Curious Kindle description on Amazon

HarryT · 05-30-2008, 05:53 AM

I was reading the description of the Kindle on the US Amazon web site, and was rather puzzled by this line:

Quote:

More than 120,000 books available, including more than 98 of 112 current New York Times® Best Sellers.

What does "more than 98 of 112" mean? 98 and a half? 99? 100? If it's 99, then why not say "99" rather than "more than 98"?

TallMomof2 · 05-30-2008, 10:17 AM

Maybe because the NYT Best Seller list changes frequently?

DixieGal · 05-30-2008, 10:29 AM

73% of all statistics are fake anyway. Maybe it's 98 books + 1 draft of a cover art?

rmeister0 · 05-30-2008, 12:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DixieGal

73% of all statistics are fake anyway.

...and you're 99.9% sure of that?

HarryT · 05-30-2008, 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TallMomof2

Maybe because the NYT Best Seller list changes frequently?

In that case, they can't guarantee that it's always "more than 98", can they?

MaggieScratch · 05-30-2008, 01:15 PM

Speaking as a marketeer (not a typo) who has used similar weasel-words in the past: it's a hedge against the number going up to 99 or 100 so you don't have to keep changing the webpage. You can change it once, say, every week or two weeks. Numbers within constantly changing populations are always tricky, because people like statistics and numbers but if they're constantly changing, you're engaged in constant upkeep rather than coming up with the Next Big Thing.

But what happens if it slips below? Curious indeed.

Ervserver · 05-30-2008, 02:32 PM

makes sense to me

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaggieScratch

Speaking as a marketeer (not a typo) who has used similar weasel-words in the past: it's a hedge against the number going up to 99 or 100 so you don't have to keep changing the webpage. You can change it once, say, every week or two weeks. Numbers within constantly changing populations are always tricky, because people like statistics and numbers but if they're constantly changing, you're engaged in constant upkeep rather than coming up with the Next Big Thing.

But what happens if it slips below? Curious indeed.

pilotbob · 05-30-2008, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaggieScratch

Speaking as a marketeer (not a typo) who has used similar weasel-words in the past: it's a hedge against the number going up to 99 or 100 so you don't have to keep changing the webpage.

Why not just say:

Most NYT best sellers are available.

BOb

DaleDe · 05-30-2008, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaggieScratch

Speaking as a marketeer (not a typo) who has used similar weasel-words in the past: it's a hedge against the number going up to 99 or 100 so you don't have to keep changing the webpage. You can change it once, say, every week or two weeks. Numbers within constantly changing populations are always tricky, because people like statistics and numbers but if they're constantly changing, you're engaged in constant upkeep rather than coming up with the Next Big Thing.

But what happens if it slips below? Curious indeed.

I think it is likely what you said and it is a goal or commitment to get the vast majority of the new books available. It is like saying we hope to have 80 to 90% available always.

Dale

MidknytOwl · 05-30-2008, 03:38 PM

Or nearly 100 NYT best sellers available?

Or most? Majority of?

I would think it would be partly the whole "more than 98" sounds like more than "99" would.

Or something.

Elsi · 05-30-2008, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaggieScratch

Speaking as a marketeer (not a typo) who has used similar weasel-words in the past: it's a hedge against the number going up to 99 or 100 so you don't have to keep changing the webpage. You can change it once, say, every week or two weeks. Numbers within constantly changing populations are always tricky, because people like statistics and numbers but if they're constantly changing, you're engaged in constant upkeep rather than coming up with the Next Big Thing.

But what happens if it slips below? Curious indeed.

Why not say "at least 98 of the ..."

Ervserver · 05-31-2008, 12:37 AM

I question why not have ALL the best sellers

MaggieScratch · 05-31-2008, 01:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Why not just say:

Most NYT best sellers are available.

BOb

From your lips, er, fingers to the clients' ears, my friend. People like numbers. What can I say.

Alisa · 05-31-2008, 01:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ervserver

I question why not have ALL the best sellers

I'm guessing because they can't force a publisher to provide an ebook of a given title.

CopperTrail · 05-31-2008, 11:56 AM

When Amazon negotiates with a publisher for an eBook title(s), does Amazon pay a one time fee for rights to sell the eBook or does the publisher get a percentage of each Kindle book sold?

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05-30-2008, 10:17 AM	#2
TallMomof2 Kindlephilia Posts: 2,017 Karma: 1139255 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Snowpacolypse 2010 Device: Too many to count	Maybe because the NYT Best Seller list changes frequently?

05-30-2008, 10:29 AM	#3
DixieGal Hi There! Posts: 7,473 Karma: 2930523 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Ft Lauderdale Device: iPad	73% of all statistics are fake anyway. Maybe it's 98 books + 1 draft of a cover art?

05-30-2008, 01:15 PM	#6
MaggieScratch Has got to the black veil Posts: 542 Karma: 2144168 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Southeastern Pennsylvania Device: Kobo Aura One, Kindle Paperwhite 2	Speaking as a marketeer (not a typo) who has used similar weasel-words in the past: it's a hedge against the number going up to 99 or 100 so you don't have to keep changing the webpage. You can change it once, say, every week or two weeks. Numbers within constantly changing populations are always tricky, because people like statistics and numbers but if they're constantly changing, you're engaged in constant upkeep rather than coming up with the Next Big Thing. But what happens if it slips below? Curious indeed.

05-30-2008, 03:38 PM	#10
MidknytOwl Zealot Posts: 111 Karma: 644 Join Date: May 2008 Device: Kobo Aura	Or nearly 100 NYT best sellers available? Or most? Majority of? I would think it would be partly the whole "more than 98" sounds like more than "99" would. Or something.

05-31-2008, 12:37 AM	#12
Ervserver Wizard Posts: 2,624 Karma: 1008294 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Iowa, USA Device: Nook Simple Touch	I question why not have ALL the best sellers

05-31-2008, 11:56 AM	#15
CopperTrail Enthusiast Posts: 29 Karma: 57 Join Date: Feb 2005 Device: Dell Axim X3i	When Amazon negotiates with a publisher for an eBook title(s), does Amazon pay a one time fee for rights to sell the eBook or does the publisher get a percentage of each Kindle book sold?

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