Are you a paying subscriber to Kindle Unlimited/Scribd/Oyster? - Page 7

Joykins · 02-16-2016, 04:31 PM

...and I'm giving up on Scribd. Dammit, their service was good despite their random book-closing bug, but I totally binged and they're probably trying to make me quit.

BearMountainBooks · 02-16-2016, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joykins

...and I'm giving up on Scribd. Dammit, their service was good despite their random book-closing bug, but I totally binged and they're probably trying to make me quit.

At the end of the letter they basically said they have to balance things out or something like that. They are probably still operating at a loss. Two books and an audio of ANY publisher is still a decent deal--but they don't have ALL books. And I assume the selections from the other books has to be cheaper publishers (like maybe Carina Press or the Avon line and/or indie books?)

Joykins · 02-16-2016, 04:44 PM

Well, they're probably not profitable. I couldn't make money serving myself this way

I figure if we are paying $9 a month and they're paying $3 a book read (average?) giving us 3 plus a freebie would probably break them even.

I expect their Selects to be well-reviewed but perhaps very long books. Literary and non-fiction maybe. Not a lot of genre. Plus some inexpensive ones, but mostly time-sucks. That's what I would do.

NickyWithNook · 02-16-2016, 07:49 PM

I'm going to quit. I read more than 3 books a month, and it's just more fun to know I can read however many I want, and give up part way on 5 books before I decide I actually want to read #6. Maybe I'll move on to Kindle Unlimited.

elaysee · 02-16-2016, 11:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NickyWithNook

I'm going to quit. I read more than 3 books a month, and it's just more fun to know I can read however many I want, and give up part way on 5 books before I decide I actually want to read #6. Maybe I'll move on to Kindle Unlimited.

That "give up" part is a key, I think. I'm also willing to stop reading if something isn't working for me. So now I have to weigh up using one of those credits same as weigh up buying a book, instead of taking a chance, shrugging, and moving on.

BearMountainBooks · 02-17-2016, 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elaysee

That "give up" part is a key, I think. I'm also willing to stop reading if something isn't working for me. So now I have to weigh up using one of those credits same as weigh up buying a book, instead of taking a chance, shrugging, and moving on.

I had SCRIBD for a year and I probably stopped reading more books than I finished because I do view it as a giant "sampling." That's a huge part of the allure and probably why Amazon moved to paying writers by the PAGES read.

Joykins · 02-17-2016, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BearMountainBooks

I had SCRIBD for a year and I probably stopped reading more books than I finished because I do view it as a giant "sampling." That's a huge part of the allure and probably why Amazon moved to paying writers by the PAGES read.

Same here. The new Scribd thing did promise "Substantial previews of any book or audiobook" but I don't know what this means. Usually by the end of a preview I know if a book is drek, unless the preview is all front matter (which happens).

BearMountainBooks · 02-17-2016, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joykins

Same here. The new Scribd thing did promise "Substantial previews of any book or audiobook" but I don't know what this means. Usually by the end of a preview I know if a book is drek, unless the preview is all front matter (which happens).

I just don't know either. I read a lot of samples off Amazon and lately I've been on the fence more often than not so I end up not reading the books. I'm going through a VERY PICKY stage and have been for a year or so. I'm not surprised that SCRIBD had to do something because they can't keep paying full price for all those books that readers read past the 20 percent point, but they also have to keep their paying base happy. It's pretty hard to sign up "non-voracious readers" to a reading buffet. But it's also hard to make money from voracious readers at a buffet...

emellaich · 02-18-2016, 12:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GeoffR

I checked (in retrospect) how many of the 140 ebooks I read last year are available at:

Ebook sellers: 140
Public library: 56 (OverDrive: 38 + BorrowBox: 18)
Scribd: 34 (24 of these were available from the public library too)
Kindle Unlimited: 0

(Edit: I don't subscribe to Scribd or Kindle Unlimited.)

GeoffR,

Kindle Unlimited is heavily small press and independents. You probably will not discover these books unless you are on KU. As a corollary, if you are not on KU then the books you read will probably not be KU books.

Cinisajoy · 02-18-2016, 12:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by emellaich

GeoffR,

Kindle Unlimited is heavily small press and independents. You probably will not discover these books unless you are on KU. As a corollary, if you are not on KU then the books you read will probably not be KU books.

