Ebook Buying Addicts' Support Thread

[CWatkinsNash]

Originally Posted by crich70

Actually you missed one then. The publisher has 11 books (one is free) and the other 10 are on the free with coupon list.

Yes, but there was a reason I didn't get the free one - wasn't it samples or excerpts? I remember there being a reason I didn't want it, but like most of my binges, the details are kind of fuzzy.

[anamardoll]

Originally Posted by CWatkinsNash

Yes, but there was a reason I didn't get the free one - wasn't it samples or excerpts? I remember there being a reason I didn't want it, but like most of my binges, the details are kind of fuzzy.

Yeah, it was a "samples" one and I figured the samples were from his other works that I'd already gotten.

And, yes, I LOVE that this "addiction thread" actually basically has us bringing free booze to an AA meeting and discussing where the nearest liquor stores are and what sales they are having.

[CWatkinsNash]

Originally Posted by anamardoll

Yeah, it was a "samples" one and I figured the samples were from his other works that I'd already gotten.

And, yes, I LOVE that this "addiction thread" actually basically has us bringing free booze to an AA meeting and discussing where the nearest liquor stores are and what sales they are having.

That's pretty much how I see it too. I mean, we all know we have a problem, but that's no excuse to miss a good sale!

[amward]

You'd better count me in here too. I haven't bought an ebook for a while but those freebies keep piling up. If I don't get any more and I live as long as my mother (she's 95 but still going strong) I'll probably have time to read them all.

[pdurrant]

It has now been five days since I last bought an ebook.

As I've mentioned before, I don't count free ebooks. I'll get free ebooks if they look even the slightest bit interesting, but I don't (usually) add them to my TBR pile. I feel that passing up a free ebook that there's the slightest chance I might want in the future is just foolishness, not sensible restraint.

However, I won't fall for any special offer other than free. No matter how low the price, if I'm not going to read it now, there's the chance that it'll be offered for free long before I'd get around to reading it. So Fictionwise's current 50% off coupon falls on deaf ears. There'll be another 60% offer sometime in the next year, and I have two to three years of books on my TBR list.

That's how I'm keeping my resolution. I think: "It'll be available again, just as cheap or cheaper. There's no need to buy it today."

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by amward

You'd better count me in here too. I haven't bought an ebook for a while but those freebies keep piling up. If I don't get any more and I live as long as my mother (she's 95 but still going strong) I'll probably have time to read them all.

Welcome to the support group. When did you last buy? (Others may have different opinions, but I don't count freebies.)

[crich70]

Last book I can recall buying (as opposed to it being free or by coupon) was April 19, 2011. I have bought a few apps, but they don't count as they aren't books. Am on a trial for Analog magazine but havent been charged as yet for that.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by crich70

Last book I can recall buying (as opposed to it being free or by coupon) was April 19, 2011.

Over 50 days without buying an ebook? Wow... I'm not sure you need the support of this thread, you seem to be doing fine on your own!

[anamardoll]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

As I've mentioned before, I don't count free ebooks. I'll get free ebooks if they look even the slightest bit interesting, but I don't (usually) add them to my TBR pile. I feel that passing up a free ebook that there's the slightest chance I might want in the future is just foolishness, not sensible restraint.

This is my feeling, too. But a good point has been raised -- are we counting eMagazines? I have a subscription of about 4 Nook magazines, and I never have time to read them, but they are a "limited time offer" in the sense that you can't really buy this month's issue three years from now and I'm GOING to read them, honest.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by anamardoll

are we counting eMagazines? I have a subscription of about 4 Nook magazines, and I never have time to read them, but they are a "limited time offer" in the sense that you can't really buy this month's issue three years from now

An interesting question. I have some subscriptions at Fictionwise (from before they stopped selling new subscriptions). Some I read every issue, some have been piling up.

I think that while limited time subscriptions probably don't count for this thread, it might be wise to consider whether you're ever going to read the magazines, and to cancel them if you're not.

My Analog and Asimov subscriptions I'm completely up-to-date with. Interzone, not so much. I'm currently reading through a back-log of F&SF that I bought in the recent Fictionwise sale. I ought to start on my Interzone backlog too. (This makes it sound a bit like work — not at all. I enjoy reading the magazines. I just need to remember that they're an option when picking my next ebok to read.)

I think that it's probably a sensible move to try to at least start reading new issues of your subscriptions — otherwise, how will you know whether you should renew when the time comes (or whether you should cancel them now, if it's an on-going subscription).

[caleb72]

Originally Posted by CWatkinsNash

The other 10 free ones are Smashwords coupons - look in Bargains for a very recent "Free Horror" thread. A publisher posted with coupons for almost all of their Smashwords books.

Yeah - I got those. I don't even like zombie books.

[caleb72]

I don't buy quite as much as some of you - but I still do have a problem. Why do I need to download and catalogue every bloody freebie that comes along when I'll never get around to reading it anyway?

I am Caleb and I have a problem.

I only have 326 books, however 273 are showing as unread. Sometimes I wish I was unemployed so that I could just sit and read all day, every day. But maybe I would actually spend all day tracking down freebies instead.

I've tried to stop looking out for freebies now and only respond to some of the more obvious giveaways.

I have less problems with purchasing books and I have extensive wish lists at Smashwords, Amazon and Baen. But I certainly struggle with freebies, especially if it's a limited time offer.

My other problem is that I insist on cataloguing everything in Calibre including having two formats - mobi and epub (will break DRM if it exists). I'm not sure why I must have an epub of everything as I don't use any ereaders that use epub (Kindle and Kindle app). It's a compulsion I can't fight.

[wyndslash]

giveaways are fun. the private group I'm in in GR regularly features chats with authors, and most usually give away a copy of their latest book. so you imagine i got to be there. the problem is the timezone. the time set is usually very early morning for me. although the upcoming is just so-so. i have to be up on 12 am because the chat is 12 pm eastern time xP

[crich70]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Over 50 days without buying an ebook? Wow... I'm not sure you need the support of this thread, you seem to be doing fine on your own!

It's more a function of being on a limited income than will power, and if you count free books or books that are free with a coupon I bought some just yesterday.

Edit: I did miss one I bought at the start of this month. I forgot that I had bought the Harvard Classics Shelf of Fiction for $2.99. I weakened in the face of a good deal.

[Tome Keeper]

I bought a new one today, but I kinda had to as it was one of my favourite author's works.

Prior to getting a Kindle I spend years and quite a bit of money trying to track down decent copies of his previous out of print work to read. I got hold of quite a few but some were just too expensive so I never got to read them. When I got my Kindle (a good few years later) I found some of his books available so duly downloaded them (all under £4!!) and he keeps adding more, which is great, but means my i'm-not-employed-so-i-should-be-saving-money-for-fuel-rather-than-books policy has fallen to pieces.

I need to stop buying books though, my calibre library took well over an hour to back-up last night!!