Audible vs Chirp

[issybird]

Originally Posted by Tarana

It doesn't hurt to have more books than you can read/listen. If you have a comfortable 5 years of books unread/unlistened, it will sustain you should you have tougher economic times (which becomes my issue next year). More than 5 years is a problem because tastes change.

Well, this strikes me as somewhat arbitrary. Why five years? I'd argue that's far too big a backlog and that tastes can change in a much shorter time frame. To state the obvious, money spent on an unread (or unlistened to) book is money wasted. So if you want a cushion against hard times, why not put the money you'd have spent on deals now for future consumption into an earmarked piggybank? And spend it with a clear conscience down the line on the book you want to read most right away?

[shalym]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

Quality should not be an issue since Bookbub deals mostly with tradpubs: they filter submissions and they skew BPH very heavily. It is very hard-to-impossible for Indies to get into their newsletters these days. It's not even new.

If anybody want to avoid even accidental exposure to Indie titles then Bookbub is the place to go.

https://rogerpacker.com/data-guy-rev...-indies-slump/

I just received my daily Bookbub email, and decided to check your statement. It was evenly distributed between traditional publishers and self publishers--7 of each.

Shari

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by shalym

I just received my daily Bookbub email, and decided to check your statement. It was evenly distributed between traditional publishers and self publishers--7 of each.

Shari

Things vary. Not all days are the same.
But, you realize; you just scared off some would-be buyers?

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by leebase

Has Audible's DRM been broken? I’ve never bothered, but do have a more than hundred books on Audible

Yes. Several different ways, some easy to use and fast, others less fast. We have 4 different Audible accounts (two dormant) across three different countries and my standard workflow now calls for stripping the DRM and converting to m4b for archive purposes. But for listening? Generally the Audible app on whatever device I'm on.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Yes. Several different ways, some easy to use and fast, others less fast. We have 4 different Audible accounts (two dormant) across three different countries and my standard workflow now calls for stripping the DRM and converting to m4b for archive purposes. But for listening? Generally the Audible app on whatever device I'm on.

That's pretty much what I do. The app that I use to strip the DRM and convert it is pretty fast and easy.

I also use the Audible app, which seems to work well enough with carplay and doesn't require me to sync with my computer. That might change when the new version of MacOS and iOS come out.

[Tarana]

Originally Posted by issybird

Well, this strikes me as somewhat arbitrary. Why five years? I'd argue that's far too big a backlog and that tastes can change in a much shorter time frame. To state the obvious, money spent on an unread (or unlistened to) book is money wasted. So if you want a cushion against hard times, why not put the money you'd have spent on deals now for future consumption into an earmarked piggybank? And spend it with a clear conscience down the line on the book you want to read most right away?

Not unreasonable, although it's a little hard to do that when buying online requires a credit card (Amazon doesn't use gift cards for ebook purchases, as an example) although some of the smaller places use Paypal. On the other hand, if those Visa cards that you can buy at Walgreens don't have an expiration date, you can buy one once a year to use against all your ebook/audiobook purchases once you have enough saved. Different world than saving cold hard cash in an envelop and walking into a books tore, which is what I did before my vision damage.

As an addendum to Dr Drib: I wonder if you can score a US Visa prepaid card to use in these sort of instances? Also note that Chirp does take Paypal. You can have a Paypal account in most countries and use your native credit card for the transaction.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by Tarana

(Amazon doesn't use gift cards for ebook purchases, as an example)

Sure it does. In fact, if you've got a gc attached to your account, you can't not use it to buy your ebooks.

One reason I advocate a piggybank is that it's too easy for money in your regular account to seem like cash on hand, even if you're keeping good records. That is, it might be spent on other things. But you could always open a small saving account and link it to your checking account, transferring the money into it when you forewent a purchase and transferring it back when it's time to pay the cc bill.

The other reason for a bank/envelope/separate account is that when you see the money accumulating it's a stimulus to keep it up. Those two and three dollar purchases you didn't make can add up to a tidy sum in a surprisingly short while.

[tubemonkey]

Here are several options for using "cash" to pay for Amazon purchases:

• buy Amazon Gift Cards at your local store
  
• link a checking account to your Amazon account (see below)
  
• set up an Amazon Cash account (see below)

Assign a Checking Account as a Payment Option

Spoiler:

If you don't have a credit card, don't worry, Amazon.com lets customers pay for products on Amazon.com with an ACH-enabled U.S. checking account.

