Heavy fiction slant in ebooks?

mateo · 03-25-2008, 06:46 PM

Does any one else feel that this is true in the current ebook market? I use the Kindle store mostly, so maybe other sites are better, but it seems to me that when you search for a fiction title you are much more likely to find an ebook sold somewhere, than if you look for a non-fiction book.

wallcraft · 03-25-2008, 07:19 PM

The Kindle has actually massively increased the number of available non-fiction titles. In the Kindle Store today: Fiction (38,961) and Nonfiction (68,793). I have the impression that most of these non-fiction titles are not available from other e-book stores. Many were certainly first introduced for the Kindle.

jbenny · 03-26-2008, 02:55 AM

I think the main reason is that fiction is usually easier to deal with as a reflowable ebook. Much non-fiction can be just as easy, but some can't, due to specific formatting needs for images, tables, formulas, etc. This is not to say that even these type of non-fiction ebooks can't be done. It will just take more effort to do them properly as an ebook.

HarryT · 03-26-2008, 03:39 AM

I think it's largely because non-fiction books often tend to be reference-type works, where one wants to flip through them to find a particular item of information rather than read them cover-to-cover. This is something which eInk readers aren't particularly well suited to doing.

Penforhire · 03-26-2008, 01:06 PM

Absolutely. None of my technical subject texts would be friendly to read on my Sony read ereven if it had better indexing/search capability.

Someday this will change, after we have affordable unrollable letter (or A4) size color e-ink displays and faster PDF processing (zoom & pan). But today I consider my Sony just ideal for fiction. At some point in the future the portable e-reader will be better than paper -- having view-adjustable 3-D charts, hyperlinks, embedded video, and searchable mark-ups or personal notes.

jbenny · 03-26-2008, 03:29 PM

I don't know that I completely agree with that, Harry. In many ways, a reference ebook would be easier to use, considering that you can search the ebook, but not the pbook. No need to "flip through" when you can search.

llasram · 03-26-2008, 11:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

I think it's largely because non-fiction books often tend to be reference-type works, where one wants to flip through them to find a particular item of information rather than read them cover-to-cover. This is something which eInk readers aren't particularly well suited to doing.

I read lots of non-fiction and really none of it is reference-type stuff. Recently: Pollan's Omnivore's Dilemma, Torbin's The Nine, Obama's Dreams From My Father, MacQuarrie's Last Days of the Incas, Pinker's The Stuff of Thought... On the other hand, these are all available as e-books, so perhaps you do have a point

.

RWood · 03-27-2008, 09:39 AM

I have created several PDF reference manuals for clients that distribute them to their employees preloaded on Sony Readers. They are custom PDFs with a fully functioning Table of Contents and a quick jump section that functions as an index.

This way they can carry hundreds/thousands of pages of reference material with them easily, not have to flip screens on their laptop, and the device is secure (they use the PRS-500 only.) So far no losses and no breakage. One technician has logged over 100,000 miles on United Airlines alone without any problems.

HarryT · 03-27-2008, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jbenny

I don't know that I completely agree with that, Harry. In many ways, a reference ebook would be easier to use, considering that you can search the ebook, but not the pbook. No need to "flip through" when you can search.

Not all eBook reading devices have search facilities. For example, neither the Sony Reader nor the CyBook Gen3 currently do.

Benji99 · 05-17-2008, 07:34 AM

I'm really dissapointed with the availability of non-fiction books in ebook format too.

I'm really into academic history books. A lot of them are published by University presses such as Cambridge, Oxford, Stanford, etc...
If I look at all the history books I've purchased which were highly recommended by professors, none of them are available in any ebook format.

Out of all the university publishers, only Cambridge University Press seem to make an effort. Unfortunately, they are in the Adobe DRM format which is pretty useless for hardware based e-book readers so far

Ervserver · 05-17-2008, 10:35 AM

I guess fiction is where the money is

03-25-2008, 06:46 PM	#1
mateo Enthusiast Posts: 45 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2005 Device: Palm Zire71	Heavy fiction slant in ebooks? Does any one else feel that this is true in the current ebook market? I use the Kindle store mostly, so maybe other sites are better, but it seems to me that when you search for a fiction title you are much more likely to find an ebook sold somewhere, than if you look for a non-fiction book.

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03-25-2008, 07:19 PM	#2
wallcraft reader Posts: 6,975 Karma: 5183568 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Mississippi, USA Device: Kindle 3, Kobo Glo HD	The Kindle has actually massively increased the number of available non-fiction titles. In the Kindle Store today: Fiction (38,961) and Nonfiction (68,793). I have the impression that most of these non-fiction titles are not available from other e-book stores. Many were certainly first introduced for the Kindle.

03-26-2008, 02:55 AM	#3
jbenny Addict Posts: 323 Karma: 358 Join Date: May 2007 Device: Tablet PC and Nokia N800	I think the main reason is that fiction is usually easier to deal with as a reflowable ebook. Much non-fiction can be just as easy, but some can't, due to specific formatting needs for images, tables, formulas, etc. This is not to say that even these type of non-fiction ebooks can't be done. It will just take more effort to do them properly as an ebook.

03-26-2008, 03:39 AM	#4
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	I think it's largely because non-fiction books often tend to be reference-type works, where one wants to flip through them to find a particular item of information rather than read them cover-to-cover. This is something which eInk readers aren't particularly well suited to doing.

03-26-2008, 01:06 PM	#5
Penforhire Wizard Posts: 2,230 Karma: 7145404 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Southern California Device: Kindle Voyage & iPhone 7+	Absolutely. None of my technical subject texts would be friendly to read on my Sony read ereven if it had better indexing/search capability. Someday this will change, after we have affordable unrollable letter (or A4) size color e-ink displays and faster PDF processing (zoom & pan). But today I consider my Sony just ideal for fiction. At some point in the future the portable e-reader will be better than paper -- having view-adjustable 3-D charts, hyperlinks, embedded video, and searchable mark-ups or personal notes.

03-26-2008, 03:29 PM	#6
jbenny Addict Posts: 323 Karma: 358 Join Date: May 2007 Device: Tablet PC and Nokia N800	I don't know that I completely agree with that, Harry. In many ways, a reference ebook would be easier to use, considering that you can search the ebook, but not the pbook. No need to "flip through" when you can search.

03-27-2008, 09:39 AM	#8
RWood Technogeezer Posts: 7,233 Karma: 1601464 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Virginia, USA Device: Sony PRS-500	I have created several PDF reference manuals for clients that distribute them to their employees preloaded on Sony Readers. They are custom PDFs with a fully functioning Table of Contents and a quick jump section that functions as an index. This way they can carry hundreds/thousands of pages of reference material with them easily, not have to flip screens on their laptop, and the device is secure (they use the PRS-500 only.) So far no losses and no breakage. One technician has logged over 100,000 miles on United Airlines alone without any problems.

05-17-2008, 07:34 AM	#10
Benji99 Member Posts: 12 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2008 Device: None	I'm really dissapointed with the availability of non-fiction books in ebook format too. I'm really into academic history books. A lot of them are published by University presses such as Cambridge, Oxford, Stanford, etc... If I look at all the history books I've purchased which were highly recommended by professors, none of them are available in any ebook format. Out of all the university publishers, only Cambridge University Press seem to make an effort. Unfortunately, they are in the Adobe DRM format which is pretty useless for hardware based e-book readers so far

05-17-2008, 10:35 AM	#11
Ervserver Wizard Posts: 2,624 Karma: 1008294 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Iowa, USA Device: Nook Simple Touch	I guess fiction is where the money is

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