Will Subscription e-Book Sites Continue to be Viable in 2015?

[Alohamora]

Originally Posted by Blossom

I am trying to figure out just how many they do have compare to Scribd or are all the same catalog.

I've only compared a small number of authors, but Scribd had more titles from them than Oyster did. Still more than enough available to keep me busy reading for months with either service. (Although I'm sticking with KU right now).

[Bookworm_Girl]

Originally Posted by Blossom

I am trying to figure out just how many they do have compare to Scribd or are all the same catalog.

When I researched which one to join last summer, I was able to find lists of publishers for each service to compare. It was Houghton Mifflin Harcourt that made the difference to me to pick Oyster (they have lots of nonfiction that appeals to me). It seemed that Scribd had some exclusive romance publishers for readers of that genre. In May Oyster had 500,000 books and Scribd had 400,000 books. Oyster seems to have added many more publishers recently. This article in Publishers Weekly today says:

Oyster now claims to offer over 1 million titles; Scribd claims more than 500,000, and both say the number of frontlist titles on their lists is growing.

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/b...ist-grows.html

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by Bookworm_Girl

When I researched which one to join last summer, I was able to find lists of publishers for each service to compare. It was Houghton Mifflin Harcourt that made the difference to me to pick Oyster (they have lots of nonfiction that appeals to me). It seemed that Scribd had some exclusive romance publishers for readers of that genre. In May Oyster had 500,000 books and Scribd had 400,000 books. Oyster seems to have added many more publishers recently. This article in Publishers Weekly today says:



http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/b...ist-grows.html

Yeah I looked at Oyster and didn't see Romance listed as a genre.
I got to stay with Scribd they are focus on the Romance Reader which is me.

[pegasi&prefects]

Originally Posted by jehane

Having said that, I will likely be moving back to Australia later this year [...]
Is anyone outside of North America using these services? Anyone know whether geo-restrictions apply? Not a dealbreaker if I can get around it with a VPN, but it adds another layer of cost. I couldn't see any information on international access on the Oyster page and what I could find on Scribd suggests that geo-restrictions will be in place.

I remember looking at Scribd ages back and deciding the georestrictions were too much of a pain to make it worthwhile for Australians. I started a three month free trial today, though, and I'm pleasantly subscribed by just how much is there. I will probably keep up the subscription.

I'm sure we don't get (even nearly) everything, but for my purposes it feels like a lot!

I still want KU.

[Lin2412]

News from LJ:

Although subscription service users currently account for only four to five percent of the ebook reading market, this small base of users “continue to maintain their purchase behaviors and patterns. They actually spend more than typical book buyers” after subscribing, Jonathan Stolper, senior VP of Nielsen Book Americas, said during the “Subscriptions for Ebooks: How is it Working Out?” session Wednesday afternoon.

“We’ve been quite pleased so far” with subscription service partnerships, Stambaugh said, later explaining that S. & S. currently offers access only to backlist titles that are at least one year old via Oyster and Scribd. “The one factor that’s been really great for us is that there’s been a tremendous breadth of titles that have gotten both views and reads…. It’s even broader than we see on the ebook sales side. We definitely think it’s fulfilling the promise of being a discovery platform for titles. It’s not just our biggest titles. And we’re not seeing any [negative] impact, at this point, on our sales of those titles.”

Zacharius was also enthusiastic, describing subscription services as “one of the brighter spots” for Kensington’s ebook sales during 2014.

“I have only good things to say,” Zacharius said. “We are making money, I hope they’re making money. I think it’s good for the readers, and we have not seen cannibalization” of ebook sales of titles that are available via Oyster, Scribd, or Kindle Unlimited. Kensington’s frontlist and backlist titles are available via these subscription services.

(Original Article from Library Journal)

[Joykins]

Originally Posted by Fbone

Even if the book is $2.99? I wouldn't pay $10/mos to read just one or two books.

I think the break-even point is 3 or 4 books.

I have a Scribd subscription, and according to my Goodreads shelves I have read 86 books from them since last April. On average, that's nearly 10 a month, and I don't keep track of short stories on Goodreads. I pay for my subscription (or, I did after the first 3 free months) but I doubt they're making money off of me.

