Ebooks?

[MarciaCat]

And it's fixed! One attempt at purging corrupt files and reinstalling the software. Thank you.

There is a warning that it messes up your library, but that didn't apply to me since it had never worked on my computer.

I'm thrilled! Off to buy some ebooks! Thank you.

You're welcome!

Happy reading!!

 

[JWolf]

I posted this in one of the eReader threads, but I'm new and have lost myself I have a Sony eReader but the software doesn't work on my computer. Sony doesn't know why or how to fix it. I have Vista. Anyone had that issue?

I convert everything to .rtf and it's fine for now. I absolutely love it, use it daily, wouldn't want to be without it. Having a bit more ease with it would be good, however.

TIA

One possible solution is to turn off UAC. UAC is just in the way anyway.

 

[leola]

Thanks, but I don't even know what that is... ???

MobileReader had a link to Sony's tech support that Sony wasn't able to provide to me. I deleted the corrupt files, reinstalled, and have already bought and started reading a book.

 

[JWolf]

Why is it that Simon & Schuster are seriously dropping the ball (major screw ups)? The price listed for Full Circle as an eBook is $9.99 which is more then the cost of the paperback is going to be. Also some Star trek eBooks are priced the same as the pBook or higher. Take Star Trek: Excelsior: Forged in Fire for example. The pBook is listed as $7.99 and yet the eBook is listed as $9.99. Someone on Mobileread mentioned that one of the Star trek eBooks purchased in January 2008 that was out of print was $2.99 and now it's priced at $9.99. Why does S&S not like eBooks and their customers? Do they really think we are stupid enough to purchase eBooks at prices like these?

And it turns out that because S&S has raised their prices, the prices on sites such as Fictionwise and BooksOnBoard and even Amazon have gone up. This is unfair to customers and I do think something needs to be done about it.

 

[DimesDan]

Why is it that Simon & Schuster are seriously dropping the ball (major screw ups)? The price listed for Full Circle as an eBook is $9.99 which is more then the cost of the paperback is going to be. Also some Star trek eBooks are priced the same as the pBook or higher. Take Star Trek: Excelsior: Forged in Fire for example. The pBook is listed as $7.99 and yet the eBook is listed as $9.99. Someone on Mobileread mentioned that one of the Star trek eBooks purchased in January 2008 that was out of print was $2.99 and now it's priced at $9.99. Why does S&S not like eBooks and their customers? Do they really think we are stupid enough to purchase eBooks at prices like these?

And it turns out that because S&S has raised their prices, the prices on sites such as Fictionwise and BooksOnBoard and even Amazon have gone up. This is unfair to customers and I do think something needs to be done about it.

contact them and ask as you have been told repeatedly that no one who uses this board has any influence over those matters.

 

[Marie1]

Why is it that Simon & Schuster are seriously dropping the ball (major screw ups)? The price listed for Full Circle as an eBook is $9.99 which is more then the cost of the paperback is going to be. Also some Star trek eBooks are priced the same as the pBook or higher. Take Star Trek: Excelsior: Forged in Fire for example. The pBook is listed as $7.99 and yet the eBook is listed as $9.99. Someone on Mobileread mentioned that one of the Star trek eBooks purchased in January 2008 that was out of print was $2.99 and now it's priced at $9.99. Why does S&S not like eBooks and their customers? Do they really think we are stupid enough to purchase eBooks at prices like these?

And it turns out that because S&S has raised their prices, the prices on sites such as Fictionwise and BooksOnBoard and even Amazon have gone up. This is unfair to customers and I do think something needs to be done about it.

9.99 is the price for the average ST novel in Canada... so maybe they don't want people somehow getting the books from other countries for the lower price somehow...?

 

[MarciaCat]

Why is it that Simon & Schuster are seriously dropping the ball (major screw ups)? The price listed for Full Circle as an eBook is $9.99 which is more then the cost of the paperback is going to be. Also some Star trek eBooks are priced the same as the pBook or higher. Take Star Trek: Excelsior: Forged in Fire for example. The pBook is listed as $7.99 and yet the eBook is listed as $9.99. Someone on Mobileread mentioned that one of the Star trek eBooks purchased in January 2008 that was out of print was $2.99 and now it's priced at $9.99. Why does S&S not like eBooks and their customers? Do they really think we are stupid enough to purchase eBooks at prices like these?

And it turns out that because S&S has raised their prices, the prices on sites such as Fictionwise and BooksOnBoard and even Amazon have gone up. This is unfair to customers and I do think something needs to be done about it.

contact them and ask as you have been told repeatedly that no one who uses this board has any influence over those matters.

I've tried contacting Simon & Schuster about LIT format availability using their online customer service forms http://www.simonsays.com/content/consumer.cfm?sid=358&app=feedback_shop and http://www.simonandschuster.com/about/contact_us . One promises a response in one to two days the other 4-5; It's been two weeks and I've gotten no response to either. I cannot find and email address anywhere on their revamped website. If you have an e-mail address I could use, please share! It's very frustrating not being able to get an answer.

