Kindle exclusive content: Bios on Mrs. McCain and Mrs. Obama

Alexander Turcic · 09-11-2008, 04:50 AM

From the WSJ today:

Quote:

Amazon.com Inc. struck a deal with a midsize publisher to offer separate biographies of the two potential first ladies on an exclusive basis to users of Amazon's Kindle electronic-book reader. The two titles, "Cindy McCain: Elegance, Good Will and Hope for a New America," by Alicia Colon, and "Michelle Obama: Grace and Intelligence in a Time of Change," by Elizabeth Lightfoot, are being published as e-books by Lyons Press, an imprint owned by Morris Communications Co.'s Globe Pequot Press publishing unit, based in Guilford, Conn.

Link: Full article

Question: How much of an impact does exclusive content have on your decision to buy a particular e-book reader?

HarryT · 09-11-2008, 04:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alexander Turcic

Question: How much of an impact does exclusive content have on your decision to buy a particular e-book reader?

Personally? None. I already have several life-times of reading awaiting me.

LeserattePD · 09-11-2008, 07:09 AM

Could you add to the poll, if the impact is positive or negative?

Because for me exclusive content is more of a negative incentive.

Barcey · 09-11-2008, 07:20 AM

I agree with LeserattePD. It does impact my decision and personal recommendation on which reader to buy but in a negative way.

I don't have a problem if vendors offer exclusive content in the form of early chapter samples or if they come out with books with exclusive bonus content. Exclusive publishing deals are different though.

Ea · 09-11-2008, 08:16 AM

None, unless it was really cheap and/or the exclusive content was of interest to me. My reading is very varied, and I know my tastes shhift and change over time. I may lose interest in the exclusive content after only half a year.

carld · 09-11-2008, 08:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alexander Turcic

From the WSJ today:

Link: Full article

Question: How much of an impact does exclusive content have on your decision to buy a particular e-book reader?

Not much really. There isn't a lot of exclusive content yet, but if Amazon were to add a large number of exclusive titles it would probably matter to me (if I were still deciding). As far as it being a negative, I don't think so. In general, consumers are attracted by exclusive content, though it's not much of a factor in the eBook market at this point.

rixte · 09-11-2008, 08:27 AM

Even though I have a Kindle, exclusive content annoys me a lot and negatively impacts my buying. Every time I hear about a case like that, I tend to avoid buying from that pubisher and to pick up my books from somewhere other than amazon.

JSWolf · 09-11-2008, 08:36 AM

Exclusive content is bad for eBooks and in this case, bad for Obama and McCain if I was inclined to purchase any of these books. Now I don't have an option to get them for ny 505. And I don't want to haul around hardcover books. This is definitely a bad idea to have exclusive content. It means that when you have timely books like these, having them tethered to just the Kindle is very bad. Amazon, play nice or get out of the eBook business. You've already caused trouble in the past with eBooks. Please stop doing so again.

joblack · 09-11-2008, 09:06 AM

Michelle Obama is vice president at the Chicaco's Council on Foreign Relations (CFR).

She is member of the 'establishment' like all the other leechers ... I couldn't care less.

Source:

Vice President for Community and External Affairs, The University of Chicago Medical Center

http://www.thechicagocouncil.org/chi..._directors.php

RWood · 09-11-2008, 10:04 AM

It is a war to sell readers, I would expect more of this type thing in the future. Will it change my buying? No, this is like buying a car because you like the station the radio was set to when you took a test drive.

Elsi · 09-11-2008, 11:07 AM

Well ... this is no different from the fact that not all books are available in all formats. But I agree that it is annoying to not be able buy the book you want in the best format for your device. I'd *LOVE* to get past the need to do any format-shifting.

MoSo · 09-11-2008, 11:29 AM

I don't really care if it's "exclusive," especially since the thought of two hastily put-together bios which are either puff pieces or hatchet jobs holds ZIP interest to me.

Amalthia · 09-11-2008, 02:27 PM

I know with every exclusive deal amazon lands, the less interested I am in buying any books from amazon. if it gets too out of control at a certain point the pirates are going to become more motivated to crack the Kindle format. Right now with people able to buy most ebooks from stores online there is less incentive for people to crack the Kindle format, but at a certain point I'm afraid they'll go too far.

TheJohnNewton · 09-11-2008, 02:49 PM

Boo! I don't want exclusive content. I don't want content that can be read on only one reader. This is not progress this is regression. I already DON'T buy books from Amazon because they are only useable on my Kindle. Lets move forward here not backward.

bwaldron · 09-11-2008, 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alexander Turcic

Question: How much of an impact does exclusive content have on your decision to buy a particular e-book reader?

Well...I bought a Cybook rather than a Kindle partly because of my ill feelings towards what Amazon is doing with these exclusives. Yeah, it's a small and feeble protest vote

The last thing the nascent ebook market needs is balkanization. We need an open format (i.e., ePub) and lots of innovation in the hardware that we read the ebooks on.

