Bonus is not a bonus

[JSWolf]

Why is it that most eBooks that tout having bonus material isn't actually giving us anything that's a bonus? All it is usually is just a excerpt from the next book in the series or the newest book from the author. Why call it a bonus when calling it an excerpt it more honest? I don't think bloating the eBook with a preview is a bonus. I always strip the bonus excerpt out because for one, it gives an incorrect word count as it's not part of the book I am going to be reading.

It's a marketing ploy that's a lie.

[Apache]

Welcome to sales. That is a popular sales technique otherwise known as lying.
Apache

[theducks]

It is called 'Spin'

The FTC will/has come down hard on outright lies.

Paper books would use ads to fill out a signature
e-books use the bonuses to fill out weak byte counts

[DiapDealer]

"Bonus" excerpts have been around long before ebooks. I think it's a little silly to get bent out of shape over what they call the "extra" material. As is worrying about "bloat" in archives that are mostly less than a megabyte in size.

Besides. I DO consider excerpts to be bonus material. So there. No one's lying after all.

[Demingy]

I have to agree with this, especially the skewing of book length. The worst one I saw was a few months ago (unfortunately can't think of the title right now). I was really surprised when I got to the end of the book and noticed that I was only 72% (!) through the book. All the rest of it was a long author bio, 2-3 chapter excerpt for the next book, and reviews of the book from other authors and publications with the "headline" of each review in gigantic font.

Originally Posted by Apache

Welcome to sales. That is a popular sales technique otherwise known as lying.

Sales people seem to have a peculiar mindset, so that promotional material may actually be a genuine bonus in their mind. I would not be surprised in the slightest if they see this as a value added proposition for both the consumer and themselves.

That said, I have seen at least one book with a standalone short story added to the end.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by BWinmill

That said, I have seen at least one book with a standalone short story added to the end.

I have seen a number of these. Generally the standalone ebook is available separately, in case you feel the publisher deserves more money.

That seems a fair "bonus" to me.

[Phogg]

If you buy nonfiction, sometimes there is a bonus section of photographs.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Demingy

I have to agree with this, especially the skewing of book length. The worst one I saw was a few months ago (unfortunately can't think of the title right now). I was really surprised when I got to the end of the book and noticed that I was only 72% (!) through the book. All the rest of it was a long author bio, 2-3 chapter excerpt for the next book, and reviews of the book from other authors and publications with the "headline" of each review in gigantic font.

Yes, I agree. It skews the percentage and the page count.

So I think I'm not done yet and I then find out I'm done. This is why I strip out the "so called" bonus material that is nothing more then an excerpt. I do leave in things like author interview and other stuff that's not an excerpt of another book. I also strip out reviews of the book. I already have the book, so why do I care what reviews said? I don't.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by BWinmill

That said, I have seen at least one book with a standalone short story added to the end.

That's a bonus. An excerpt is not.

[Froide]

Content everyone would agree was "bonus" material used to be shown at live performances and cinemas. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double...gin_and_format

[burnafterreading]

hmm, i just read a book until the book finishes. i don't bother to look at what page i'm at. isn't that how a book should be read? what's the big deal if there's 57 pages of other crap after the story you're reading has clearly finished and the next page you turn to isn't related to the book? at that point, you ignore the rest of the book since you've clearly completed reading it.

[mr ploppy]

It's done to give people a longer sample so they can be sure it's what they want before they buy, but with KU payments being based on someone reading past the sample you'll be less likely to see it in the future. Unless they put it at the front instead.

[patrickt]

So, we have spin and lying. It could be worse. If it were politics, you'd be told you were getting a bonus when half the book was missing and you had to pay to get it.

I suppose there are innocents who expect honesty, openness, dare I say transparency, in marketing and politics.

[rixte]

Originally Posted by burnafterreading

hmm, i just read a book until the book finishes. i don't bother to look at what page i'm at. isn't that how a book should be read? what's the big deal if there's 57 pages of other crap after the story you're reading has clearly finished and the next page you turn to isn't related to the book? at that point, you ignore the rest of the book since you've clearly completed reading it.

I just like to know how much of a book is left. Sometimes for practical reasons (should I push through to the end before bed or just finish it in the morning? ) but mostly just because I like to KNOW - to start my mental wrap up of the characters/story before I leave them. If it ends unexpectedly, it's a bit of a jolt, even if the story itself wrapped up, because I don't always get closure ... I prepared for a 'more' that didn't come.