Amazon Matchbook

[dansigal]

Not sure if people have seen or read about Amazon's new Kindle Matchbook program, but I think it's pretty cool. http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1001373341

It looks like for anywhere from free to $2.99, you will be able to purchase a digital copy of any book you've purchased from Amazon dating back to 1995 (i.e. every book you've ever purchased from Amazon) and through the future.

This has always been my biggest complaint about ebooks, it really does not cost them anything to produce, so why not give away a digital copy with the purchase of a hardcopy, the way a lot of movies and music albums do. Frankly, I think it encourages people to purchase the e-readers.

I actually have a lot of Trek lit I've purchased, but have not yet read that I'm excited to take advantage of this program with. I'm hoping its closer to the free side than the $2.99.

 

[Markonian]

That's a nice idea!

Momentarily, I'm trying to get rid off my dead tree books, and slowly want to swap my entire ST literature with eBooks. This could be a boon.

 

[jpv2000]

Yeah, it's a great program for all who like to read digital.

I'm still old school. I like the feel of a book in my hands when reading.

 

[Mimi]

Really excited about this. I bought an ipad several months ago, and I can't go back. Its so nice to have all of your books on hand, ready to read. My shelf space can be better reserved for really nice editions, and art books.

From what I've read however, its an opt in service. So unfortunately, not every book is going to apply for the reduced prices.

 

[dansigal]

Really excited about this. I bought an ipad several months ago, and I can't go back. Its so nice to have all of your books on hand, ready to read. My shelf space can be better reserved for really nice editions, and art books.

From what I've read however, its an opt in service. So unfortunately, not every book is going to apply for the reduced prices.

Ah, that's a little disappointing. But I guess we'll see...

 

[Relayer1]

Hope it spreads to the UK.

At the moment it's like buying a CD but not being able to put it on your Ipod...

 

[John Clark]

I know Baen used to provide a CD with some of the hard back editions of their novels (and not just of the book you'd just bought).

I can see certain publishers not opting in but I like the idea for when I'm on the move. (Again, assuming it comes to the UK).

 

[Mimi]

One thing that will be interesting to see is whether or not amazon reduced prices will impact your opportunity to purchase the ebook variant. You can get books that sell for upwards of twenty dollars on the shelf for half that cost on amazon.

So, by that logic, you could end up purchasing an ebook and a hard copy for less than the shelf value price.

 

[T'Ressa Dax]

Not sure if people have seen or read about Amazon's new Kindle Matchbook program, but I think it's pretty cool. http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1001373341

It looks like for anywhere from free to $2.99, you will be able to purchase a digital copy of any book you've purchased from Amazon dating back to 1995 (i.e. every book you've ever purchased from Amazon) and through the future.

This has always been my biggest complaint about ebooks, it really does not cost them anything to produce, so why not give away a digital copy with the purchase of a hardcopy, the way a lot of movies and music albums do. Frankly, I think it encourages people to purchase the e-readers.

I actually have a lot of Trek lit I've purchased, but have not yet read that I'm excited to take advantage of this program with. I'm hoping its closer to the free side than the $2.99.

Same here. I've got some old books that are so battered and discolored I don't even like to touch them. So there a lot of books I haven't read for a while.

 

[Snaploud]

I hope Star Trek books become a part of this program. There are a ton of books I've been thinking of re-buying in e-book form. Luckily, a good number of them were purchased via amazon (though, perhaps a relatively small percentage of the total).

Question: does this program cover "new" quality books purchased by Amazon's third-party sellers? How about used books?

 

[JD]

This is a really cool idea, I hope Barnes & Noble will do something similar.

 

[Stoek]

My wife is committed to physical books. I'm committed to e-books. Sometimes we will both pick up the same book to read together. This would be nice as it will reduce the over all price of this sometimes.

 

[ronny]

Yeah, it's a great program for all who like to read digital.

I'm still old school. I like the feel of a book in my hands when reading.

Not sure why people who don't like ebooks feel the need to tell everybody they don't like ebooks every time ebooks are mentioned. Thanks info.

 

[JWolf]

Yeah, it's a great program for all who like to read digital.

I'm still old school. I like the feel of a book in my hands when reading.

Not sure why people who don't like ebooks feel the need to tell everybody they don't like ebooks every time ebooks are mentioned. Thanks info.

Insecurity. It's like a security blanket.

jpv2000, eBooks are BOOKS. Get over it please. And the one thing you get from an eBook that you do not get from a paper book is a consistent feel as long as you read using the same device. With a pBook, you get hardcover, and various paperbacks that all feel different. The new taller/thinner paperbacks that were created to be able to raise the paperback prices feel like an abomination in the hand. So how anyone could say they like the feel is just beyond understanding.

 

[Mimi]

Question: does this program cover "new" quality books purchased by Amazon's third-party sellers? How about used books?

My guess would be probably not, although it would certainly be nice. Given how low the price of used books can go [and the fact that publishers don't get a cut], they'll probably be exempt.

But on the other hand, its still a chance for an author to make extra money off of a sale they would have not gotten anything from in the first place...

 

[jpv2000]

Yeah, it's a great program for all who like to read digital.

I'm still old school. I like the feel of a book in my hands when reading.

Not sure why people who don't like ebooks feel the need to tell everybody they don't like ebooks every time ebooks are mentioned. Thanks info.

Insecurity. It's like a security blanket.

jpv2000, eBooks are BOOKS. Get over it please. And the one thing you get from an eBook that you do not get from a paper book is a consistent feel as long as you read using the same device. With a pBook, you get hardcover, and various paperbacks that all feel different. The new taller/thinner paperbacks that were created to be able to raise the paperback prices feel like an abomination in the hand. So how anyone could say they like the feel is just beyond understanding.

Whoa, whoa. I have absolutely nothing against eBooks. I personally prefer paper books. I said in my post it was a "great program" and I meant that.

In these days when fewer and fewer people, most especially young people, are not reading at all I'm 100% for anything that gets more people reading.

I'm sorry my post was misunderstood.

 

[Mimi]

Nothing wrong with preferring paper or digital! In fact, I'd say a program like this actually encourages ebook readers to purchase the occasional hardcopy, and paperback readers to try out digital. Everyone goes home happy.

I really do like regular books, its just a matter of space and convenience. A lot of times I'll buy a hardcopy of a book I enjoyed in digital, so my shelf space is used up by books I generally like.

 

[BritishSeaPower]

I've ended up picking up more physical comics because they come with a digital download code, so this model bodes pretty well for me buying more books. I, too, am curious about the used/new thing, as I don't think I've ordered too many Trek novels through Amazon over years. I tend to pick them up at bookstores or used shops.

 

[Corran Horn]

Hope Simon & Schuster opts in. I have more than a few older Trek PBs I wouldn't mind having in my kindle to save on some shelf space.

 

[Corran Horn]

This went live today - nothing Trek (yet?) but I had a couple Crichton titles I went for. Out of probably a few hundred books I've gotten via amazon I only had 5 eligible so far.