 

[Trent Roman]

With regards to our earlier conversation about the read feature on digital books, I came across this today:

http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/null__13/null-219029501-1234462477.jpg?ymNsfyADmebMgqzIIt was hardly the most interesting or earth-shaking part of Jeff Bezos's introduction of the Kindle 2 on Monday, but one small, experimental feature in the device is already causing a minor uproar. Specifically: The Kindle 2's text-to-speech function, which will use a computerized voice to read aloud anything displayed on the device's screen. The problem? The Authors Guild says that that's against the law.

The challenge revolves around audiobooks, which are treated separately from printed material from a copyright standpoint. A retailer can't record a copy of a book on a CD and sell it or bundle it along with a novel without paying a separate fee, just as buying a copy of an audiobook doesn't entitle you to a free copy of the printed version.

Rest of the article here: http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/null/121556

I've got to say, this doesn't make much sense to me. I was wondering if some of the authors on the board might chime in to make more sense of the objections raised (unless one thinks it doesn't make much sense too, of course).

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

 

[Marie1]

That is, in my opinion ridiculous. Is it against the law for me to read a book to a blind person? No. So does it matter if its a computer that reads it? Maybe its discrimination to do that to the blind...

 

[Daddy Todd]

Most authors don't make a lot of money, and by unbundling such rights as foreign publication, paperback reprint, e-book, audiobook, etc., they have the opportunity to sell the same work several times. This gives them additional revenues that they will lose if, for example, the entire audiobook industry is killed by Amazon's Kindle.

I have several Baen e-books in the .lit format, and the Microsoft Reader can already read them aloud to me. Frankly, the process sucks. Marginal at best. It sounds like Stephen Hawking's voice synthesizer on the fritz...

I'd lots rather buy an audiobook of William Shatner reading his latest Shatnerverse novel than listen to a marginally-acceptable "reading" created by some voice synthesizer software. Maybe voice synthesis will improve when more people start using it, but I'd still rather have the author (or a skilled reader) reading to me!

 

[DimesDan]

Why is it that Simon & Schuster are seriously dropping the ball (major screw ups)? The price listed for Full Circle as an eBook is $9.99 which is more then the cost of the paperback is going to be. Also some Star trek eBooks are priced the same as the pBook or higher. Take Star Trek: Excelsior: Forged in Fire for example. The pBook is listed as $7.99 and yet the eBook is listed as $9.99. Someone on Mobileread mentioned that one of the Star trek eBooks purchased in January 2008 that was out of print was $2.99 and now it's priced at $9.99. Why does S&S not like eBooks and their customers? Do they really think we are stupid enough to purchase eBooks at prices like these?

And it turns out that because S&S has raised their prices, the prices on sites such as Fictionwise and BooksOnBoard and even Amazon have gone up. This is unfair to customers and I do think something needs to be done about it.

contact them and ask as you have been told repeatedly that no one who uses this board has any influence over those matters.

I've tried contacting Simon & Schuster about LIT format availability using their online customer service forms http://www.simonsays.com/content/consumer.cfm?sid=358&app=feedback_shop and http://www.simonandschuster.com/about/contact_us . One promises a response in one to two days the other 4-5; It's been two weeks and I've gotten no response to either. I cannot find and email address anywhere on their revamped website. If you have an e-mail address I could use, please share! It's very frustrating not being able to get an answer.

Ok, this page is on the British site for Simon & Schuster but I found it in less than 20 seconds! http://www.simonsays.com/content/feature.cfm?sid=286&feature_id=432 You could try and give them a bell and or email them and request contact details for the American branch.

 

[DimesDan]

I've tried contacting Simon & Schuster about LIT format availability using their online customer service forms http://www.simonsays.com/content/consumer.cfm?sid=358&app=feedback_shop and http://www.simonandschuster.com/about/contact_us . One promises a response in one to two days the other 4-5; It's been two weeks and I've gotten no response to either. I cannot find and email address anywhere on their revamped website. If you have an e-mail address I could use, please share! It's very frustrating not being able to get an answer.

Ok, this page is on the British site for Simon & Schuster but I found it in less than 20 seconds! http://www.simonsays.com/content/feature.cfm?sid=286&feature_id=432 You could try and give them a bell and or email them and request contact details for the American branch.

 

[Marie1]

Most authors don't make a lot of money, and by unbundling such rights as foreign publication, paperback reprint, e-book, audiobook, etc., they have the opportunity to sell the same work several times. This gives them additional revenues that they will lose if, for example, the entire audiobook industry is killed by Amazon's Kindle.

I have several Baen e-books in the .lit format, and the Microsoft Reader can already read them aloud to me. Frankly, the process sucks. Marginal at best. It sounds like Stephen Hawking's voice synthesizer on the fritz...

