07-22-2014, 03:34 PM | #31 | |||||||
Ex-Helpdesk Junkie
Posts: 19,422
Karma: 85397180
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: The Beaten Path, USA, Roundworld, This Side of Infinity
Device: Kindle Touch fw5.3.7 (Wifi only)
|
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
|
|||||||
07-22-2014, 05:59 PM | #32 |
eBook Enthusiast
Posts: 85,544
Karma: 93383043
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: UK
Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6
|
Can you name one of these "many countries", please? I've certainly never heard of a country "not allowing American style DRM".
|
07-22-2014, 07:21 PM | #33 |
Basculocolpic
Posts: 4,356
Karma: 20181319
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Sweden
Device: Kindle 3 WiFi, Kindle 4SO, Kindle for Android, Sony PRS-350 and PRS-T1
|
How well has unlimited streaming like Spotify, Pandora Rdio etc, served musicians? Will unlimited streaming of books serve authors the same way?
|
07-22-2014, 10:19 PM | #34 | |
Grand Master of Flowers
Posts: 2,201
Karma: 8389072
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Naptown
Device: Kindle PW, Kindle 3 (aka Keyboard), iPhone, iPad 3 (not for reading)
|
Quote:
(Apple's walled garden, by contrast, only allows you to use apps bought from Apple on your iphone or iPad). |
|
07-22-2014, 10:22 PM | #35 |
Grand Master of Flowers
Posts: 2,201
Karma: 8389072
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Naptown
Device: Kindle PW, Kindle 3 (aka Keyboard), iPhone, iPad 3 (not for reading)
|
But 80% of the e-book market is in the US; the UK is the largest European market, where Amazon has an even bigger marketshare. The remaining EU countries still have very small e-book penetration. It's starting to change in Germany, but they are still only 5% e-books.
|
07-23-2014, 06:44 AM | #36 | |
Grand Sorcerer
Posts: 11,732
Karma: 128354696
Join Date: May 2009
Location: 26 kly from Sgr A*
Device: T100TA,PW2,PRS-T1,KT,FireHD 8.9,K2, PB360,BeBook One,Axim51v,TC1000
|
Quote:
But unlike musicians who are have no control over "airplay", the indie publishers can pull the titles that make up the bulk of the KU catalog at a moment's notice. That ensures that if the payout is not satisfactory they can limit the damage. On the other hand, the indie publishers can choose what they put up and how it is packaged. Many offer up brand-building permafree and $0.99 titles anyway so those will likely stay and they may choose to unbundle anthologies or convert episodic novels into serials... KU is an entirely different distribution channel than anything we've seen before because of the combination of pool payout and flat-fee consumer pricing. It will likely evolve its own dynamics and best practices for authors. Like, "don't put up your top seller", "don't put up omnibus editions or anthologies", "do put up prequel shorts". Amazon controls the channel but the publishers control the books so their exposure to harm is limited. Last edited by fjtorres; 07-23-2014 at 06:48 AM. |
|
07-23-2014, 07:11 AM | #37 |
Grand Sorcerer
Posts: 11,732
Karma: 128354696
Join Date: May 2009
Location: 26 kly from Sgr A*
Device: T100TA,PW2,PRS-T1,KT,FireHD 8.9,K2, PB360,BeBook One,Axim51v,TC1000
|
Everybody focuses on the Kindle ebook format(s) and DRM when looking at the Kindle ecosystem and neglect to factor in the rest of the system. Whispernet and KDP are as important to the success of Kindle as their ebookstore interfaces, review system, and customer policies. And more so than their (optional) DRM and supported formats.
