Are you a paying subscriber to Kindle Unlimited/Scribd/Oyster?

[birdbrainbb]

I got a discounted subscription to Scribd last year and I've very much enjoyed having it, even after all the shenanigans with pulling romances/audiobooks/etc. I like being able to try out books by authors I haven't read before and can't find through my local libraries-- mostly m/m romances, but also some indie authors and older backlist books. That said, my subscription ends on the 1st and I don't know I'll be renewing if there isn't another Cyber Monday sale. But only because I'm a cheapskate, and not because I'm disappointed with book selection. I also have a huge TBR pile that I feel guilty for neglecting in favor of Scribd books, haha!

I would try KU except I'm not sure about the selection, and Oyster's dead anyway, so.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by birdbrainbb

I would try KU except I'm not sure about the selection.

If you're not sure, why not look and see? Amazon offer a 30-day free trial.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Fbone

I read two books a month. A subscription service wouldn't benefit me.

I read 15-20 books a month. A subscription service would benefit me, but I'm not sure I'd subscribe even if it did have all the big publishers in on it.

I 'm not sure why, but I don't like the idea of my access to the books I've read being dependent on the service and the publishers continuing to give permission, and my continuing to pay. Even if I don't re-read that often.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

I can't see subscription services succeeding long-term without the output of the major publishing houses.

The absence of the BPHs is the reason for KU's success as a business.

[Tarana]

I'm a former member of KU. I used it as a means of buying audiobooks at low cost of some older detective novels. I will join again sometime next year should family members still be interested. I have too many books and magazines that I've already paid for in my TBR to be renting stuff at this point.

[4691mls]

If any of these companies starts offering epubs I can read on my Sony reader, I might consider it, if they had books I can't get via Overdrive from the public library. I probably reread only a small percentage of books and am OK buying those.

[HomeInMyShoes]

I'm with the many that aren't subscribed to a monthly service. I look through what I read and there is negligible content available through the services for this year's reading list. Until what I am interested in reading changes a service is not going to happen for me.

[theducks]

Not me.
Many years ago, I joined a couple of Stereo Record clubs (one of those get 6 Free 'now' ones). Every month, they would send me 2 LP's (and the bill). I had 7 days to return the ones I did not like.

The problem, I discovered was the Postage to return those. It ran almost 1/2 of what the bill was. It seems that they got Bulk Postage rates to ship, and I had to pay (there was no Free returns) the regular piece rates to return them.

I prefer to pick and choose. Buy or nor buy, depending on the state of my wallet
This attitude has served me well inliving within my means. I am un-American as I carry a $0 credit card balance, drive an older car and read a lot of Free books

[BearMountainBooks]

I was subscribed to SCRIBD for about a year (It was part of the payment for putting my books in the program). I liked it okay. I read 4 or 5 books. From an author perspective: I've had 3 books in KU and All books in SCRIBD (and have all books in SCRIBD now). The 3 books in KU got about the same amount of reads as on SCRIBD during the time they were in KU. The difference is that SCRIBD pays better. I couldn't wait to get my books back to wide distribution. KU for indies means we are only read on Kindle so I lost sales at Kobo and Scribd (those are my two biggest retailers...oh and Google Play).

I think the programs will fail because it's not a good deal for authors any way they have tried to run it. The best performing authors get bonuses--and that is basically because Amazon knows they won't stay in if all they make is the 2 dollars or so that a book averages. But then, perhaps that will be enough to keep it going.

I also think with libraries getting more and more ebooks, the competition for a subscription type thing is tough and getting tougher.

[Synamon]

I like the idea of a subscription service so I did free trials of SCRIBD and KU, which both had plenty of content I enjoyed. However, I cancelled after the trials because I have access to an excellent public library which more than meets my ebook and audiobook needs.

[pwalker8]

I'm not a subscriber to any of the services. I prefer to own my books to a subscription model.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

I'm not a subscriber to any of the services. I prefer to own my books to a subscription model.

So do I, but that's because I re-read a lot of books. If, like many, you never re-read, there's no benefit to buying rather than borrowing books.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by HarryT

So do I, but that's because I re-read a lot of books. If, like many, you never re-read, there's no benefit to buying rather than borrowing books.

True, but like you I re-read books a lot. I suspect it would be fine for people like my mother who use to swap books at the used book store on a regular basis.

[Apache]

I reread all the time and do not wish to subscribe to any service.
Apache

[Purple Lady]

Originally Posted by HarryT

So do I, but that's because I re-read a lot of books. If, like many, you never re-read, there's no benefit to buying rather than borrowing books.

If you want to read something in a timely manner, you need to purchase if it's a recent book by a big publisher. For the ones available at a library you can wait months on the wait list.