Comments on: two free kindle books, additional details on amazon vs macmillan

By: switch11

switch11 — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 23:50:40 +0000

you’re welcome Amy. Unlimited supply when a book is selling well is a very good point.

Publishers seem to have spent a lot of time talking up the costs of ebooks (formatting, etc.) without talking at all about all the benefits.

By: Robert

Robert — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 19:29:14 +0000

Does Macmillan really think that I am going to buy a hardback instead of waiting 7 months for a $15 ebook? That is, if I still remember the book exists after seven weeks. I am mostly weaned from paper books with my iPod audio books at audible.com and ebooks at Kindle/Amazon. My pattern is to keep two books going – one on iPod, the other on Kindle. I listen when in the car alone (it is impossible to coordinate two people on an audio book), sorting socks or engaged in similar mindless tasks, and when doing exercises that preclude reading my Kindle – such as riding an elliptical or recumbent bike.

Point is: I search for and buy books when one of my two books is completed (an all to arduous task). If a book is not available in one of the two formats, then on to another. Macmillian is losing a sale and not gaining anything by delaying seven weeks. I am not going to buy a hardback. They haven’t a clue about reader/listener habits.

Macmillan thinks that the habits of readers buying hardbacks instead of waiting for the paperback translates to they will buy hardbacks instead of having to wait for an ebook.

Interestingly, I downloaded the audio of Macmillian’s Sarah’s Key yesterday from Audible (an Amazon subsidiary). Apparently Amazon hasn’t withdrawn Macmillian audio books .

Macmillian executives would fit right in the U.S. House of Representatives or Senate. Same mindset. Go Amazon!

I love Apple as a stockholder, and as a mac and iPod user, but there is no way I could use an iPad on an exercise machine.

By: Amy Stewart

Amy Stewart — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 19:25:22 +0000

Another real advantage of e-books: In addition to not having to deal with unsold books and returns, there is also an unlimited supply–which means that when a book is hot, publishers don’t have to scramble to keep up with demand. I know several authors who have seen their book sell out at a critical moment, and they worry that it will lose momentum as a result.

This is particularly true of time-sensitive books–for instance, a friend who wrote a popular children’s book about Thanksgiving saw it sell out in mid-November. Having more books in the warehouse in December won’t help her much.

Thanks for all your thoughtful posts.