks was the best thing I ever did for my reading obsession, which has been lifelong.

02-07-2010, 01:25 AM	#11
Marcy Guru Posts: 893 Karma: 950683 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: Kobo Libra2	Ebooks have definitely gotten me to purchase more books. I have always been a voracious reader, but ran out of space for my books. I gave away 10 boxes of books to my local library last year. Now I buy exclusively ebooks -- they don't take up any space in my house. If it doesn't come as an ebook I won't buy it. I might borrow it from the library, but that's it. Like many others have mentioned I have also broadened my reading horizons, especially if a book is at 100% rebate at Fictionwise. I figure I'm out nothing if I don't like it anyway, since I can buy other books I do like with the rebate. -Marcy

02-07-2010, 01:55 AM	#12
brentk Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: nook	I read a lot more, but I'm not sure I'll ever get through just the free stuff I want to read. Really, I'd rather read most of what's available on Project Gutenberg than on Amazon. Volumes of books free and in my hand even more readable than paper copy in a matter of minutes. Ebook readers may be an evolutionary product as far as gadgets go--once you have the ipod the question is simply "what's next"--but for books, and really and hopefully civilization, they could be revolutionary. The things that few would ever read otherwise but ought to... Could we go back to being a society that reads???

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