Where do you buy ebooks from, and why? - Page 2

treadlightly · 11-11-2011, 08:10 AM

I buy from the place with the cheapest price. It usually works out to Kobo with a coupon, then Kobo (no coupon) or Amazon. Amazon often has higher prices when selling the same book to Canadians than Americans.

What I don't understand is the variability of pricing between stores on ebooks where the publisher has set the price. Are they setting different prices at different stores or are they not really setting the price at all?

CRussel · 11-11-2011, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carpetmojo

Picky, I know, but an important point - Calibre does not strip DRM.

And just out of interest - why would someone using a kindle want/need to strip the DRM - if it was at all possible that is...................

It's certainly very possible--I do it on every book I buy from Amazon (or anywhere else.) And why? Because then I control the book, not Amazon. And I can use my own tools however I wish to manage my books and transfer to whatever device I want.

DiapDealer · 11-11-2011, 09:25 AM

Quote:

And just out of interest - why would someone using a kindle want/need to strip the DRM - if it was at all possible that is...................

Very possible, very popular and very easy.
Reason? Insurance and Choice, of course. The same reasons anyone wants/needs to strip DRM.

estelle58 · 11-11-2011, 09:42 AM

I mainly buy my books at Kobo because of the devices I use. When I can't find a book at Kobo I buy with Amazon.

wallcraft · 11-11-2011, 09:59 AM

I strip DRM because I want consistent formatting for my ebooks, and because I don't want to be tied to any one reading environment.

I have bought from many ebook stores. My first go-to store was FictionWise, because they treated their customers right and they had a good selection. Later on, Amazon overtook FictionWise and all others for me because of selection, price and customer service. FictionWise withered on the vine, and I don't shop there any more. With agency pricing Amazon has less of a price advantage, but there is also less point in shopping around. Now if an ebook is available at Amazon I buy it there, and otherwise I search InkMesh for alternative stores. I am in the US, and I used to use WHSmith for UK ebooks but now I buy them from Kobo directly (since WHSmith is a front for Kobo).

A large advantage Amazon has is their customer reviews. I like to see a review or two for new authors, and I like to see the stars bar chart for established authors. I don't mind seeing a few negative reviews, but a title with a uniform bar chart (all rankings about the same) makes me think twice about buying. Amazon reviews used to be head and shoulders above other ebooks sites, but they are catching up. Google books has a good review system. B&N does not show the bar chart. Kobo (UK) does not seem to have many reviews at all. The in-store book search seems to be about equivalent now at Amazon, B&N, Kobo and Google. All show likely options while you type for example.

jersysman · 11-11-2011, 10:09 AM

If a book is available at multiple locations, I will buy it first at Sony, then B&N, then Smashwords, and lastly Amazon. I try to support the vendors in whose devices I have as much as possible.

elemenoP · 11-11-2011, 10:24 AM

Most of my ebooks come from the library. I never buy full-price ebooks. If it costs more than $8 or so, I'd rather have a hard copy. So I'm typically buying some $.99 promo title. If it's the same price in all the majors, I will buy from Sony Store because it's one less step to get it on my reader. But mostly the promo books come from Amazon and B&N, with Amazon being the most frequent. I won't even look at Smashwords or the smaller indie ebookstores (Copia also comes to mind). I just have enough websites to keep track of and get emails from already.

But I don't think I'm a typical user. I do agree that most people just buy from the store their reader came from, and don't give it another thought. When my sister wanted an ereader, I helped her research the best one to get, and we searched a bunch of books she wanted, all self-help type books. About half were only available on Amazon, so that was the answer.

eP

Catlady · 11-11-2011, 10:31 AM

I buy Agency books--which are most of my purchases--from BN because I use a BN credit card that gives me a 5 percent rebate; also, until recently, going through Ebates gave me an additional discount.

For non-Agency books, I shop by price, factoring in any available coupons--usually I end up getting them at Kobo.

Amazon is a last resort. In the year that I've had my e-reader, I've purchased exactly four e-books from Amazon. Two were not available anywhere else (one later was issued in epub); two were deeply discounted deals at Amazon.

Nexutix · 11-11-2011, 10:38 AM

I buy over smashwords. And books gone free on kindle. Only reason I don't buy on kindle is Amazon had problems authorizing debit cards from my country. Smashwords works in a blink of an eye.

Mike Cooley · 11-11-2011, 11:05 AM

I buy primarily from Amazon. Smashwords second (I have a Kindle 2).
I've found BNs site to be a pain.

Mike

Pomtroll · 11-11-2011, 11:11 AM

I have a Sony PRS 350 & A Kindle3, so I buy books from;

Smashwords
Books On Board
Kobo
Amazon.

ProfCrash · 11-11-2011, 12:32 PM

Amazon. Why? I am lazy and I can order the books from my device and have them delivered. It is easy and they are stored for me.

I have looked at other sites and have not found the books that I want there. I can strip DRM and convert but why bother when the books that I buy are the same price at Amazon as at other stores.

