2024 Shops Poll

[meeera]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Should I buy their stuff directly through Smashwords? Does the publisher get to keep a larger percentage of the funds that way?

I believe so, yes. But if you're not sure, just ask the author or publisher.

" We don't charge for our ebook publishing, conversion and distribution services, and we don't sell publishing packages. We earn our small cut only when your book sells through our distribution network. Our commission is only 15% or less of the net, which works out to 10% of the retail price when your book sells at our retailers. For example, a $10.00 ebook sold at one of our retail partners earns authors $6.00, the retailer earns $3.00 and Smashwords earns $1.00. The same book sold at Smashwords earns the author about $8.00 since Smashwords pays higher rates than most retailers."

https://www.smashwords.com/about/supportfaq

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by meeera

I believe so, yes. But if you're not sure, just ask the author or publisher.

Right on. I'll buy their books from Smashwords directly.

[Cactus Chef]

Primarily Kobo, these days, if only because I prefer to have seamless syncing between my devices.

I still buy the odd Kindle book here and there when Amazon is running a sale that is not matched elsewhere.

[JBaby]

I rarely buy books, but when I do they are almost always indie titles. I try to buy them directly from the author’s website first and if they don’t sell directly then I go to Smashwords. I buy from indie publishers like Angry Robot. I love buying StoryBundles. Purchasing from Amazon is a last resort.

[cfrizz]

I now purchase 100% from Kobo.

[cpegg]

Amazon. The books are (for me, at this moment) the most convenient to purchase and cleanse. If that latter changes I'll have to buy elsewhere. I occasionally purchase from Kobo, Smashwords and, rarely, Baen.

[library addict]

Mostly Kobo, but enough Google Play, Smashwords, and direct from authors that I selected those too.

[ApK]

If by "purchase," you mean acquire, even when they are free, then quite a few of them. I very rarely spend money on ebooks anymore. I consume mostly audiobooks these days, but won't turn down a freebie ebook for the TBR collection if it seems even half-way interesting.

[ucfgrad93]

I buy mainly from Amazon.

[Barty]

Mostly Libby

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Barty

Mostly Libby

You cannot purchase eBooks from Libby. When you do buy eBooks, where you buy them from?

[haertig]

#1 (absolute non-negotiable requirement) for me is the ability to remove DRM. #2 (preference) is selection of books that I like. Currently, my best shot at both of these is Amazon. But I'm certainly not beholden to them. As soon as a different vendor pops up that meets my needs better than Amazon, I'll switch. Or I should say, if another vendor pops up that meets my needs equally as well as Amazon but has something else I desire - better ethics, better prices, etc. - then I will switch as well. I have zero "brand loyalty" to any eBook vendor. You would need "brand loyalty" if you didn't have requirement #1 above, but that doesn't describe me - I would simply stop buying eBooks if I was forced into a walled garden with no DRM removal escape. I already own enough to make it through the rest of my life. I often times wonder why I keep buying more (but I have indeed cut back significantly in recent years).

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by haertig

#1 (absolute non-negotiable requirement) for me is the ability to remove DRM. #2 (preference) is selection of books that I like. Currently, my best shot at both of these is Amazon. But I'm certainly not beholden to them. As soon as a different vendor pops up that meets my needs better than Amazon, I'll switch. Or I should say, if another vendor pops up that meets my needs equally as well as Amazon but has something else I desire - better ethics, better prices, etc. - then I will switch as well. I have zero "brand loyalty" to any eBook vendor. You would need "brand loyalty" if you didn't have requirement #1 above, but that doesn't describe me - I would simply stop buying eBooks if I was forced into a walled garden with no DRM removal escape. I already own enough to make it through the rest of my life. I often times wonder why I keep buying more (but I have indeed cut back significantly in recent years).

You best shot at being able to remove DRM is with ePub. Amazon could deliver KFX with unbreakable DRM if you download via the website if you have a Kindle able to handle KFX. You just don't know what Amazon will do. If you don't have a physical Kindle, then you may not be able to to remove the DRM from everything you download.

[haertig]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Amazon could deliver KFX with unbreakable DRM if you download via the website if you have a Kindle able to handle KFX.

I have a Paperwhite 3, and that's the only Kindle I've ever owned. I download everything from the website via the "Download & transfer via USB". The downloads get liberated just fine, so I assume they're not KFX. I thought I read somewhere that the Paperwhite 3 could handle KFX, but I'm probably wrong about that.

The last book I "bought" from Amazon was the monthly Amazon Prime freebie. That was a few days ago. You buy your one book for $0, but I assume they are DRM'ed just like everything else from Amazon. So my configuration worked fine as of a few days ago.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by haertig

I have a Paperwhite 3, and that's the only Kindle I've ever owned. I download everything from the website via the "Download & transfer via USB". The downloads get liberated just fine, so I assume they're not KFX. I thought I read somewhere that the Paperwhite 3 could handle KFX, but I'm probably wrong about that.

So far the files delivered via "Download & Transfer", no matter for which Kindle, are never KFX. But that could change.