Huh. I am not subscribed to KU and they all pop up in a regular search.
One can buy kindle unlimited books.
Matter of fact I picked up 5 today. Note: they were all on free days.

emellaich · 02-18-2016, 12:22 AM

A bit off-topic, but ...

One of my pet peeves with Kindle Unlimited is that when you are browsing books it doesn't remind you that it is a KU book that you already read and returned.

You can get a list of returned books, but I would like it if there was a warning on the purchase page just like there is for purchased books.

emellaich · 02-18-2016, 12:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

Huh. I am not subscribed to KU and they all pop up in a regular search.
One can buy kindle unlimited books.
Matter of fact I picked up 5 today. Note: they were all on free days.

Good point! Maybe I was confused? From Geoff's quote I assumed he wasn't a big user of Amazon at all. If you do use Amazon you will see the KU books.

GeoffR · 02-19-2016, 01:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by emellaich

Good point! Maybe I was confused? From Geoff's quote I assumed he wasn't a big user of Amazon at all. If you do use Amazon you will see the KU books.

I use Amazon the same way I use other ebook retailers -- I go there to check price and availability after I have decided what books I want to read, but I don't use retailers to decide what to read.

Red Falcon · 02-19-2016, 09:17 PM

I read a lot of weird and dark fiction short story's as well as listen to audio books at work and can finish one of those every few days so my two year half price KU subscription has more then payed for itself in the year I have had it. I dropped Scribd when they started rationing there audio books and have never tried Oyster.

Dusky Rose · 02-20-2016, 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by emellaich

If you do use Amazon you will see the KU books.

Seeing them while I was off KU was how I got my KU Wish List built up. So when they had the membership sale in December I knew it was a good deal for me because I had over 200 KU books I wanted to read already in my WL at Amazon.

So, if you just browse Amazon the KU books will come up like any of the others.

View Poll Results: Are you a paying subscriber to Kindle Unlimited/Scribd/Oyster?
Yes, Kindle Unlimited	37	20.33%
Yes, Scribd	16	8.79%
Yes, Oyster	2	1.10%
No	131	71.98%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 182. You may not vote on this poll

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02-16-2016, 04:31 PM	#91
Joykins Wizard Posts: 1,610 Karma: 9211856 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: kindle Oasis 2018, kindle 4 NT, kindle PW2, iPhone, iPad mini	...and I'm giving up on Scribd. Dammit, their service was good despite their random book-closing bug, but I totally binged and they're probably trying to make me quit.

02-16-2016, 04:44 PM	#93
Joykins Wizard Posts: 1,610 Karma: 9211856 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: kindle Oasis 2018, kindle 4 NT, kindle PW2, iPhone, iPad mini	Well, they're probably not profitable. I couldn't make money serving myself this way I figure if we are paying $9 a month and they're paying $3 a book read (average?) giving us 3 plus a freebie would probably break them even. I expect their Selects to be well-reviewed but perhaps very long books. Literary and non-fiction maybe. Not a lot of genre. Plus some inexpensive ones, but mostly time-sucks. That's what I would do.

02-16-2016, 07:49 PM	#94
NickyWithNook Guru Posts: 750 Karma: 3942770 Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: American living in Australia Device: Kobo Libra Colour, Kindle Fire, Kindle Pwhite (Don't use Nook anymore)	I'm going to quit. I read more than 3 books a month, and it's just more fun to know I can read however many I want, and give up part way on 5 books before I decide I actually want to read #6. Maybe I'll move on to Kindle Unlimited.

02-18-2016, 12:22 AM	#101
emellaich Wizard Posts: 1,101 Karma: 4388403 Join Date: Oct 2007 Device: Palm>Ebookman>IPaq>Axim>Cybook>Kndl2>IPAD>Kndl3SO>Voyager>Oasis	A bit off-topic, but ... One of my pet peeves with Kindle Unlimited is that when you are browsing books it doesn't remind you that it is a KU book that you already read and returned. You can get a list of returned books, but I would like it if there was a warning on the purchase page just like there is for purchased books.

02-19-2016, 09:17 PM	#104
Red Falcon Addict Posts: 281 Karma: 1593188 Join Date: May 2012 Device: Kindle Keyboard	I read a lot of weird and dark fiction short story's as well as listen to audio books at work and can finish one of those every few days so my two year half price KU subscription has more then payed for itself in the year I have had it. I dropped Scribd when they started rationing there audio books and have never tried Oyster.

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