KU is a new piece of the system but its long term viability hinges on how it fits into the entire package, not what it does by itself. You can't just pick and choose what parts you want because the viability of the entire system hinges on the total package. KU is almost certainly going to be a money loser for Amazon for at least the first three months because of the trial subscribers and Audible credits. What makes it a worthehile investment for Amazon is that since KU is kindle exclusive, it will strengthen the total Kindle ecosystem and draw in new customers both from ebook fence-sitters, who haven't bought ereaders yet, and from phone/tablet readers who might otherwise be tempted to go with iBooks or play. Supporting people unwilling to commit to the Kindle ecosystem would be a waste of money and, instead of strengthening the system would weaken it. Amazon isn't in business to provide free reads, they're in business to make money for themselves and their suppliers. Everything in life is tradeoffs of one kind or another--so here's one: you want access to unlimited Kindle books? Get a Kindle device or app. It's not an unreasonable deal. Last edited by fjtorres; 07-23-2014 at 07:14 AM. |
07-23-2014, 07:31 AM | #38 | |
Wizard
Posts: 1,090
Karma: 6058305
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: UK
Device: Kindle Paperwhite
|
Quote:
Otherwise I agree that there are enough differences between KU and Pandora/Spotify/etc that it won't necessarily be as bad a deal for authors as they are for musicians. I think we'll have to wait for a definite answer to that question. |
|
07-23-2014, 07:37 AM | #39 |
Zealot
Posts: 138
Karma: 3651501
Join Date: Dec 2013
Device: Kindle Paperwhite 2, Gray Kindle Basic
|
Once again we are faced with another thread where EPUB fans evangelize their format of choice while ignoring that EPUB and MOBI are basically the same thing in nearly every way.
They're interchangeable. They're both bundles of HTML, sometimes with DRM. Amazon has a walled garden ecosystem. Barnes and Noble has a walled garden ecosystem. Kobo has a walled garden ecosystem. All of these can be circumvented with Calibre in various ways. There's no reason for Amazon to sell EPUB - it wouldn't make the market more consistent because EPUB is already fragmented. They're functionally identical to the users and offer no tangible benefit. |
07-23-2014, 08:14 AM | #40 | |
Grand Sorcerer
Posts: 11,732
Karma: 128354696
Join Date: May 2009
Location: 26 kly from Sgr A*
Device: T100TA,PW2,PRS-T1,KT,FireHD 8.9,K2, PB360,BeBook One,Axim51v,TC1000
|
Quote:
And as for "90 days at a time" my understanding is "90 days *minimum*". If an author chooses they can stay 120 days or 95... Or a year. I thought being in Select is an ongoing thing... But either way, as I said, they can minimize the harm if they don't feel the pay out is sufficient, unlike with music where the author has no power at all. One of the many reasons Anazon is doing KU is they really don't like distributing free books and are looking to wean the market off permafree. So I doubt the KU payout will go much lower than fifty cents, which is the payout on $0.99 titles. It will likely go higher but unless they tier the payouts by title length (x cents per thousand words would be an interesting model) full indie novels might grow a tad scarce in KU. Lots of ways the thing can go, both right and wrong... |
|
07-23-2014, 08:17 AM | #41 |
Grand Sorcerer
Posts: 11,732
Karma: 128354696
Join Date: May 2009
Location: 26 kly from Sgr A*
Device: T100TA,PW2,PRS-T1,KT,FireHD 8.9,K2, PB360,BeBook One,Axim51v,TC1000
|
As a wise person round these parts once said; "People don't buy epub, they buy ebooks."
|
07-23-2014, 08:22 AM | #42 | |||
Wizard
Posts: 1,090
Karma: 6058305
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: UK
Device: Kindle Paperwhite
|
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
|
|||
07-23-2014, 09:05 AM | #43 | |
Resident Curmudgeon
Posts: 73,657
Karma: 127838196
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts
Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3
|
Quote:
|
|
07-23-2014, 09:07 AM | #44 | |
Guru
Posts: 861
Karma: 3543721
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Estonia
Device: Kindle Paperwhite, iPad 3, Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
|
Quote:
I gather several authors already did that and their KDP Select status was ended right away (or as soon as the support service got around to it, I suppose). Of course I don't know if that option is only in place now, when KU is a brand new thing, to allow authors to "opt out" (since KDP Select authors didn't get a say about it when the program was announced but were opted in automatically). |
|
07-23-2014, 09:29 AM | #45 |
monkey on the fringe
Posts: 45,460
Karma: 158151390
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Seattle Metro
Device: Moto E6, Echo Show
|
|
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Amazon's love-hate for Kindle porn | Alexander Turcic | News | 75 | 08-05-2013 08:54 PM |
The Biblio File call-in talk show podcast: The Amazon/Macmillan Affair | Robotech_Master | News | 2 | 02-06-2010 10:17 PM |
Love my Kindle, I should work for Amazon | lifeskills | Introduce Yourself | 6 | 01-22-2010 08:41 AM |
$1 for USA-Kindle from amazon: Love in a Time of Zombies by Paul Gude | Xia | Deals and Resources (No Self-Promotion or Affiliate Links) | 1 | 11-02-2009 09:06 AM |