Are ebook blogs dying out?

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

They make sure every house I can see gets their ads now.

You must be popular with your neighbors

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

You must be popular with your neighbors

I don't think they care one way or the other.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by BearMountainBooks

http://fantasyliterature.com/ does a great job of that in the sci/fi and fantasy world. They occasionally cover cozy fantasy too, but not nearly as often as the other types (urban fantasy, epic fantasy and sci/fi). They have more than one reviewer so more than one POV and fun (and funny contests). They're just for fun contests, nothing serious (like renaming a bad book cover with what the cover makes you think of...) The blog is also an Amazon affiliate and stays open by being an affiliate and by donations. Great blog.

There are other blogs for other genres. I know of one for cozy mysteries...there's more than one for romance (Dear Author is one. I don't follow that blog because I don't read many romances, but I've read the reviews now and then). There's one for Urban fantasy too, but I can't think of the name of it and that particular one veers off into paranormal romance more often than I personally care for, but it's still updated daily and has good book conversation.

Thanks for the pointer.

[4691mls]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

I don't think they care one way or the other.

Probably the biggest reason I quit subscribing to the print newspaper years ago was because I was tired of all those ads filling up my recycle bin so fast (I don't have curbside pickup, so all the extra paper meant more frequent trips to the recycling center). If somebody started making sure I got a bunch of paper advertisements every week, even without a newspaper subscription, I wouldn't be happy about it!

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by 4691mls

Probably the biggest reason I quit subscribing to the print newspaper years ago was because I was tired of all those ads filling up my recycle bin so fast (I don't have curbside pickup, so all the extra paper meant more frequent trips to the recycling center). If somebody started making sure I got a bunch of paper advertisements every week, even without a newspaper subscription, I wouldn't be happy about it!

You can request no ads.

[4691mls]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

You can request no ads.

that's good!

[Apache]

None of the papers that I subscribed to allowed you to request no ads. Ads are tied to circulation and the more subscribers the more they can charge for ads.
Apach

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by Apache

None of the papers that I subscribed to allowed you to request no ads. Ads are tied to circulation and the more subscribers the more they can charge for ads.
Apach

This is if you don't want the free ads, not the ones attached to your subscription.

Truth be told, I do look at the ads but I just want them because someone paid for them to be delivered to my house.

[Apache]

What kind of free ads do your papers deliver? All advertising associated with the papers I have subscribed to over the years, including inserts, are not optional for the subscriber. I no longer subscribe to any newspapers because they are on a continuing spiral offering less news and more advertising while increasing the price of a subscription. And they wonder why their subscription base is deteriorating.
Apache

[Alpha o]

I also don't subscribe, but every time the local rag is on a tear for new subscribers, there is always a load of ads, papers and other junk in the driveway.

More of the junk comes through the mail, now.

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by Apache

What kind of free ads do your papers deliver? All advertising associated with the papers I have subscribed to over the years, including inserts, are not optional for the subscriber. I no longer subscribe to any newspapers because they are on a continuing spiral offering less news and more advertising while increasing the price of a subscription. And they wonder why their subscription base is deteriorating.
Apache

Every week our paper puts together a shoppers guide. It is supposed to contain all the grocery store ads that participate, and whatever big box stores put out ads that week. Also once a month Proctor and Gamble coupons. It is to be delivered to all houses (unless they have requested otherwise) every Wednesday to people that don't subscribe to the paper.

There is no subscribe to the paper anywhere on the guide.

In some areas, that is pretty much the only way some people get the ads.
I don't think anyone on my block subscribes to the paper. Half of them couldn't read it anyway. (Language not illiteracy) Not many on the block have internet capable devices. The grown kids that have moved away do.

Hope this helps.

Apache: our paper when they are doing subscription runs usually in a public place, always say how much one can save by getting the Sunday paper extra coupons in it.
I think I saved $2 and half the time, the paper person was swiping the coupons.
I understand there is big money in selling the coupons to the extremist shoppers.

[Apache]

OK, I see what you are talking about now. We do have them and all they do is throw them in everybody's yard regardless of whether you subscribe to the paper or not. I consider them litter and most end up in the landfill or recycled.
Apache

[ekbell]

Originally Posted by Apache

OK, I see what you are talking about now. We do have them and all they do is throw them in everybody's yard regardless of whether you subscribe to the paper or not. I consider them litter and most end up in the landfill or recycled.
Apache

We save some of the non-glossy stuff for messy activities (such as pumpkin carving) or occasional crafts but it mostly just reminds me why I don't want more newsprint to dispose of.

[davidrothman]

Hi, Barry (and others). Thanks for your concern. As TeleRead.org's publisher, I can tell you we're not dying. But we have greatly slowed down the pace of posting since we're all volunteer now. Archived by the Library of Congress, we're in it for the long haul, and we have chosen a more sustainable approach than one dependent on advertising.

Yes, we write about the national digital library cause and the nexus of ebooks and politics, rather essential topics now, given the forthcoming changes in D.C. and the growing threat to ebook buyers' privacy. But we're also covering some bread-and-butter ebook matters. What's more, the political and nonpolitical can overlap.

The President-elect's Justice Department could create major problems for Amazon, for example--the main source of your ebooks and mine (please go over to TeleRead if you want to continue the discussion since we probably aren't supposed to get into the political in this area of MobileRead).

A few of our recent posts:

Can Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos tweet away retaliation from Donald Trump’s anti-trusters?
https://teleread.org/2016/11/12/can-...anti-trusters/

Kobo Aura One sold out until early 2017, company says—Kobo H2O might be a good substitute
https://teleread.org/2016/11/12/kobo...od-substitute/

First look: KyBook 2 for iPhones and iPads gives Marvin a run for the money
https://teleread.org/2016/11/07/firs...for-the-money/

Electronic Arts Myanmar blunder proves that digital property rights are still contentious
https://teleread.org/2016/11/05/elec...l-contentious/

Meanwhile--a reminder. We welcome everyone over at TeleRead, including people we disagree with (some of my favorite commenters, as long as they're civil). But we're going to keep exercising our First Amendment rights and speak out on behalf of ebook users when politicians in Washington and elsewhere threaten them with snooping or even-worse copyright laws than the current ones.

And, yes, we'll keep complaining about Jeff Bezos's shameful refusal to offer an all-text boldface option despite the hardships he is inflicting on nontechnical users, especially some K-12 kids and members of the elderly. We're big cheerleaders for Amazon in many ways, but our community's needs come first, and on the boldface issue I'm happy to persevere. I doubt that The Donald's people will help. But Amazon is going after the school market, so pressure points at local and state levels will still survive.

Meanwhile, if you or others want to contribute how-to pieces to TeleRead when the spirit arises, the door is open! Some terrific contributions to MobileRead forums could be re-positioned that way (with free editing at our end). I'd love to see synergies between us, MobileRead and your own Kindle efforts. You and others should feel free to follow up by phone or email.

Best wishes,
David
703-370-6540
davidrothman@pobox.com

P.S. To respond to another poster, the chicanery in D.C. is very much my territory. In another incarnation I did investigative reporting. Among other things, although a lifelong liberal Dem, I revealed that Sen. Abe Ribicoff had held a secret investment in a CIA-occupied building while sitting on a related government committee.

P.S. To keep up with TeleRead, people can sign up for our mailing list via a form on the home page.

[Alpha o]

Thanks for the post. I've bookmarked.