I'd lots rather buy an audiobook of William Shatner reading his latest Shatnerverse novel than listen to a marginally-acceptable "reading" created by some voice synthesizer software. Maybe voice synthesis will improve when more people start using it, but I'd still rather have the author (or a skilled reader) reading to me!

But if it sounds like "Stephen Hawking's voice synthesizer on the fritz" then its not going to kill the entire audiobook industry. Most of those audio books have people with pleasant voices. Doesn't Cliff Simon do it? If you're waiting for the audio book to come out, or if its not going to come out, etc., or you just want it read...

 

[Daddy Todd]

...if it sounds like "Stephen Hawking's voice synthesizer on the fritz" then its not going to kill the entire audiobook industry...

I believe the concern of those who oppose the Kindle voice technology is that it will eventually get better, and then kill the audiobook industry.

I'm not sure there's any way to stop it, short of declining to license books to Amazon for the Kindle, and that ship has already sailed for many authors. I think they feel they should be compensated for Amazon's interference with, and potential destruction of, a valuable ancillary right they have not licensed.

 

[Marie1]

So what we need is... when the technology gets better, for it to be successful because the programs like Kindle are using the people from the audiobook industry... is that possible? Like a joint venture? I guess it may cost more...

 

[Daddy Todd]

In the current environment, it's really tough to try and pry more money out of someone like Amazon, but if they were willing to increase the royalty rate in exchange for "audiobook" rights, then the writers might be willing to sign those rights over to them. Problem solved!

 

[sparky99]

Why is it that Simon & Schuster are seriously dropping the ball (major screw ups)? The price listed for Full Circle as an eBook is $9.99 which is more then the cost of the paperback is going to be. Also some Star trek eBooks are priced the same as the pBook or higher. Take Star Trek: Excelsior: Forged in Fire for example. The pBook is listed as $7.99 and yet the eBook is listed as $9.99. Someone on Mobileread mentioned that one of the Star trek eBooks purchased in January 2008 that was out of print was $2.99 and now it's priced at $9.99. Why does S&S not like eBooks and their customers? Do they really think we are stupid enough to purchase eBooks at prices like these?

And it turns out that because S&S has raised their prices, the prices on sites such as Fictionwise and BooksOnBoard and even Amazon have gone up. This is unfair to customers and I do think something needs to be done about it.

I've been noticing the ludicous increase in prices for ebooks at Simon & Schuster as well (Fictionwise & eReader have gone to the dogs as well recently)... what a JOKE. Speak with your dollars. I've taken all my ebook business elsewere. I've found better prices at deisel-ebooks.com and booksonboard.com. And to be perfectly honest (and somewhat petty) I'll buy ebooks at full list price from someone else before I give it to the company that just jacked the prices through the roof.

I've even bought a few *ack* paper *ack* books recently, because they were cheaper than the ebook versions. Didn't like it, but it saved me a few bucks.

I hope people are smart enough to shop around for their ebooks and maybe, just maybe, S&S ebook sales will take enough of a hit that they will see that their new pricing policy is bad business.

 

[leola]

I've taken all my ebook business elsewere. I've found better prices at deisel-ebooks.com and booksonboard.com. And to be perfectly honest (and somewhat petty) I'll buy ebooks at full list price from someone else before I give it to the company that just jacked the prices through the roof.

Thanks for these links. I'm new to using my Sony eReader software. When I go to the deisel site, the options are Mobi, Adobe, Palm, MSoft.
Is there a better format for me to use on the eReader than Adobe?
TIA.

 

[Claudia]

I've been noticing the ludicous increase in prices for ebooks at Simon & Schuster as well (Fictionwise & eReader have gone to the dogs as well recently)... what a JOKE. Speak with your dollars. I've taken all my ebook business elsewere. I've found better prices at deisel-ebooks.com and booksonboard.com. And to be perfectly honest (and somewhat petty) I'll buy ebooks at full list price from someone else before I give it to the company that just jacked the prices through the roof.

I just considered buying out of print or out of stock (such as Vanguard III) ST-books as ebooks - but the prices are horrendous. What's the justification of a higher price for an ebook than the dead-tree version?!? Does converting a file (I presume the authors submit their work in a textfile) take so much more effort and time than printing millions of books? (/irony off)

Sorry, but if that's the policy I'm definitely never going to be converted to an ebook reader.

 

[ATimson]

I just considered buying out of print or out of stock (such as Vanguard III) ST-books as ebooks - but the prices are horrendous. What's the justification of a higher price for an ebook than the dead-tree version?!? Does converting a file (I presume the authors submit their work in a textfile) take so much more effort and time than printing millions of books? (/irony off)

Sorry, but if that's the policy I'm definitely never going to be converted to an ebook reader.

It's only been policy for two months or so. Ideally, S&S will realize that the drop in sales is because their prices suck, and not that people don't read ebooks. But given the slow increase in pricing over time (I have a bunch of backlist books that I bought for $2-$3 a few years back), I doubt we'll see any sanity in pricing from them.