Free ( & almost) kindle books

[conachair]

Originally Posted by nitpik

eReaderIQ.com
Too bad, like so many other offerings, it is not available to Canadians!

This one work?

eReaderIQ.com | The Easier, Faster, Smarter Way to Kindle!

[miketo]

Originally Posted by Sunspot Baby

I do think it is terrible to charge $14 for an e-book when they have virtually no production or distribution cost.

Physical production, no. It still costs money for editing, page layout, marketing, more editing, and still more editing. Those are fixed costs that don't go away with e-books.

What I would rather see is the publishing companies bump the price of hardcopy books a couple bucks and include the e-book as part of the deal. I could read the physical item and have the e-book on my reader for when I travel.

[Ex-Calif]

If you have FLOD (Friends or Family Living On Dirt) you can piggy back on their library card.

I have a couplke of F&F that are letting me piggyback.

Libraries are limited in their eBook selections but are getting better all the time.

I you can also register multiple devices with Amazon and iTunes. This has been the most practical way to share eBooks we have purchased. Just download to the desired device.

In regards to the price of eBooks you are not paying for production costs at all. You are paying for the intellectual property for which the seller can set any price the market will bear.

My brother is getting ready to ePublish. Pretty good deal for the writer and a heck of a lot more effecient than paper. It seems the big thing you give up when ePublishing is marketing and some effort on the publishers part to get the book decent shelf positioning in the stores. When you ePublish you are pretty much on your own.

[SaucySailoress]

Just browsing through the other Social Knowledge forums, and I came across this: BookandReader.com - Online Community For Avid Book Readers

Haven't checked it out yet, so don't know how good it is!

[minaret]

Originally Posted by miketo

Physical production, no. It still costs money for editing, page layout, marketing, more editing, and still more editing. Those are fixed costs that don't go away with e-books.

What I would rather see is the publishing companies bump the price of hardcopy books a couple bucks and include the e-book as part of the deal. I could read the physical item and have the e-book on my reader for when I travel.

Apparently you haven't read many ebooks. Generally editing goes right out the window, it's a zero effort on the publishers part deal. Never seen so much horrible or non existent editing as in ebooks, not even in old pulp novels.

[Cheechako]

BTW: on the news last night there is now a Kindle (read only) type device available new for about $6.95 . Apparantly just released in Great Britain.
I have a personal dislike for the whole concept as it's set up, but realize it is what books will be. Why?...Virtually every book I've read in my life that was superb was one given to me by someone else. That way I get things I wouldnt usually pick. That will go away now. For me that would mean I would have only read sailing books all my life! well.... almost only.... When it comes to reading, I ilke being an "accidental tourist" :>)
They used to say books were so expensive because of the printing and weight in shipping. How much are they now that they are electronic?

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

They used to say books were so expensive because of the printing and weight in shipping. How much are they now that they are electronic?

Thousands that are out of copywrite (or were never subject to it) are free. Guttenberg has about 30,000 free titles!
Loads of books (including sailing ones) are only a dollar or two.
I have paid $12 for new releases from favourite authors.

I was initially very resistant to the whole concept of reading books electronically, but I am hooked now and actually prefer it to reading hard copies. I have divided my books into about 20 collections on my Kindle, making acessing them very easy. I can carry my entire library with me wherever I go . It is such a pleasure pulling out my Kindle in some remote location when I am off trekking (or at a waterfront taverna) and reading whatever takes my fancy at the time - I often have a few books on the go simultaneously .

[chris_gee]

There are some e book lending libraries in Australia see http://librariesinteract.info/2010/0...whos-doing-it/ and that list will have grown over the last two years.
There was an issue with some major publishers but that appears to have been resolved.
Please note that they cannot lend books suitable for Kindles outside the USA I believe, so you are looking at say a Kobo. With that you can unofficially translate books purchased from Amazon to a universal rather than Kindle version, although I am not sure why you would bother as there are other retailers even if a bit dearer.
The advantage I find is that I can scan the catalogue and new arrivals and pre-order or reserve books. They can have 8 or more readers waiting for one copy so it takes quite a while in that case. Others are available or have only a week's wait. This is good feedback for the library on demand so I am sure the stock will grow.
Otherwise I tended to just take what physically was on the shelf.
The advantages to me are no trips to the library to borrow or return this being done virtually instantaneously. Better choice even if a bit limited at this stage, as the biggest publishers are now on board. And I have a supply of books on hand for say trips or periods of incapacity with the backup of older free books which I might not otherwise get around to. Since I often read 5 books a week the cost otherwise could climb particularly if buying hot sellers especially since the ability to on-lend them is very restrictive.

