Jerry Pournelle on the Kindle DX

wallcraft · 05-11-2009, 03:34 PM

Chaos Manor Review is the current version of Jerry Pournelle's BYTE column on personal computing issues. Jerry has a Kindle2 and is a well known science fiction author. His columns often include ebook topics from an authors and a readers point of view. In the May 10 issue, Jerry comments on the Kindle DX, although most of the commentary isn't DX-specific but rather about newspapers and text books.

He includes a summary of what Amazon told the annual meeting of the Science Fiction Writers of America:

Quote:

First, the really positive effect of Kindle on sales has been in backlist, and particularly backlist sales of previous books in a series. People read the latest book of a series, or the latest book from an author, and decide that they want some of the previous work. If those works exist for the Kindle, the sales are a lot more likely than if they only exist in paper.
....
According to the Kindle evangelists there has already been a noticeable impact on trade book sales. People who own Kindles buy more books, and that's in all categories. The biggest sales have been in the mystery and thriller category, but romance and science fiction aren't all that far behind.

Gideon · 05-11-2009, 03:57 PM

I'm not seeing anything particularly earth-shattering or revealing here... is the point the content of the post or just that this guy is writing about it?

(really not trying to be a jerk here, just not sure what to make of it.)

sirbruce · 05-11-2009, 04:16 PM

He says a lot more about the Kindle DX, Amazon, and ebooks in general in his post. He's a big name author talking about it.

Gideon · 05-11-2009, 04:18 PM

Yeah, I read the post I just didn't see anything I've not seen a dozen other places. But I get it if he's someone people know - I've just never heard of him before.

Though I think I've been at that website before.

wallcraft · 05-11-2009, 04:21 PM

I agree that his opinions as a reader have no more weight than anyone else's. I had not seen a discussion of Amazon's brief to authors before, which is why I quoted part of this (and why I created a thread). What I did not quote, was the concern authors might have about books staying in print if an ebook is available. That was interesting, but I did not want to quote too much of the column.

sirbruce · 05-11-2009, 04:22 PM

Yeah I had not heard of any publisher considering the ebook to be "in print".

DaleDe · 05-11-2009, 07:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sirbruce

Yeah I had not heard of any publisher considering the ebook to be "in print".

I have, if a publisher has a time limited contract and it expires the eBook could and probably will be pulled from the retailer as well. Thus an eBook can be out of print and not available. This seems to be a recent development and may need some attention in the contracts.

Dale

igorsk · 05-11-2009, 08:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sirbruce

Yeah I had not heard of any publisher considering the ebook to be "in print".

Ever heard of Baen?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toni Weisskopf

Answering your asterisk: ebooks are considered in print if they make a certain amount of money specified in the contract. If not, not in print and
regular reversion rules apply.--Toni

brecklundin · 05-12-2009, 04:49 AM

I cut my teeth on Jerry's Chaos Manor column since it's beginnings in Byte Magazine. In fact I learned more about the industry from his column and a couple others in that mag than all other sources as a group. Jerry is almost never off target or wrong when he looks at the workings of the business side of things. Think of him as the Anti-Dvorak...meaning not only is he a cool dude, even with his health as it is, causing a bit more crankiness now and then than is really there, I trust Jerry's commentary 100000%. I always question it, but that is to develop even more understanding from the info he provides.

The guy has sold more books then all the authors who post here combined, he knows the business.

zerospinboson · 05-12-2009, 08:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brecklundin

The guy has sold more books then all the authors who post here combined, he knows the business.

Not to flame overly much, but Rowling has sold more books than most writers in the world, pretty much only being eclipsed by God. And she thinks the opposite (and does so quite forcefully, hiring a billion lawyers to try to make sure she will stay off-line (I imagine because she got some sort of sweet deal on hardbacks?)), seemingly quite afraid of ebooks. Is it just that she doesn't have a blog about her thoughts that's making you choose to read Pournelle's instead, or are you interested in his opinion for another reason than his book sales?

sirbruce · 05-12-2009, 09:22 AM

But Rowling's distates for ebooks is personal, not a business decision. She doesn't need to make a living at writing anymore; Pournelle probably still does. (Although he's sold enough by now that he might be able to retire, just nowhere near in Rowling's style.)

LazyScot · 05-12-2009, 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sirbruce

But Rowling's distates for ebooks is personal, not a business decision. She doesn't need to make a living at writing anymore; Pournelle probably still does. (Although he's sold enough by now that he might be able to retire, just nowhere near in Rowling's style.)