To use your checking account as a payment option, do the following:

* Click Add a checking account at the Shipping & Payment stage of the checkout process.

* Enter the bank routing number (also known as the ABA code).

* Enter the Account number (the account must be an ACH-enabled checking account at a bank branch located in the U.S. If you're unsure whether your account is ACH-enabled, please contact your bank).

* Enter the name and the address of the principal account holder.

* Enter the principal account holder's valid U.S. driver's license number (or state-issued ID number) and the issuing state.

Note:
* You can use any checking account provided your account is a personal account located at a branch in the U.S.

* We don't accept savings, corporate, or business bank accounts.

* Routing numbers are always 9 digits long. Account numbers may be up to 17 digits long. Some banks list the routing number first on the check, while other banks list the account number first.

Amazon Cash

Spoiler:

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* Bring your cash to a participating location and ask for Amazon Cash.

* Use your barcode or phone number to identify your account.

* Add between $5-$500 to your balance that can be used to shop on Amazon.

2 Different ways to add cash
Participating stores will support at least one of the following methods to use Amazon Cash

Scan your barcode
Use the provided barcode to identify your Amazon account by scanning it at the cashier or kiosk.

Give your mobile phone number
Use your mobile phone number to identify your Amazon account by giving it to the cashier or kiosk.

Amazon Cash Promo -- exp 31 Aug

Spoiler:

Get a $5 Amazon Credit when you add $20 -- first-time customers only

Promotion Details

Terms and Conditions

[Tarana]

First, I will have to try it without 1Click Ordering. I think 1Click was once required to get deals, so I have turned it off to see how that works now. 1Click only went to a credit card - couldn't use gift cards for it.

Second, for Amazon Cash, can it be sequestered so that you have the option to only use it for ebook/audiobook purchases? In other words, it isn't automatically selected - you select it, as you would different credit cards?

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by Tarana

Second, for Amazon Cash, can it be sequestered so that you have the option to only use it for ebook/audiobook purchases? In other words, it isn't automatically selected - you select it, as you would different credit cards?

I would think that you'd be allowed to use it when you chose to do so. I'm just guessing since I don't use it, so you might want to call Amazon for clarification.

To me, gift cards seem to be the easiest non-credit/debit card option for Amazon purchases. Just get some when you're out shopping and add them to your account when you get home.

[CRussel]

I agree, gift cards are the easiest way to deal with Amazon if you don't want to give them a credit card. They work with 1-click, they work with eBook purchases, and they work with regular purchases. The one area they do NOT work for is Audible. Sigh.

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by CRussel

I agree, gift cards are the easiest way to deal with Amazon if you don't want to give them a credit card. They work with 1-click, they work with eBook purchases, and they work with regular purchases. The one area they do NOT work for is Audible. Sigh.

The Amazon (Prime) Store card works for Audible. While you could technically consider them something similar as credit cards, they don't expire. The Prime Card gives the 5% cashback for audible purchases and membership.

[haertig]

Originally Posted by issybird

But when I can't even look at the deals without signing up? You're wasting my time, Chirp. Hook me with a deal, and then I'll sign up! But I'm not going to open myself to an inundation of promotional emails before I even know if I'm going to bite.

You sure nailed that one! "First, sign up, and then, see if there's anything you want." I don't think I'll bite on that bait. Oh, and BTW, I heard there's a prince in Burundi who wants to give me a million dollars too.

[AnotherCat]

Originally Posted by haertig

You sure nailed that one! "First, sign up, and then, see if there's anything you want." I don't think I'll bite on that bait. Oh, and BTW, I heard there's a prince in Burundi who wants to give me a million dollars too.

I spoke to the Prince in Burundi and while he didn't give me a million dollars he did say that in order to see what Chirp is offering, you can "sign up" by just entering a make believe name and a make believe email address. He is right.

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by AnotherCat

I spoke to the Prince in Burundi and while he didn't give me a million dollars he did say that in order to see what Chirp is offering, you can "sign up" by just entering a make believe name and a make believe email address. He is right.

That's what I did, and there were actually quite a few books that interested me at the low price point. But for the most part they're books that I've been able to borrow from Overdrive for free, and if I can't archive the Chirp books, I'd basically be paying for borrowing them again, which is not what I want to do; I'd like to own them.

Has anyone looked at what kind of files are downloaded and whether they can be liberated from the app?