Publishers planning ads in e-books

[kkozoriz1]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703727804576012041836406736.html

That's a sure fire way to get me to stop buying them, Do we really need ads in everything?Do we want these companies knowing what we're reading and when? Bad, bad idea as far as I'm concerned.

 

[ALF]

*shrug*

If that means I get an e-book/magazine/newpaper for free instead of buying, I'm in.

 

[kkozoriz1]

*shrug*

If that means I get an e-book/magazine/newpaper for free instead of buying, I'm in.

You don't remember when cable TV was ad free, do you? Now there's just as many ads as broadcast and the prices have gone up, up, up. You're dreaming if you think that mid to long term this will mean lower prices. It'll be another revenue stream and will get more and more intrusive.

 

[BillJ]

*shrug*

If that means I get an e-book/magazine/newpaper for free instead of buying, I'm in.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Fuck them. I won't buy e-books with ads. Not only is it the principle of the thing, I don't want some damn video popping up right in the middle of when I'm trying to read.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Hilarious. People abuse Pocket Books and Simon & Schuster for not promoting ST books properly, and yet we now have ST readers saying, "No ads in our eBooks."

 

[bfollowell]

I don't like the thought of it but it certainly isn't anything "new". It's more along the lines of what's old is new again. I remember it was common to see ads in mmpb books in the 70s. There would be ads towards the back of the books but there would also be the thicker, paper, add-in, subscription card type ads in the middle. I remember seeing ads for one of those art schools and it seems like I remember seeing cigarette ads as well.

The funny thing is I remember always looking for the old Bantam & Ballantine Star Trek series back then too and begging my mother to buy one for me. Man, I always hated it when my kids begged me for stuff in while shopping.

I guess I'm showing my age.

- Byron

 

[Therin of Andor]

The funny thing is I remember always looking for the old Bantam & Ballantine Star Trek series back then too and begging my mother to buy one for me.

One of the first copies of Blish's "Star Trek 1" I bought in 1980 had the very cool cardboard insert with the collectible Tuttle & Bailey animation cels from Filmation's TAS.

I eventually found a T&B animation cel second hand. Love it, love it, love it!

 

[ST-One]

I really don't see a problem with this.

 

[AN_D_K]

If it's for free then I can live with ads in books. As long as it was just like one page I could quickly skip past. Not on all the time or poppng up. I think if we could choose that version or a one at retail price with no adverts, few would buy it.

But I'd refuse to buy a book with adverts. It's one or the other.

 

[Snaploud]

I could see a compromise wherein an ad only shows up at the beginning of a first-viewing of a book.

 

[bfollowell]

If it's for free then I can live with ads in books. As long as it was just like one page I could quickly skip past. Not on all the time or poppng up. I think if we could choose that version or a one at retail price with no adverts, few would buy it.

But I'd refuse to buy a book with adverts. It's one or the other.

Go and read the article. I didn't see anything in there about them planning to give books away because they put ads in the books. I'll go so far as to say I'm almost certain that will never happen. It'll just be another revenue stream for the publishers and you'll either buy the books with them or do without. The extra revenue they bring in will likely more than make up for any customers they lose. It doesn't mean we have to be happy about it but that's the sad truth.

 

[AN_D_K]

The article does mention free or heavily subsidised.

Also to pick out of the article is the crap ways they are thinking of doing it. Just sticking ads between each chapter. That alone shows that they don't know why they are doing.

They are still thinking in print and pages. It's a digital media. They should be thinking of making the most of advertising around the shopping for the product. Tech-wise ebook formats should be looking into methods of making an ad pop on when you load the book each session rather than appear between chapters.

 

[ALF]

You're dreaming if you think that mid to long term this will mean lower prices.

Sorry, I should have been clearer: I will not pay for any e-book. So if it ain't free, I ain't reading it.

Sadly, though I don't remember cable TV being ad free. Before my time, I guess.

 

[ST-One]

I will not pay for any e-book. So if it ain't free, I ain't reading it.

 

[Snaploud]

I will not pay for any e-book. So if it ain't free, I ain't reading it.

I wouldn't be so surprised. It's not as if we're lacking in free books. Project Guttenberg has over 33,000, and libraries also have options for free e-books.

 

[ST-One]

I will not pay for any e-book. So if it ain't free, I ain't reading it.

I wouldn't be so surprised. It's not as if we're lacking in free books. Project Guttenberg has over 33,000, and libraries also have options for free e-books.

But new releases usually aren't for free.

 

[AN_D_K]

People do realise that the unfortunate people in these trying times who author Star Trek books hoping for their next job and money for a loaf of bread actually visit this forum, right?

Maybe next time in the acknowledgments they can say thanks to TrekBBS except for the following people ...

 

[bfollowell]

The article does mention free or heavily subsidised.

I went back and saw those. Most of the free books it referenced were older, public domain titles that you could get for free anyway. I could see some subsidizing but honestly, I doubt we'd ever see much. I think they'd pocket any extra cash rather than pass it on to the customers.

Look at how much quality has slipped and they seem oblivious to it at best. Concern for their customer is far from the top of their list.

- Byron

 

[ALF]

When not working or gaming I don't like to look at screens.
I like reading but give me paper over a pad any day. I gladly pay for books. They seem more real to me.
I have plenty of Star Trek books and I like the way they look on my shelf.

There's a right way and a wrong way to impose advertising in digital medium to cover costs. It's only logical that marketers would start to experiment with this.

I've noticed free newspapers these days sometimes employ the entire front and back wraparound as the cover... and to me that makes perfect sense. You wouldn't expect that from a daily like The New York Post or The Globe and Mail, would you?

From the article: "Marketers are exploring a variety of formats, including sponsorships that give readers free books."

"It is not the kind of thing where you are reading and a video pops up on the screen," Mr. Altounian says. "If advertising gives access to content that is free or heavily subsidized, then most readers will accept it."

A sponsored book for free? I'd probably hit it.