Do you have a pointer to something showing the distaste is personal? The references I've seen so far can be put down to contractual and/or the publisher.

Thanks.

Elfwreck · 05-12-2009, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zerospinboson

Is it just that she doesn't have a blog about her thoughts that's making you choose to read Pournelle's instead, or are you interested in his opinion for another reason than his book sales?

Pournelle is pro-technology, has enough military contacts to have access to cutting-edge tech (not exactly "unavailable to civilians" tech, AFAIK, but stuff that's just not widely marketed), and is actively involved in sci-fi fandom. He likes gadgets, and he knows what makes them tick, and he's been working & playing with them long enough to know what features make or break a device in the long run. He can spot the difference between "fun techie toy for geeks" and "early version of the device everyone's going to be carrying a decade from now."

sirbruce · 05-12-2009, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LazyScot

Do you have a pointer to something showing the distaste is personal? The references I've seen so far can be put down to contractual and/or the publisher.

Rowling ebooks, 2nd link in Google:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...020400654.html

delphidb96 · 05-12-2009, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sirbruce

Rowling ebooks, 2nd link in Google:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...020400654.html

And the marketplace responded by pirating each and every one of her books.

You know, had she consented to releasing ebook versions, some people would STILL have chosen to pirate ebook versions, but at least she'd have made SOME ebook sales. As it is, millions of people have read the Harry Potter series in ebook format and she's not made one single dime of royalties off those ebooks.

Talk about penny-wise and pound-foolish.

Derek

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05-11-2009, 03:57 PM	#2
Gideon Wearer of Pants Posts: 1,050 Karma: 7634 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Norman, OK Device: Amazon Kindle DX / iPhone	I'm not seeing anything particularly earth-shattering or revealing here... is the point the content of the post or just that this guy is writing about it? (really not trying to be a jerk here, just not sure what to make of it.)

05-11-2009, 04:16 PM	#3
sirbruce Provocateur Posts: 1,859 Karma: 505847 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Columbus, OH Device: Kindle Touch, Kindle 2, Kindle DX, iPhone 3GS	He says a lot more about the Kindle DX, Amazon, and ebooks in general in his post. He's a big name author talking about it.

05-11-2009, 04:18 PM	#4
Gideon Wearer of Pants Posts: 1,050 Karma: 7634 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Norman, OK Device: Amazon Kindle DX / iPhone	Yeah, I read the post I just didn't see anything I've not seen a dozen other places. But I get it if he's someone people know - I've just never heard of him before. Though I think I've been at that website before.

05-11-2009, 04:21 PM	#5
wallcraft reader Posts: 6,975 Karma: 5183568 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Mississippi, USA Device: Kindle 3, Kobo Glo HD	I agree that his opinions as a reader have no more weight than anyone else's. I had not seen a discussion of Amazon's brief to authors before, which is why I quoted part of this (and why I created a thread). What I did not quote, was the concern authors might have about books staying in print if an ebook is available. That was interesting, but I did not want to quote too much of the column.

05-11-2009, 04:22 PM	#6
sirbruce Provocateur Posts: 1,859 Karma: 505847 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Columbus, OH Device: Kindle Touch, Kindle 2, Kindle DX, iPhone 3GS	Yeah I had not heard of any publisher considering the ebook to be "in print".

05-12-2009, 04:49 AM	#9
brecklundin Banned Posts: 1,906 Karma: 15348 Join Date: Jun 2007 Device: mine	I cut my teeth on Jerry's Chaos Manor column since it's beginnings in Byte Magazine. In fact I learned more about the industry from his column and a couple others in that mag than all other sources as a group. Jerry is almost never off target or wrong when he looks at the workings of the business side of things. Think of him as the Anti-Dvorak...meaning not only is he a cool dude, even with his health as it is, causing a bit more crankiness now and then than is really there, I trust Jerry's commentary 100000%. I always question it, but that is to develop even more understanding from the info he provides. The guy has sold more books then all the authors who post here combined, he knows the business.

05-12-2009, 09:22 AM	#11
sirbruce Provocateur Posts: 1,859 Karma: 505847 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Columbus, OH Device: Kindle Touch, Kindle 2, Kindle DX, iPhone 3GS	But Rowling's distates for ebooks is personal, not a business decision. She doesn't need to make a living at writing anymore; Pournelle probably still does. (Although he's sold enough by now that he might be able to retire, just nowhere near in Rowling's style.)

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