View Poll Results: Does exclusive content make a difference to you?
Not really.	45	83.33%
Somewhat.	4	7.41%
Absolutely.	5	9.26%
Voters: 54. You may not vote on this poll

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Romance de Horne Vaizey, George, Mrs.: Vaizey, George de Horne, Mrs.,. V1. 17 Dec 2009	crutledge	Kindle Books	0	12-17-2009 03:38 PM
Romance de Horne Vaizey, George, Mrs.: Vaizey, George de Horne, Mrs.,. V1. 17 Dec 2009	crutledge	BBeB/LRF Books	0	12-17-2009 03:37 PM
Romance de Horne Vaizey, George, Mrs.: Vaizey, George de Horne, Mrs.,. V1. 17 Dec 2009	crutledge	IMP Books	0	12-17-2009 03:35 PM
Romance de Horne Vaizey, George, Mrs.: Vaizey, George de Horne, Mrs.,. V1. 17 Dec 2009	crutledge	ePub Books	0	12-17-2009 03:33 PM
Mrs	emi	Introduce Yourself	3	08-16-2009 11:37 PM

09-11-2008, 07:09 AM	#3
LeserattePD Enthusiast Posts: 47 Karma: 136 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: UK Device: Ebookwise 1150, Kindle 3	Could you add to the poll, if the impact is positive or negative? Because for me exclusive content is more of a negative incentive.

09-11-2008, 07:20 AM	#4
Barcey Wizard Posts: 1,531 Karma: 8059866 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Canada Device: Kobo H2O / Aura HD / Glo / iPad3	I agree with LeserattePD. It does impact my decision and personal recommendation on which reader to buy but in a negative way. I don't have a problem if vendors offer exclusive content in the form of early chapter samples or if they come out with books with exclusive bonus content. Exclusive publishing deals are different though.

09-11-2008, 08:16 AM	#5
Ea Wizard Posts: 3,490 Karma: 5239563 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Denmark Device: Kindle 3\|iPad air\|iPhone 4S	None, unless it was really cheap and/or the exclusive content was of interest to me. My reading is very varied, and I know my tastes shhift and change over time. I may lose interest in the exclusive content after only half a year.

09-11-2008, 08:27 AM	#7
rixte Addict Posts: 300 Karma: 396757 Join Date: Nov 2007 Device: new oasis, paperwhite, ipad, kobo	Even though I have a Kindle, exclusive content annoys me a lot and negatively impacts my buying. Every time I hear about a case like that, I tend to avoid buying from that pubisher and to pick up my books from somewhere other than amazon.

09-11-2008, 08:36 AM	#8
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 73,845 Karma: 128597114 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	Exclusive content is bad for eBooks and in this case, bad for Obama and McCain if I was inclined to purchase any of these books. Now I don't have an option to get them for ny 505. And I don't want to haul around hardcover books. This is definitely a bad idea to have exclusive content. It means that when you have timely books like these, having them tethered to just the Kindle is very bad. Amazon, play nice or get out of the eBook business. You've already caused trouble in the past with eBooks. Please stop doing so again.

09-11-2008, 09:06 AM	#9
joblack Wizard Posts: 1,745 Karma: 4382514 Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Somewhere on earth Device: Onyx Boox Tab X	Michelle Obama is vice president at the Chicaco's Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). She is member of the 'establishment' like all the other leechers ... I couldn't care less. Source: Vice President for Community and External Affairs, The University of Chicago Medical Center http://www.thechicagocouncil.org/chi..._directors.php

09-11-2008, 10:04 AM	#10
RWood Technogeezer Posts: 7,233 Karma: 1601464 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Virginia, USA Device: Sony PRS-500	It is a war to sell readers, I would expect more of this type thing in the future. Will it change my buying? No, this is like buying a car because you like the station the radio was set to when you took a test drive.

09-11-2008, 11:07 AM	#11
Elsi Wizard Posts: 2,366 Karma: 12000 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Texas, USA Device: Kindle; Sony PRS 505; Blackberry 8700C	Well ... this is no different from the fact that not all books are available in all formats. But I agree that it is annoying to not be able buy the book you want in the best format for your device. I'd LOVE to get past the need to do any format-shifting.

09-11-2008, 11:29 AM	#12
MoSo Crankier than average Posts: 143 Karma: 345 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Southern Oregon mountains Device: Kindle #1, Kindle #2; internet appliance - The Chumby.	I don't really care if it's "exclusive," especially since the thought of two hastily put-together bios which are either puff pieces or hatchet jobs holds ZIP interest to me.

09-11-2008, 02:27 PM	#13
Amalthia Wizard Posts: 1,156 Karma: 32196 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Anchorage, AK Device: Sony Reader PRS-505, PRS-650, PRS-T3, Pocketbook HD2	I know with every exclusive deal amazon lands, the less interested I am in buying any books from amazon. if it gets too out of control at a certain point the pirates are going to become more motivated to crack the Kindle format. Right now with people able to buy most ebooks from stores online there is less incentive for people to crack the Kindle format, but at a certain point I'm afraid they'll go too far.

Advert

Advert

09-11-2008, 02:49 PM	#14
TheJohnNewton Addict Posts: 256 Karma: 144599 Join Date: Jan 2008 Device: Boox Nova 2	Boo! I don't want exclusive content. I don't want content that can be read on only one reader. This is not progress this is regression. I already DON'T buy books from Amazon because they are only useable on my Kindle. Lets move forward here not backward.