Omnibus editions or separate books for Reader content?

[HarryT]

Sounds as though you need to find a better way of organising your books .

[Raventhon]

Originally Posted by HarryT

As some people may have noticed, I've created a fair few "omnibus" editions of various authors for the Sony Reader, in the "Book Uploads" forum section because personally I like to have all the books in a series in one handy volume, rather than having to remember which order I should read things in.

I was wondering, though, whether perhaps it's only me that likes this, and people might prefer a series to be uploaded as a set of single books.

Which do you prefer? All the books in a series as a single volume, or to have them as separate books?

Could you spare a moment and answer this poll to let me know? I'll abide, in the future, by whatever the majority decision is.

Thanks!

My preference is for a strange mix of both -- My naming convention is [seriesname seriesnumber] Bookname, simply because I typically list my books by title and browse by series.

[MacBeezle]

Maybe I missed something.
But _what is_ a "omnibus edition"?

[dhbailey]

An "omnibus" edition is a book which includes either all the books of a particular series or all the books by a particular author, or at least a large number of either. This way the proper sequence can be maintained without extra lists or research, but omnibus editions are much larger than individual book files.

There are good points and bad points about them -- one good point is that you can be sure to have a complete series, but one bad point is that such omnibus files are very large so you can't have as many varied books on the reader at once.

Another good point is that you can easily read the entire series without having to change files. But another bad point is that it makes it more difficult to read your way through several different series in a more gradual manner.

Another good point is that you always have the next book in the series ready to read. But another bad point is that you can't delete the already-read books in the series once you've read them.

They're not for everybody, but for those who like them, they're terrific.

[MacBeezle]

Ah... ok.
Thanks for the clarification.

Sound's like a typical american thing to me^^

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by MacBeezle

Ah... ok.
Thanks for the clarification.

Sound's like a typical american thing to me^^

I really don't think so. I'm the one who's created them all and I promise you that I'm not the least bit American .

[MacBeezle]

What I wanted to say:

I don't know anyone who would buy one of these "omnibus editions". ^^

All this "having the comfort that the proper sequence can be maintained without extra lists or research and that you can easily read the entire series without having to change files" sounds so typical american to me and everyone I showed the pro and con arguments just rolled their eyes and said something like "oh my god ... how irrelevant".

I don't know anyone caring about such things^^
We're more pragmatic in Germany I think.
Want a book - buy it - read it.
Want all books of a series - just buy all those books and read them^^

Don't get me wrong - I don't intend to offend anyone!
I just don't think this marketing model would work here.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by MacBeezle

I just don't think this marketing model would work here.

I think you misunderstand. It's not a "marketing model"; people don't (generally at least) sell books in this way.

This is just a way that I like to create "series" books for the Sony Reader, because (unlike printed books) there's no particular limit on the maximum size of a book on the Reader, and I personally find it convenient to have all the books in a series in one file.

It's just a personal preference.

[MacBeezle]

So you found a way to crack the drm and just merge some books into one?

[NatCh]

Originally Posted by MacBeezle

All this "having the comfort that the proper sequence can be maintained without extra lists or research and that you can easily read the entire series without having to change files" sounds so typical american...."

Heh. The first such book I ever recall encountering (in print, by the way) was The Complete Works of Shakespeare, the second (also in print), was The Complete Sherlock Holmes. I suppose it's always possible that they were printed by a U.S. company (it was ~25 years ago, so I can't really check).

Originally Posted by MacBeezle

I don't know anyone caring about such things^^
We're more pragmatic in Germany I think.
Want a book - buy it - read it.
Want all books of a series - just buy all those books and read them^^

Don't get me wrong - I don't intend to offend anyone!
I just don't think this marketing model would work here.

Being a "American" who's German on my mother's side and half German, half British on my father's (hey, it's all Germanic! ), I can say that I'm not the least bit offended by other cultures not 'getting' the omnibus thing, nor that you've mentioned it.

Originally Posted by MacBeezle

So you found a way to crack the drm and just merge some books into one?

You could say that: we just use non-DRMed books (mostly Project Gutenberg texts -- all Public Domain) to make these things, much simpler that way, not to mention legal.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by MacBeezle

So you found a way to crack the drm and just merge some books into one?

No, we're talking about the public domain books in the "Book Uploads" forum. They are books that we have created manually from Project Gutenberg sources.

[MacBeezle]

Ahh... ok

..missed that point

[HarryT]

No problem .

[astra]

Besides I do buy omnibus editions.
For example:
Anne Rice, Vampire Chronicles books 1-3

The Sword of Shannara Trilogy [Rough Cut binding] (Hardcover)

The Heritage of Shannara (Hardcover)

Much cheaper, more free space on shelves, beauteful editions