Australian eBook news

[IndecisiveMe]

Originally Posted by sabredog

How did you go ordering the Astak?

I didn't in the end. Once I had made the decision to order from the US I researched all the readers available. I ended up buying the Pocketbook 360 and my experience with them has been fantastic. It arrived in perfect condition within a week. The US price of $239 ended up costing me $320 AUD including shipping. It's an excellent reader from what I've seen so far.

Having said that, it's been put away for two weeks until my birthday rolls around. My husband is calling himself the present king even though I researched it, ordered it and will more than likely wrap it

I'd definitely recommend them! I though the 5" might be too small, but I've found that it's a really great size, so comfortable to hold.

I have heard from many Aussies that ordering from Astak is a good experience, too. They seem to be supported very well.

[Blue Tyson]

Originally Posted by sherman

You Australians aren't quite alone in your terrible book pricing/availability...
Those of us who live across the ditch have the same problems.

Our book pricing is as bad, or even worse than the Aussie prices
And our books are more often than not non-existant on the tiny shelves of NZ bookstores (although that hasn't stopped whitcoulls from setting aside huge amounts of precious space to the likes of Eddings, Jordan, McCaffrey etc...)

Yep, they treat you the same as us and whack another little bit on the top I'd imagine.

[neilmarr]

***I've downloaded 'Treason' and 'The adventures of Allianore Audley', mainly because I like historical fiction and because I think Richard 3 was one of the most maligned men in history***

Thanks, Alex: *Allianore Audley* was edited by my associate editor, Hugh McCracken in Canada, and I'm afraid I've not had time to read it yet. But the reviews have been good.

Meredith Whitford's *Treason* was one of my own, though, and I can vouch for that: Superbly researched, quality writing and a completely new take on Richard.

Meredith, by the way, was the author/editor who set up Jacobyte Books ebook publishers in Adelaide back in the 90s ... a real and dedicated pioneer. But she came up against a brick wall of apathy in Australia and my own publishing house took hers over by invitation in 2005 to save some excellent titles and authors from obscurity.

While I've got you on, Alex, another fascinating (though at times hilarious) historical fiction in our pay-what-you-like-or-nothing-at-all offer is *The Playmakers*. That's by an Australian author, too. Also one of my own edits, so I can tell you that the research is impressive, the writing quite brilliant, and the new take on Shakespeare darned original but quite plausible.

Just follow the same link as last time from my sig line.

Hi Sianon: Many thanks for your mini review on page two of this thread of Maurilia Meehan's *The Dark Seed*. Maurilia is one of those excellent Australian authors we inherited from Meredith when we took over Jacobyte and I became her editor. She's a lovely lass and a delight to work with. She has another novel coming up soon. I'm expecting the ms to drop any day.

Happy reading, folks. Cheers. Neil

[karenr_nz]

Sad to say, I'm not going to be buying any ebooks from a Kiwi or Aussie e-book store unless the prices are comparable with the US$7-8 price (in other words, $8-9AUD or $10-12NZD). Why would I pay more for the exact same product with the exact same shipping costs???

Same thing goes for e-readers. Like IndecisiveMe, I just ordered a Pocketbook 360, it arrived in 10 days and cost me $380NZ including shipping (and I love it!!). Unless local prices are competitive, I will keep buying in this global market.

[IndecisiveMe]

Originally Posted by karenr_nz

Sad to say, I'm not going to be buying any ebooks from a Kiwi or Aussie e-book store unless the prices are comparable with the US$7-8 price (in other words, $8-9AUD or $10-12NZD). Why would I pay more for the exact same product with the exact same shipping costs???

Same thing goes for e-readers. Like IndecisiveMe, I just ordered a Pocketbook 360, it arrived in 10 days and cost me $380NZ including shipping (and I love it!!). Unless local prices are competitive, I will keep buying in this global market.

Hopefully one day they'll realise that we won't put up with these over-inflated prices anymore. It's not that we don't want the products they're selling, it's that we refuse to buy them at the prices they're asking when we can get the exact same products for a fraction of the cost from other sources.

I'd much rather keep my money in Australia, and for a while I felt guilty about ordering stuff overseas, but in the end, I'd rather the money be in MY pocket, no matter where I have to order the products I need.

[Solicitous]

Originally Posted by IndecisiveMe

Hopefully one day they'll realise that we won't put up with these over-inflated prices anymore. It's not that we don't want the products they're selling, it's that we refuse to buy them at the prices they're asking when we can get the exact same products for a fraction of the cost from other sources.

I'd much rather keep my money in Australia, and for a while I felt guilty about ordering stuff overseas, but in the end, I'd rather the money be in MY pocket, no matter where I have to order the products I need.

+1

I agree whole-heartedly. I have been in discussion with a manufacturer over an ereader which I contemplated buying. I posed the question on the pricing disparity between US customers buying the product in the US versus Australian customers buying from the company's Australian site. In short the response I received was to buy from the US.

So due to their inadequate response I wont be buying from the company if they can't take Australian buyers seriously (I'm not saying all companies should take Australia seriously, just those who have a presence in this country).

