Amazon Adding Kindle Content in Leaps and Bounds

Gideon · 03-06-2008, 08:00 PM

Wow.. I am absolutely astounded at the rate Amazon is adding content. I search for Martin Buber a few weeks ago when I first got my Kindle and there was one book about him, by another author.

Now there is something like 6 books! Now, that doesn't sound a lot until you think about what an obscure set of books you're looking at here. Most people don't even know who Buber is, so this is really saying something.

"Jewish Bible" which previously produced one very bad text, now has multiple pages of content (unfortunately, none of which a good edition of the Hebrew Bible).

So Amazon is adding a lot of their more obscure content as well as best sellers. As I don't read much in the way of fiction I'm finding this to be just fantastic (and most the prices are great... though there is the occasional academic publisher that needs to pull its head out of its... er.. yes.)

NatCh · 03-06-2008, 08:37 PM

We'd heard some rumors some time ago that publishers were scrambling to digitize their back catalogs, it's good to see that playing out!

dmturner · 03-15-2008, 07:25 PM

I'm fairly consistently NOT finding what I search for on Amazon, however. My taste seems not to match what's being provided.

Ervserver · 03-15-2008, 11:41 PM

Be nice if they could sell in a couple different formats

dugbug · 03-24-2008, 09:54 AM

anyone know if TOR publishing plans on anything? I want to read that book "I am Legend" but don't want the paper version

-d

dugbug · 03-24-2008, 09:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dmturner

I'm fairly consistently NOT finding what I search for on Amazon, however. My taste seems not to match what's being provided.

What are you looking for?

-d

JSWolf · 03-24-2008, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dugbug

anyone know if TOR publishing plans on anything? I want to read that book "I am Legend" but don't want the paper version

-d

What is really odd is that some of his books are eBook, but the books that contains I Am Legend is not in eBook format. This is why publishers have no clue how to get it right 1.2 the time at least.

Nate the great · 03-24-2008, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

What is really odd is that some of his books are eBook, but the books that contains I Am Legend is not in eBook format. This is why publishers have no clue how to get it right 1.2 the time at least.

The stupidity of that decision is amazing. Here is a blockbuster movie with a superstar in the lead, and the publisher doesn't bother to release the novel as an ebook.

dugbug · 03-24-2008, 12:57 PM

I've always been confused with how publishers and book stores fail to take advantage of a movie release. Take the "Planet of the Apes" remake a few years back. The publisher and book stores could have timed with the release an in-store kiosk near the front door for the 1963 book.

Most folks I think would prefer the book over the movie (at least those entering a bookstore). Put it out there and ride the hype. Certainly "I Am Legend" would have done wonders.

-d

dmturner · 04-10-2008, 10:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dugbug

What are you looking for?

-d

Things reviewed in the New York Times Book Review. Books I see in the bookstore out in displays. Most poetry--I'd love to have Kay Ryan's, Robert Pinsky's, Ted Kooser's, or Charles Simic's poetry on the Kindle, not just Mark Doty's. Bonk, by Mary Roach. Here Comes Everybody, by Clay Shirky.

It seems most of the time when I type in a title it's not there. I admit I have eclectic tastes, and am not much interested in most best-sellers nor in classics I've already read, but after my initial enthusiasm for the Kindle I'm feeling a little frustrated.

Gideon · 04-11-2008, 03:18 AM

I think the more esoteric your tastes (and I'm right there with you) the more this will happen. That's pretty obvious, but at the same time - the Amazon store is the only place I'm finding even a sizable percentage of what I'm looking for.

The other online retailers often sell the exact same things and even then you have to contend with it being in a proper format.

I've bought something like 6 books this last month that were paper, mainly because they were either books I wanted in actual print or, more often, things I could not find on the Kindle. But I'm still impressed what I do find on the Kindle. The ebook world, for so long, was so incredibly limited in it's selection of non-classics and non-best sellers that I'm still thrilled by what I find on Amazon. It's really the first time that I've felt an ebook reader actually has a chance.

Poetry is something I'd like to see more of as well, as well as solid reference material, but the Kindle needs to have more sophisticated text control before we see it.

dmturner · 04-12-2008, 10:39 AM

Yes, I understand why they don't have most of the books I'm looking for. It isn't the first time I've been an early adopter, either, so I'm used to having a Wonderful Tool I can't use for much. I want this great idea to succeed, and I'd like to be able to use it for most of my reading. In order for it to succeed with book buyers like myself, they need a better mechanism for making content available.

Mark Doty's poems came across fine, and so do the poems in that John Lithgow-edited anthology; I don't think it's text control that's the problem. I suspect it's more that poetry is published by small publishing houses in university utility rooms by people who do seven other things full-time.

Alisa · 04-12-2008, 10:06 PM

I really wish non-Kindle editions had a link on the page you could click to indicate your interest in having one made. They could take that data to send to publishers to give them a better idea what they could sell and they could also email you if it became available. There may be more Kindle owners out there looking for "esoteric" books than they think.

wetterau · 04-13-2008, 08:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dmturner

Things reviewed in the New York Times Book Review. Books I see in the bookstore out in displays. Most poetry--I'd love to have Kay Ryan's, Robert Pinsky's, Ted Kooser's, or Charles Simic's poetry on the Kindle, not just Mark Doty's. Bonk, by Mary Roach. Here Comes Everybody, by Clay Shirky.

