Apr 6 2006
SimonSays Is Doing Something Right With Ebooks
Update: Since this post which was originally written in April 6, 2006, Simon & Schuster has reversed almost all the policies that made it so digitally advanced. They no longer offer early looks at their books via digital sale. The digital format of a print book is released late. Further, they are pricing their digital books in excess of their comparable print versions with no direct discount from the Simon & Schuster website.
It’s sad to see in just a few years how Simon & Schuster has become less innovative and more restrictive.
***
Dear Simon and Schuster:
I could probably blog for a week about how major publishers are screwing up the ebook market with the draconian DRM and the ineffectual websites and the poor pre-release information, and I probably will in the future. I have to say, however, that I was THRILLED to get your newsletter today because you included a link to a book that is going to be released in paper format in a month but is currently available via ebook now! Woo woo for me. I rushed over and bought Julia London’s ebook and not because I am excited to read Julia London’s book but because I wanted to support that the fact that this idea rocks.
Go you.
Best regards,
Jane
P.S. I really appreciate you pricing all your ebooks at 40% off. That makes it much more palatable to swallow the draconian drm.
Send to Kindle
Apr 07, 2006 @ 21:08:08
Oooh yes, that is mighty swell of them :) And I actually did want this!
::dashes off to acquire for oneself::
Publishing Industry Responds To Digital Disruption By Delaying eBook Availability « WiredPen
Dec 09, 2009 @ 11:37:03
[...] This latest artificially-imposed scarcity is ironic, given that publishers have successfully stymied the growth of the ebook market by removing the property rights associated with owning a printed book: it’s not possible to resell the ebook, it’s not possible to “gift” the ebook after reading it, it’s not possible to share the ebook with family members (except by sharing the reader itself). Some people dub this draconian DRM. [...]