03-17-2010, 04:02 PM | #91 |
Maria Schneider
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Until I started reading a few forums over the last year, I had NO idea how hard it was to get books in Australia--and how expensive. I don't live there and only get bits and pieces of it, but it sounds like protectionism went way too far and makes it nearly impossible to get a lot of books from other countries without paying an arm and a leg. It's too bad. I know of a couple of australian authors that would love to be pub'd in the US too, but it's like we don't all speak English or something. Way too difficult for something that should be very easy.
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03-17-2010, 06:44 PM | #92 |
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I had an Aussie roommate in college and I might have to challenge whether or not He spoke English! =) But really at times it is hard to see the developement of a global economy when these strange trade restrictions can be overcome by something as simple as book rights in other countries. My god this is just entertainment and information, we would want that kind of thing entering our boarders.
You have a book I want, here is my money, thanks for the book. It seems like it should be easy. |
03-17-2010, 07:35 PM | #93 | |
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The strangest protectionist thing I ever saw was Maryland potatoes having low prices, and Idaho potatoes, usually very cheap, cost more. I asked my then employer and he said Maryland had a tariff on non-Maryland potatoes to protect Maryland potatoes. I didn't like the taste. So bought Idaho potatoes anyway. As for books, I don't see the problem. I would like to read Australian authors' works. The seller can pay the money to the author and publisher, and send me the book. |
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03-17-2010, 10:01 PM | #94 |
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The "Agency" system won't affect my buying habits. The price of e-books will.
I'm on a budget and very price sensitive. There are a handful of authors (Bujold pops to mind) for which I would swallow hard, and pay full hardback prices. But for most authors I won't. If e-books aren't cheaper than the paper book, I won't be buying them. I just went over and bought 2 books from Baen; they were 6$ each and they don't have DRM. That's the kind of price I can afford. But I don't think I'm going to be buying many 15$ McMillans. Maybe the McMillan price really will drop when the books go to paperback. Wake me in a year and we'll check together, okay? In the meantime, there are lovely Mobileread and Manybooks classics, promotional freebies and the Baen Free Library. |
03-18-2010, 10:38 PM | #95 |
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I just won't buy MacMillan books - I'll get them from alternative sources.
No e-book is worth more than $10.00. Everything is data transfer; there are no printing or transportation costs incurred. As much as I'm enjoying ebooks, it is still a lesser reading experience, IMO, than reading and having an actual physical book. |
03-18-2010, 11:29 PM | #96 | |
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Also, please note that with both an eBook and a pBook, production costs are not a big factor in determining how much to charge. Most of the cost of a book is marketing, paying the author, and paying the bookstore. Finally as I am sure you are not threatening to steal a product because it costs too much, I (and the publisher) encourage you to use the Library, and share your love of a book with your friends, who will hopefully buy it and support authors writing quality books. I do empathize with the lesser reading experience sentiment. The lack of ligatures, real hyphenation and justification, and low resolution drive me nuts. That having said, I can hardly read that small print in a pBook anymore, and it is way too much exercise to turn a page. The experience of hearing the book in my head is worth the same to me, in the end, regardless of how it gets there. |
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03-19-2010, 12:52 PM | #97 |
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I don't think I will change what I buy but it might change when I buy it.
http://www.csdaley.com/2010/01/amazon-slap-down.html http://www.csdaley.com/2010/01/book-...goes-boom.html |
03-19-2010, 02:27 PM | #98 | |
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Thanks! |
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03-19-2010, 04:34 PM | #99 |
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I have read about 8,000 to 10,000 books on many different subjects over my lifetime.
Some I felt were way over priced. Particularly the past 5-7 years. Some were priced correctly for the amount and type of content. Many of the recent computer technical books seemed of rather poor quality text. Lots of graphics, claimed big names on the cover, but they were mostly fluff. Little actual content. The cover clamied it would teach me certain things. That particular subject was barely covered in the book. That would happen in many of the technical books I read in the past 5-7 years. Wrox has good computer books. So I now read those. For fictional works. I paid 95 cents for the first sf paperbacks I purchased. 25 cents for magazines. The books were new when I bought them. Most of them I felt were a good price. Those authors were paid by the word. About 5 years ago I stopped buying new sf books. I would read them, and felt the story was of por quality. Happened over and over. I bought reprints of a Heinlien, Asimov, and other authors who have been honered by being called "Masters' by sf community. Even their early works shows quality. More recent authors, and I don't claim to have read all of the new sf authors, just don't write as well. I'll spend money on an author's work if they produce good work. I wont spend the money on drek. And I certainly wont spend more money on an ebook than the paperback version costs. The local bookstore clerks know me rather well. I spent over $1,000 on books and music there last year. Computer books, Dilbert and other such cartoons like Bucky Cat, New Age, Japanese language, history, Native American, etc. If an ebook publisher wants part of that money, they will have to lower prices. Web sites and domain names are cheap these days. I just don't see any justification for charging $10 for an ebook, and less for the same in paperback. |
03-19-2010, 06:40 PM | #100 | |
Maria Schneider
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03-19-2010, 09:23 PM | #101 |
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I have some of their books in paperback.
Its not the old school I need, its stories with a plot and characters. I read Asmiov's magazine for years, along with Analog, and some of the other sf magazines. Don't remember titles off hand though. I have read stories I wasn't sure what was going on, but they had characters and were interesting. |
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