Jul 23 2009
Thursday News Links: More Digital
Kindle sales are now being counted toward bestseller numbers. I hope this goes a long way toward pushing publishers to get their act together and release ebooks in a timely fashion.
Slow web loading speed can be a greater deterrent than anything and can overcome great features or content. This is something I struggle with at Dear Author – the trade off between widgety goodness and fast loading pages. I think it’s a battle I’m losing right now and plan to relaunch at the end of the year, a better faster Dear Author.
Teleread reports the Sony 700 is no longer available through the French store. Mike Cane noticed that the Sony 700 and Dark Blue Sony Reader 505 are gone from the US site. Does that mean the Gen 3 Sony Reader can’t be too far behind?
Twilight is turning ComicCon into a girlfest of sorts as teens descend upon the conference to catch glimpses of Robert Pattison who is scheduled to be on the New Moon Q&A panel.
Wall Street Journal writes about the digital buyer remorse when she finds out the books she bought, she doesn’t really own (which is why I crack the DRM on every book I buy even though it violates the DMCA)
Is the system of patronage returning to the arts? More musicians are producing their work under their own label and getting start up money from successful artists and investors. It’s possible with the rise of digital books that authors as profit centers may grow in both practice and acceptance.
Send to Kindle
Jul 23, 2009 @ 16:46:21
(which is why I crack the DRM on every book I buy even though it violates the DMCA)
Which makes you my hero.
Jul 23, 2009 @ 17:26:17
Umm can you tell me how you crack the DRM? I love to buy ebooks but I hate the fact that the vagaries of publishers can leave me flat out of luck and not owning what I paid for. Please email if you can: myscreenname AT yahoo dot com. Thanks
Jul 23, 2009 @ 22:36:13
re: the Kindle/USA Today list
So, does this mean that even MORE romance will hit the USA Today list? It seems that readers of romance, more than most other genres, have begun to embrace digital technology. I see that shift making the numbers for romance even bigger. What do you think?
And FYI my editor at Kensington said it is now their policy to release all their books on Kindle the day of print releases. Good for that! (Though older books are at the mercy of Amazon, apparently)
Jul 24, 2009 @ 00:11:11
Counting Kindle books towards the best seller list makes sense and I am sure will encourage publishers to issue a Kindle edition. I hope it doesn’t mean more books won’t make it into other formats though – that is so frustrating for readers with Sony and other devices. I am still waiting for The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie. That and the increasing number of books which are geographically restricted is very frustrating.
I sound like a ‘whingeing pom’ but I now find myself a dedicated e-reader!
Jul 24, 2009 @ 02:49:10
Rachel you are joined by a whinging Aussie on those points! ;)
Jul 24, 2009 @ 05:11:50
As someone who has paid a great deal to someone in New Zealand to get hold of a couple of books not available in the US, I totally sympathize. I also look forward to a world market for eBooks (and audiobooks). The frustration does not entirely run one way.
Jul 24, 2009 @ 08:42:29
Just to echo what Anthea says above: It’s Amazon that controls the release date for the Kindle editions. Publishers have to get Amazon the files a certain span ahead of time, but after that, we don’t really have much control.
Jul 24, 2009 @ 11:54:49
I wanted to come and agree with you on the slow-loading web pages problem. With so many users (including me) browsing the web on smartphones, the increasing complexity and busyness of websites, with all the revolving ads, sidebars, javascript etc., is driving me crazy. When I actually find a site that is pretty simple or has a mobile-only site, I remember it and go back to it.
That said, I find Dear Author to be quite good in this respect – the worst offenders IMO are tech/videogame sites and ironically, the Blackberry sites!
Aug 03, 2009 @ 14:35:22
Does anyone know if Sony sales are being counted?
It would seriously peeve me if authors don’t get the credit for the books I buy. I also try to make sure I buy them the first week of release (only a problem with Macmillan imprints in ebook format).