(shrugs)

Terisa de morgan · 11-11-2011, 02:11 PM

My answer: the cheapest place, aside of the format. If the price is the same, I prefer Kobo and Smashwords.

Format and DRM doesn't matter to me, because no book reaches my ereader without I've modified it according to my preferences.

Elfwreck · 11-11-2011, 02:45 PM

I buy from Smashwords, Fictionwise (multiformat only), Baen, DriveThruRPG, and a handful of other independent publishers. I don't do DRM, and I won't install special software to buy ebooks to read on my device.

That said, people buy at Amazon because (aside from "because they have a Kindle" and "inertia"):
1) Widest selection.

2) Recommendations; plenty of "people who liked X also bought Y"

3) Easy interface: book listings aren't stuck in a narrow column in the middle of the page, and info about this book is above the "people also bought" part. (BN seems to think if you're looking at a book, you already know about it; reviews & data are an afterthought below the big BUY IT NOW button & the "ALSO YOU WOULD MAYBE LIKE" collection.)

4) Decent return policy. BN, early in their ebooking days, refused to accept returns *when they'd sent the wrong ebook.* As in, the filename was correct but the contents were a different book entirely.

5) Easy bestseller lists. See what's popular in the genre or subgenre; pick up something interesting-looking for a few bucks.

There's probably a few more reasons, but those are a start.

CRussel · 11-11-2011, 02:49 PM

I buy books (in order of preference) from:
Author's Website
Baen Webscriptions
Amazon
Kobo

The reasons? #1&2 -- I know the maximum amount of my $$ is going to the author. #3? Easy. NO ONE makes it easier to buy books than Amazon. And #4? Only for Canadian books that aren't available from my Amazon US account.

Notice what is NOT here? B&N. I tried to buy a book from them. What a PITA. And their DRM is particularly annoying and fussy. Screw 'em.

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11-11-2011, 08:10 AM	#16
treadlightly Wizard Posts: 1,370 Karma: 6957792 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Ottawa, ON Device: Kobo H2O	I buy from the place with the cheapest price. It usually works out to Kobo with a coupon, then Kobo (no coupon) or Amazon. Amazon often has higher prices when selling the same book to Canadians than Americans. What I don't understand is the variability of pricing between stores on ebooks where the publisher has set the price. Are they setting different prices at different stores or are they not really setting the price at all?

11-11-2011, 09:42 AM	#19
estelle58 Cat lover Posts: 487 Karma: 1149782 Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Montreal, Canada Device: iPhone, Kobo Vox, Kobo Glo, iPad mini, Kindle Paperwhite, Kobo Aura	I mainly buy my books at Kobo because of the devices I use. When I can't find a book at Kobo I buy with Amazon.

11-11-2011, 09:59 AM	#20
wallcraft reader Posts: 6,975 Karma: 5183568 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Mississippi, USA Device: Kindle 3, Kobo Glo HD	I strip DRM because I want consistent formatting for my ebooks, and because I don't want to be tied to any one reading environment. I have bought from many ebook stores. My first go-to store was FictionWise, because they treated their customers right and they had a good selection. Later on, Amazon overtook FictionWise and all others for me because of selection, price and customer service. FictionWise withered on the vine, and I don't shop there any more. With agency pricing Amazon has less of a price advantage, but there is also less point in shopping around. Now if an ebook is available at Amazon I buy it there, and otherwise I search InkMesh for alternative stores. I am in the US, and I used to use WHSmith for UK ebooks but now I buy them from Kobo directly (since WHSmith is a front for Kobo). A large advantage Amazon has is their customer reviews. I like to see a review or two for new authors, and I like to see the stars bar chart for established authors. I don't mind seeing a few negative reviews, but a title with a uniform bar chart (all rankings about the same) makes me think twice about buying. Amazon reviews used to be head and shoulders above other ebooks sites, but they are catching up. Google books has a good review system. B&N does not show the bar chart. Kobo (UK) does not seem to have many reviews at all. The in-store book search seems to be about equivalent now at Amazon, B&N, Kobo and Google. All show likely options while you type for example.

11-11-2011, 10:09 AM	#21
jersysman Wizard Posts: 1,747 Karma: 3761220 Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Pennsylvania Device: T1 Red, Kindle Fire, Kindle PW, PW2, Nook HD+, Kobo Mini, Aura HD	If a book is available at multiple locations, I will buy it first at Sony, then B&N, then Smashwords, and lastly Amazon. I try to support the vendors in whose devices I have as much as possible.