That said you look at other companies, Astak, Amazon for example, they have an identical price for anyone in the world who wishes to buy. All that differs is the cost of freight to get to you (which I agree and understand). There isn't different prices for products depending on which part of the world you live in. Companies who have a presence in multiple countries and offer local purchasing should price their products so they are (within a reasonable margin of error for exchange rate and government taxes) comparable to their sister companies in other countries.

[Katti's Cat]

I have also bought my reader in the US and shipped it over. After looking at the ones available here at the time and the prices I just couldn't do it. Same with books, I have yet to buy a book from an Australian eBookstore - and unless the prices change it is unlikely to happen.

Now while I understand the shipping cost,taxes etc I refuse to pay the exorbant profits Australian companies want to make from us 'captured' audience. Seems to me it's them who haven't quite understood yet, that more and more of us want to keep the extra money in our pockets and start buying overseas.

[AlexBell]

Originally Posted by neilmarr

***I've downloaded 'Treason' and 'The adventures of Allianore Audley', mainly because I like historical fiction and because I think Richard 3 was one of the most maligned men in history***

Meredith Whitford's *Treason* was one of my own, though, and I can vouch for that: Superbly researched, quality writing and a completely new take on Richard.

While I've got you on, Alex, another fascinating (though at times hilarious) historical fiction in our pay-what-you-like-or-nothing-at-all offer is *The Playmakers*. That's by an Australian author, too. Also one of my own edits, so I can tell you that the research is impressive, the writing quite brilliant, and the new take on Shakespeare darned original but quite plausible.

Thanks again, Neil. Is Meredith Whitford's 'take' different from Josephine Tey's in The Daughter of Time? Ms Tey thought that Richard was one of the best kings ever, and totally innocent of the charges made against him by the usurper.

On the other hand curse you for The Playmakers suggestion. I already have more books on my TBR list than I could read if I live to be 90. I'll get it anyway and add it to the list.

Regards, Alex

[neilmarr]

Meredith also doesn't think Richard deserves his bad press, Alex. It's a couple of years since I last read *Treason* (I've passed a lot of water since then), so I'll have to dip back into the book to refresh my memory. I read so much for work and for fun that, after a while, it's the general impression that lingers while the detail fades. That's something of a bonus if, like me, you enjoy reading a piece more than once.

I know what you mean about ever-growing TBR lists. But I've got an excuse for hoarding ebooks.

For three or four years recently, I was in and out of hospital for long stays (one for three months) and I was forever running out of books. The hospital library only carried books in French -- and reading those is more like a school lesson than entertainment.

Now, I keep my virtual library well stocked ... just in case. Hospital would be almost fun if I knew I wasn't going to run low on reading. Hospitals really should facilitate ebook reading for long-term patients. I know we'd be happy to make ebooks for hospitals free and I betcha many other smaller publishers would too.

Cheers. Neil

[AlexBell]

Thanks, Neil. Stay well.

Regards, Alex

[lene1949]

I went to an Australia Ebook store... all monies in Australia Dollars, and then they said, if you live in Australia a 10% GST will be added... Aaaarrggg... Why not say: people from overseas will not be subject to the GST... That would certainly make sense to me...

Originally Posted by Solicitous

+1

I agree whole-heartedly. I have been in discussion with a manufacturer over an ereader which I contemplated buying. I posed the question on the pricing disparity between US customers buying the product in the US versus Australian customers buying from the company's Australian site. In short the response I received was to buy from the US.

So due to their inadequate response I wont be buying from the company if they can't take Australian buyers seriously (I'm not saying all companies should take Australia seriously, just those who have a presence in this country).

That said you look at other companies, Astak, Amazon for example, they have an identical price for anyone in the world who wishes to buy. All that differs is the cost of freight to get to you (which I agree and understand). There isn't different prices for products depending on which part of the world you live in. Companies who have a presence in multiple countries and offer local purchasing should price their products so they are (within a reasonable margin of error for exchange rate and government taxes) comparable to their sister companies in other countries.

[Blue Tyson]

Originally Posted by tech_au

Read Without Paper is the best Oz ebookstore. I have bought a number of titles from them. Their prices are comparable to or slightly better than WH Smiths in the UK for ebooks that are available to Australians. But still I had to buy Matthew Reilly's Five Greatest Warriors from US Books on Board for US$14.98 because of general non-availability or ridiculous Macmillan ebook price here of around AU$45.

The ebook is selling here for $45??? Holy crap.

[walter822]

Originally Posted by IndecisiveMe

I didn't in the end. Once I had made the decision to order from the US I researched all the readers available. I ended up buying the Pocketbook 360 and my experience with them has been fantastic. It arrived in perfect condition within a week. The US price of $239 ended up costing me $320 AUD including shipping. It's an excellent reader from what I've seen so far.

Having said that, it's been put away for two weeks until my birthday rolls around. My husband is calling himself the present king even though I researched it, ordered it and will more than likely wrap it

I'd definitely recommend them! I though the 5" might be too small, but I've found that it's a really great size, so comfortable to hold.

I have heard from many Aussies that ordering from Astak is a good experience, too. They seem to be supported very well.

You are right! Pocketbook 360 is a perfect e-reader for reading books, even better then Booken Gen3.