Books removed from fictionwise?

[ChristopherTD]

If the publishers are going to dictate the prices entirely, then there is nothing to distinguish any of the existing ebook stores. I can't see them all surviving.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by ChristopherTD

If the publishers are going to dictate the prices entirely, then there is nothing to distinguish any of the existing ebook stores.

I really can't agree with your premise. B&N, for example, will only sell to you if you live in the USA or Canada; Waterstones will sell to you if you live in the UK. You don't think that's a distinguishing feature?

[ChristopherTD]

Err, no I don't think it is a meaningful distinguishing feature. Within a region (which is all that you can access without jiggery-pokery) all stores sell the same books at the same price. Before today you could at least watch Waterstones, W H Smith, Books on Board etc. and cherry pick special deals when they appeared.

If a store is artificially restricted to selling to a specific set of customers and at a fixed price, then what is its Unique Selling Point? I don't see one!

[Graham]

Originally Posted by ChristopherTD

If a store is artificially restricted to selling to a specific set of customers and at a fixed price, then what is its Unique Selling Point? I don't see one!

Leaving aside that this is only 5 of the publishers at present, albeit major ones, the distinguishing features will be based around ease of use, feedback, and added value.

Things like:

• Excellent filtering, easy and clear with advanced options available
• Good navigation
• Useful features on your own bookshelf and wish list
• Reviews
• Recommendations
• Discussion boards
• Book news
• Author interviews, interactive
• Elements of social networking, such as book clubs
• Disability support

Graham

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by Graham

Leaving aside that this is only 5 of the publishers at present, albeit major ones, the distinguishing features will be based around ease of use, feedback, and added value.

Things like:

• Excellent filtering, easy and clear with advanced options available
• Good navigation
• Useful features on your own bookshelf and wish list
• Reviews
• Recommendations
• Discussion boards
• Book news
• Author interviews, interactive
• Elements of social networking, such as book clubs
• Disability support

Graham

I really liked FW, but the current selection available to me doesn't make it worth the trouble anymore. Having said that, I might buy some things there still, and a huge part of my collection (actually, all but two books...) is in my FW bookshelf...

[June]

Sigh - I had a wishlist of 5 or 6 pages, now it's down to one page with 21 titles. I really really hope they will show up again, since I have no backup listing of my wishlist, I've been using it adding books I think look interesting when I run across them somewhere. Now I will probably never find those books again.

[vsalvaggio]

Originally Posted by Marcy

I lived the first half of my life there, but am glad to be living elsewhere now, where the tax burden isn't so onerous. And the winters don't suck as much either...

-Marcy

Amen Sister!

[Graham]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

I really liked FW, but the current selection available to me doesn't make it worth the trouble anymore. Having said that, I might buy some things there still, and a huge part of my collection (actually, all but two books...) is in my FW bookshelf...

Agreed, I'm the same, I was very fond of FW. I still use them for magazine subscriptions, but have been forced to the UK sites for most other books. It would be great if they opened stores in other geographic regions, but I suspect this isn't ever going to happen now.

Graham

[leebase]

Originally Posted by ChristopherTD

If a store is artificially restricted to selling to a specific set of customers and at a fixed price, then what is its Unique Selling Point? I don't see one!

We are becoming customers of the publisher more than the stores. You'll buy a book because it's one you want to read.

Lee

[bookfanmd]

I went into my Fictionwise bookshelf last night and although all the books are still listed, I couldn't download 106 fairly new ones that were in secure formats. Most of the Agatha Christie titles from the sale a few weeks back and really pretty much everything I've bought in the last several weeks that was not multiformat. I know I should have downloaded them at once but I just didn't get around to it, most were the result of great sales like the Agatha Christie's or 100% rebates and I wasn't planning on reading right away, I just bought because the price was good at the time. I was also hoping that some of the titles in mobipocket would become available in epub in the meantime and I could have them switch formats for me. They've done that before for books not already downloaded. I sent a message to Fictionwise support but they really could have given people some notice before removing all these books from their inventory.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by bookfanmd

although all the books are still listed, I couldn't download 106 fairly new ones that were in secure formats.

Ouch! Hopefully they'll come back at some point. Luckily I've downloaded all my Agatha Christie books.

If they don't come back - another point against DRM. How can I switch them to a different device if I can't re-download them?

[ATimson]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

If they don't come back - another point against DRM. How can I switch them to a different device if I can't re-download them?

Depends on the format. Only Mobipocket is device-specific; eReader, MS Reader, and ePub are all account-specific instead (so as long as you still have the name/credit card for eReader, or can authorize the device for MS Reader/ePub, you can still use the old files).

[Elfwreck]

Originally Posted by ChristopherTD

If a store is artificially restricted to selling to a specific set of customers and at a fixed price, then what is its Unique Selling Point? I don't see one!

Potentially:
Good search ability
User reviews/ratings
Interaction with other users
Different payment options (Paypal, direct credit card, money order, others)
Mobile site layout option
Additional book-related features--a blog, news clips, pro reviews
Easy-to-use site--skins, accessibility, no blinky ads

And so on. Sites that considered those 5 publishers a major part of their offerings will have to find ways to draw in customers that aren't based on prices of book. And brick-and-mortar stores manage this; people don't shop at 7-11 because the prices are good. Ebook stores will need to drastically re-think their sales approach.

[ficbot]

Fictionwise has the multiformat collection
Kobo has more Canadian books, some not available elsewhere
Amazon has the best interface and most robust reviews and social networking
Not sure what sets Sony apart

[Rumpelteazer]

My wishlist at BooksOnBoard shrunk from 77 books down to 42 books. I emailed BoB and just got an answer:

As I understand it from our developers, they have coded such that these books remain on your wishlist but are now hidden to prevent attempted purchase while links are down. When the REP feeds are restored these titles will again be visible in your wishlist.

I assume other retailers like FW do the same thing.