[speakingtohe]

Originally Posted by Joykins

I think the break-even point is 3 or 4 books.

I have a Scribd subscription, and according to my Goodreads shelves I have read 86 books from them since last April. On average, that's nearly 10 a month, and I don't keep track of short stories on Goodreads. I pay for my subscription (or, I did after the first 3 free months) but I doubt they're making money off of me.

Even if they are is that a bad thing? A happy customer is a good thing, and if they make a few cents from you it keeps them in business, which I would think you would want?

Helen

[jehane]

Originally Posted by pegasi&prefects

I remember looking at Scribd ages back and deciding the georestrictions were too much of a pain to make it worthwhile for Australians. I started a three month free trial today, though, and I'm pleasantly subscribed by just how much is there. I will probably keep up the subscription.

I'm sure we don't get (even nearly) everything, but for my purposes it feels like a lot!

I still want KU.

Thanks. I guess I'll try and read what I can of those that I know are geo-restricted while I'm here, then start with the free trials when I go home to see whether it's worth it or not. The convenience of ebook over free public library paper books would be worth the cost of a subscription to me if the catalogue and reading experience were adequate.

[Joykins]

Originally Posted by speakingtohe

Even if they are is that a bad thing? A happy customer is a good thing, and if they make a few cents from you it keeps them in business, which I would think you would want?

Helen

It's a good thing for me. It's a good thing for them as I do recommend them to friends who I think will read ~3 books /month from them. Is it good for them? Depends on their overall user base, how many books they read (i.e. royalty payouts) vs. subscription income. Raiding venture capital is not a long-term successful business plan.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by Joykins

Raiding venture capital is not a long-term successful business plan.

It can, however, be a profitable career plan for the top level execs.

Or the early investors.

A lot of startups operate under a three step plan:

1- Build up a big customer base and a lot of buzz
2- Sell out while the buzz is hot, preferrably to an old media company
3- Watch the implosion from a safe distance

C.F., AOL TIME WARNER

[Joykins]

You'd think the big media companies would learn!

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by Joykins

You'd think the big media companies would learn!

Not as long as they keep replacing one technologically illiterate exec with another just as clueless.

SiliValley loves those dudes.

Kinda like NYC corporate real estate agents love asian billionaires.

[speakingtohe]

Could be I am wrong, but I think a big threat/competitor to subscription services, in Canada at least, are the public libraries. They do seem to keep getting better in BC at least.

You cannot get everything immediately but you can get so many things immediately, and many many bestsellers as well.

I tend to like backlist, at least until I have caught up completely on all of the series and authors I am currently addicted to. Since I have been reading grown up books for more than 50 years, I have a pretty long list and my libraries are carrying more and more of them every week it seems. This is despite my perception that they focus on bestsellers pretty heavily, getting as many as 50 copies within a day or so of publication.

They face some problems in that all publishers will not sell to libraries, but I think subscription services face the same problem?

Helen

[conan50]

Originally Posted by speakingtohe

Could be I am wrong, but I think a big threat/competitor to subscription services, in Canada at least, are the public libraries. They do seem to keep getting better in BC at least.

You cannot get everything immediately but you can get so many things immediately, and many many bestsellers as well.

I tend to like backlist, at least until I have caught up completely on all of the series and authors I am currently addicted to. Since I have been reading grown up books for more than 50 years, I have a pretty long list and my libraries are carrying more and more of them every week it seems. This is despite my perception that they focus on bestsellers pretty heavily, getting as many as 50 copies within a day or so of publication.

They face some problems in that all publishers will not sell to libraries, but I think subscription services face the same problem?

Helen

You may be right. Toronto was at the top of the list regarding Overdrive books checked out:
http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2015/01...-33-percent/#_
I think that along with libraries, having a good selection for these rental services is going be a deciding factor for many.

[Lin2412]

Originally Posted by Alohamora

I've only compared a small number of authors, but Scribd had more titles from them than Oyster did. Still more than enough available to keep me busy reading for months with either service. (Although I'm sticking with KU right now).

I tried the scribd 3-month free subscription but I'm also sticking with KU. I haven't used Oyster at all but it is dubbed "the prettiest of the digital e-book subscriptions" by The New York Times