11-11-2011, 10:24 AM	#22
elemenoP Wizard Posts: 1,717 Karma: 3790058 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: NYC Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Sony 650	Most of my ebooks come from the library. I never buy full-price ebooks. If it costs more than $8 or so, I'd rather have a hard copy. So I'm typically buying some $.99 promo title. If it's the same price in all the majors, I will buy from Sony Store because it's one less step to get it on my reader. But mostly the promo books come from Amazon and B&N, with Amazon being the most frequent. I won't even look at Smashwords or the smaller indie ebookstores (Copia also comes to mind). I just have enough websites to keep track of and get emails from already. But I don't think I'm a typical user. I do agree that most people just buy from the store their reader came from, and don't give it another thought. When my sister wanted an ereader, I helped her research the best one to get, and we searched a bunch of books she wanted, all self-help type books. About half were only available on Amazon, so that was the answer. eP

11-11-2011, 10:31 AM	#23
Catlady Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,345 Karma: 52398889 Join Date: Oct 2010 Device: Kindle Fire, Kindle Paperwhite, AGPTek Bluetooth Clip	I buy Agency books--which are most of my purchases--from BN because I use a BN credit card that gives me a 5 percent rebate; also, until recently, going through Ebates gave me an additional discount. For non-Agency books, I shop by price, factoring in any available coupons--usually I end up getting them at Kobo. Amazon is a last resort. In the year that I've had my e-reader, I've purchased exactly four e-books from Amazon. Two were not available anywhere else (one later was issued in epub); two were deeply discounted deals at Amazon.

11-11-2011, 10:38 AM	#24
Nexutix Reading and reading Posts: 582 Karma: 8250144 Join Date: Oct 2010 Device: Infibeam Pi, iPod Touch 4G, iPad Air 2, iPad mini 2, Oneplus One	I buy over smashwords. And books gone free on kindle. Only reason I don't buy on kindle is Amazon had problems authorizing debit cards from my country. Smashwords works in a blink of an eye.

11-11-2011, 11:05 AM	#25
Mike Cooley Mike Posts: 24 Karma: 396886 Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Minnesota Device: Kindle	I buy primarily from Amazon. Smashwords second (I have a Kindle 2). I've found BNs site to be a pain. Mike

11-11-2011, 11:11 AM	#26
Pomtroll Guru Posts: 822 Karma: 1341819 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Minnesota USA Device: Sony 350, Sony T1, Kindle Touch, Kindle PW1	I have a Sony PRS 350 & A Kindle3, so I buy books from; Smashwords Books On Board Kobo Amazon.

11-11-2011, 12:32 PM	#27
ProfCrash Tea Enthusiast Posts: 8,554 Karma: 75384937 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Somewhere in the USA Device: Kindle1, Kindle DX Graphite, K3 3G, IPad 3, PW2	Amazon. Why? I am lazy and I can order the books from my device and have them delivered. It is easy and they are stored for me. I have looked at other sites and have not found the books that I want there. I can strip DRM and convert but why bother when the books that I buy are the same price at Amazon as at other stores. (shrugs)

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11-11-2011, 02:11 PM	#28
Terisa de morgan Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,233 Karma: 11768331 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Madrid, Spain Device: Kobo Clara/Aura One/Forma,XiaoMI 5, iPad, Huawei MediaPad, YotaPhone 2	My answer: the cheapest place, aside of the format. If the price is the same, I prefer Kobo and Smashwords. Format and DRM doesn't matter to me, because no book reaches my ereader without I've modified it according to my preferences.

11-11-2011, 02:45 PM	#29
Elfwreck Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,185 Karma: 25133758 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: SF Bay Area, California, USA Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3 (Past: Kobo Mini, PEZ, PRS-505, Clié)	I buy from Smashwords, Fictionwise (multiformat only), Baen, DriveThruRPG, and a handful of other independent publishers. I don't do DRM, and I won't install special software to buy ebooks to read on my device. That said, people buy at Amazon because (aside from "because they have a Kindle" and "inertia"): 1) Widest selection. 2) Recommendations; plenty of "people who liked X also bought Y" 3) Easy interface: book listings aren't stuck in a narrow column in the middle of the page, and info about this book is above the "people also bought" part. (BN seems to think if you're looking at a book, you already know about it; reviews & data are an afterthought below the big BUY IT NOW button & the "ALSO YOU WOULD MAYBE LIKE" collection.) 4) Decent return policy. BN, early in their ebooking days, refused to accept returns when they'd sent the wrong ebook. As in, the filename was correct but the contents were a different book entirely. 5) Easy bestseller lists. See what's popular in the genre or subgenre; pick up something interesting-looking for a few bucks. There's probably a few more reasons, but those are a start.

11-11-2011, 02:49 PM	#30
CRussel (he/him/his) Posts: 12,159 Karma: 79742714 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sunshine Coast, BC Device: Oasis (Gen3),Paperwhite (Gen10), Voyage, Paperwhite(orig), Fire HD 8	I buy books (in order of preference) from: Author's Website Baen Webscriptions Amazon Kobo The reasons? #1&2 -- I know the maximum amount of my $$ is going to the author. #3? Easy. NO ONE makes it easier to buy books than Amazon. And #4? Only for Canadian books that aren't available from my Amazon US account. Notice what is NOT here? B&N. I tried to buy a book from them. What a PITA. And their DRM is particularly annoying and fussy. Screw 'em.