It seems most of the time when I type in a title it's not there. I admit I have eclectic tastes, and am not much interested in most best-sellers nor in classics I've already read, but after my initial enthusiasm for the Kindle I'm feeling a little frustrated.

Hi, You might like On The Road To Dharamsala by John Moncure Wetterau (me) at the Kindle store. Please let me know if you do. It's on the level of the work you mentioned, and the price is right.

random50 · 07-01-2008, 03:07 PM

Any chance of an update here? Is the content continuing to improve?

I'm considering buying a Kindle principally for academic textbooks. The availability of content at the moment is OK, but not great (I'd say it's roughly 40% of what I'm interested in). Since this is the first time I've ever looked into this, I have no point of comparison!

03-06-2008, 08:00 PM	#1
Gideon Wearer of Pants Posts: 1,050 Karma: 7634 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Norman, OK Device: Amazon Kindle DX / iPhone	Amazon Adding Kindle Content in Leaps and Bounds Wow.. I am absolutely astounded at the rate Amazon is adding content. I search for Martin Buber a few weeks ago when I first got my Kindle and there was one book about him, by another author. Now there is something like 6 books! Now, that doesn't sound a lot until you think about what an obscure set of books you're looking at here. Most people don't even know who Buber is, so this is really saying something. "Jewish Bible" which previously produced one very bad text, now has multiple pages of content (unfortunately, none of which a good edition of the Hebrew Bible). So Amazon is adding a lot of their more obscure content as well as best sellers. As I don't read much in the way of fiction I'm finding this to be just fantastic (and most the prices are great... though there is the occasional academic publisher that needs to pull its head out of its... er.. yes.) Last edited by Gideon; 03-06-2008 at 08:14 PM.

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03-06-2008, 08:37 PM	#2
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	We'd heard some rumors some time ago that publishers were scrambling to digitize their back catalogs, it's good to see that playing out!

03-15-2008, 07:25 PM	#3
dmturner Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2008 Device: Kindle	I'm fairly consistently NOT finding what I search for on Amazon, however. My taste seems not to match what's being provided.

03-15-2008, 11:41 PM	#4
Ervserver Wizard Posts: 2,624 Karma: 1008294 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Iowa, USA Device: Nook Simple Touch	Be nice if they could sell in a couple different formats

03-24-2008, 09:54 AM	#5
dugbug Addict Posts: 206 Karma: 1723 Join Date: May 2006 Device: Kindle	anyone know if TOR publishing plans on anything? I want to read that book "I am Legend" but don't want the paper version -d

03-24-2008, 12:57 PM	#9
dugbug Addict Posts: 206 Karma: 1723 Join Date: May 2006 Device: Kindle	I've always been confused with how publishers and book stores fail to take advantage of a movie release. Take the "Planet of the Apes" remake a few years back. The publisher and book stores could have timed with the release an in-store kiosk near the front door for the 1963 book. Most folks I think would prefer the book over the movie (at least those entering a bookstore). Put it out there and ride the hype. Certainly "I Am Legend" would have done wonders. -d

04-11-2008, 03:18 AM	#11
Gideon Wearer of Pants Posts: 1,050 Karma: 7634 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Norman, OK Device: Amazon Kindle DX / iPhone	I think the more esoteric your tastes (and I'm right there with you) the more this will happen. That's pretty obvious, but at the same time - the Amazon store is the only place I'm finding even a sizable percentage of what I'm looking for. The other online retailers often sell the exact same things and even then you have to contend with it being in a proper format. I've bought something like 6 books this last month that were paper, mainly because they were either books I wanted in actual print or, more often, things I could not find on the Kindle. But I'm still impressed what I do find on the Kindle. The ebook world, for so long, was so incredibly limited in it's selection of non-classics and non-best sellers that I'm still thrilled by what I find on Amazon. It's really the first time that I've felt an ebook reader actually has a chance. Poetry is something I'd like to see more of as well, as well as solid reference material, but the Kindle needs to have more sophisticated text control before we see it.

04-12-2008, 10:39 AM	#12
dmturner Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2008 Device: Kindle	Yes, I understand why they don't have most of the books I'm looking for. It isn't the first time I've been an early adopter, either, so I'm used to having a Wonderful Tool I can't use for much. I want this great idea to succeed, and I'd like to be able to use it for most of my reading. In order for it to succeed with book buyers like myself, they need a better mechanism for making content available. Mark Doty's poems came across fine, and so do the poems in that John Lithgow-edited anthology; I don't think it's text control that's the problem. I suspect it's more that poetry is published by small publishing houses in university utility rooms by people who do seven other things full-time.

04-12-2008, 10:06 PM	#13
Alisa Gadget Geek Posts: 2,324 Karma: 22221 Join Date: Aug 2007 Device: Paperwhite, Kindle 3 (retired), Skindle 1.2 (retired)	I really wish non-Kindle editions had a link on the page you could click to indicate your interest in having one made. They could take that data to send to publishers to give them a better idea what they could sell and they could also email you if it became available. There may be more Kindle owners out there looking for "esoteric" books than they think.

07-01-2008, 03:07 PM	#15
random50 Connoisseur Posts: 81 Karma: 110 Join Date: Jul 2008 Device: None yet	Any chance of an update here? Is the content continuing to improve? I'm considering buying a Kindle principally for academic textbooks. The availability of content at the moment is OK, but not great (I'd say it's roughly 40% of what I'm interested in). Since this is the first time I've ever looked into this, I have no point of comparison!

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