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by chris_gee

There are some e book lending libraries in Australia see http://librariesinteract.info/2010/0...whos-doing-it/ and that list will have grown over the last two years.
There was an issue with some major publishers but that appears to have been resolved.

Thanks for the link. The libraries listed are all in QLD and NSW, but you are right, in the last two years the list must have grown. I will do a bit more hunting.

[Livia]

If you are interested in library books be wary of buying a Kindle which does not allow you to load DRM (copyright) protected epub books (a very common library format). You can load non-DRM epub books and some libraries carry kindle versions of ebooks as well as epub. (And yes calibre changes formats but it doesn't strip DRM so it won't do the job here.)

With the Nook (or other e-readers) you can check out DRM epub books.

I am not affiliated with the Nook I just got pissy when Kindle blocked the most common ebook format that public libraries use. Smart of them but very library unfriendly and they did it so that even libraries will have pressure to buy from Amazon.

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by Livia

If you are interested in library books be wary of buying a Kindle which does not allow you to load DRM (copyright) protected epub books (a very common library format). You can load non-DRM epub books and some libraries carry kindle versions of ebooks as well as epub. (And yes calibre changes formats but it doesn't strip DRM so it won't do the job here.)

Hi Livia
Yes, Amazon are annoying at times. I have not used a Nook, but have found the Kindle brilliant, so I have put up with the restrictions.
I will be able to read the library books on my iPad I think.

I am pursuing it further at the moment. I have just gone to my library's website again and found e-books have just become available over the last few weeks. Trying to get a PIN number on my library card now etc. It will be great to have this option for new releases, even if I am waiting in line (I did this anyway with hardcopies at the library when I was back home).

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by Seaworthy Lass

Thousands that are out of copywrite (or were never subject to it) are free. Guttenberg has about 30,000 free titles!
Loads of books (including sailing ones) are only a dollar or two.
I have paid $12 for new releases from favourite authors.

I was initially very resistant to the whole concept of reading books electronically, but I am hooked now and actually prefer it to reading hard copies. I have divided my books into about 20 collections on my Kindle, making acessing them very easy. I can carry my entire library with me wherever I go . It is such a pleasure pulling out my Kindle in some remote location when I am off trekking (or at a waterfront taverna) and reading whatever takes my fancy at the time - I often have a few books on the go simultaneously .

Here's the best use for one!
So papa, how do you like the iPad we got you? - Snotr

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

Here's the best use for one!
So papa, how do you like the iPad we got you? - Snotr

Brilliant! I had a good laugh watching that .
I loved his daughter's expression LOL.

[Livia]

Originally Posted by Seaworthy Lass

Hi Livia
Yes, Amazon are annoying at times. I have not used a Nook, but have found the Kindle brilliant, so I have put up with the restrictions.

I totally agree, the Kindle is better, no contest. Still, I've read so many free, brand-spanking-new books from the library that I'm glad I have a Nook. When I'm in a port for a while, I do the same thing, put my name on the waiting list for a number of new releases and then always have a book available.

[miketo]

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

In regards to the price of eBooks you are not paying for production costs at all. You are paying for the intellectual property for which the seller can set any price the market will bear.

Yes in the case of self-published e-books, but not correct with respect to traditional publishers who put out e-books. Trad houses still edit, layout pages, and market materials; those costs don't disappear because the end product is electrons rather than dead trees.

If a writer chooses to go the self-pub route and do the above tasks at home, that's fine -- but there is still a cost associated with those tasks in terms of time spent doing them. Those costs, as any writer will tell you, are non-trivial and are in addition to the IP value assigned to the work.

I'm not here to champion traditional publishing over self-publishing as there's much not to like about trad publishing (and more building up on the negative side of the scale all the time). As an author, my hackles go up when people say that "E-books have no costs!" That's just not the case, whether the business is run at home or on Fleet Street.