Who has tried eReatah?

[WashWest]

Although Oyster is getting all the press, I'm more interested in the eReatah e-book subscription service. I joined yesterday on the $14.99 Cub plan, which lets you download two books per month. The selection is better than I expected, with plenty of recent and interesting books. The website is still a work in progress, but the eReatah team was responsive to my questions.

The big drawback (and dealbreaker for many) is that you have to read the books on the eReatah app, either Android or iOS. For me it was worth the inconvenience since I was able to get a book that sells for $20 on Amazon/B&N. Long term, though, I'm not so sure.

Has anyone else tried it? (I searched but didn't find other threads on the topic.)

[pidgeon92]

Wow, their subscription plans are kinda pricey.

Select a subscription plan

How will you read? Select a subscription plan for 2 ($14.99), 3 ($22.50), or 4 ($29.99) books a month.

I usually wait until a book is under $6 before I buy it, so this would end up costing me more. I am also surprised that there isn't a quantity discount for the premium plans. They are each $7.50 per book.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by pidgeon92

Wow, their subscription plans are kinda pricey.

Yeah, $7.50 per book for books where I can't download a file to use on my various devices doesn't appeal to me.

[Nate the great]

I've tried it. The website leaves a lot to be desired.

BTW, we're supposed to be able to download the ebooks we buy. Unfortunately that doesn't seem to be possible.

[graycyn]

I'd rather go to my library and read as many books as I want per month for free. Admittedly, some would have to be in paper form, but not all.

[Yolina]

Pass... I want to have my books on my ereader(s), not via an app on my phone/tablet. It's also US only so couldn't subscribe even if I wanted to

Edit: same issues with Oyster, which is even more restricted as it's iOS only and I do not own any iDevices. As an aside, I got a tad confused when I first heard about Oyster as it's the name of the payment system for the bus/tube in London

[SteveK]

I probably won't join, but I do find it intriguing that you supposedly always have access to any book you have previously downloaded, so that books you downloaded last month are still available this month, etc. Even if you cancel, you'll still have access to your previously downloaded books as long as you keep the app on your device, according to the FAQ.

I wonder how long it will be before this is changed, as essentially it almost seems like you're purchasing the book for $7.50, albeit with limited access in terms of devices.

Interesting, but I'm not sure the potential savings outweigh the drawbacks of limited access.

SteveK

[Nate the great]

Originally Posted by SteveK

I probably won't join, but I do find it intriguing that you supposedly always have access to any book you have previously downloaded, so that books you downloaded last month are still available this month, etc. Even if you cancel, you'll still have access to your previously downloaded books as long as you keep the app on your device, according to the FAQ.

I wonder how long it will be before this is changed, as essentially it almost seems like you're purchasing the book for $7.50, albeit with limited access in terms of devices.

Interesting, but I'm not sure the potential savings outweigh the drawbacks of limited access.

SteveK

You are purchasing the ebooks rather than buying access. This is more of a book club than Netflix.

http://www.the-digital-reader.com/20...ption-program/

[SteveK]

Nate- you're correct; somehow that wasn't obvious from their website. I do read a lot of nonfiction, which tends to be more expensive than fiction, so being able to purchase books for $7.50 or so may be worth considering.

Hmmm....

SteveK

[susan_cassidy]

Are we sure this is a legal site? If publishers won't let Amazon or B&N charge less than xx dollars for a book, how are these people getting away with it?

[kennyc]

I will not sign up for book or magazine subscriptions that use proprietary apps. That is no different that DRM to my mind and a pain in the ass. If they want my business then I need to be able to read their offerings on my Kindle or Epub reader (preferably without DRM)

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by graycyn

I'd rather go to my library and read as many books as I want per month for free. Admittedly, some would have to be in paper form, but not all.

[Mivo]

Seems expensive to me. There are usually plenty of discount coupons for Kobobooks every month, and I can read what I buy on whatever device or app I prefer.

[usuallee]

Woof - selection just isn't there. There are a few well-known authors in there though, I was a little surprised Stephen King was there. But there is no way to search for a specific book/author as far as I could tell. Might be intriguing if the books could be liberated - if indeed we would be "purchasing" the books.

[Barty]

Originally Posted by kennyc

I will not sign up for book or magazine subscriptions that use proprietary apps. That is no different that DRM to my mind and a pain in the ass. If they want my business then I need to be able to read their offerings on my Kindle or Epub reader (preferably without DRM)

It's worse than drm. The major ebook drms are broken, so you can easily use a different app/device to read whatever you buy. With this, you are truly locked in.