“Thoughtful Ramblings” is a feature where we discuss bookish subjects. These posts are just our own thoughts about certain topics that may get us hot under the collar and we need a good rant or just things we want to share with fellow bloggers and readers.
A Few Notes on the Ebook Industry
There’s quite a bit of debate amongst book lovers about eReaders, as to whether they’re a good thing or not. Many loving the feel of paper more than that of a digital screen.
It’s been five months since I’ve purchased mine. And mostly I haven’t regretted my decision at all. The storage and handbag space is worth the money on its own. As we cannot get the Nook in the UK, after much deliberation I chose to go for a Sony rather than the Kindle.
However, in this five months I’ve come to discover there are a few frustrations with being an eReader owner, maybe it’s the device I’ve chosen or maybe it’s because I live in the UK. But I thought I would share them to see if these are problems shared with others.
There’s been a lot of articles recently on the problem of book piracy. It’s not an unusual subject, when mp3 players became popular we saw the same issues in the music industry. There are a small group of people who seem to believe as there is no perceived victim that downloading free music or books is not really theft.
Last month Thomas Emson featured on ‘Where Stories Are Made’ and he discussed the fact that he had to work another job in order to a carry on being an author. It really brought it home to me the fact that unless you’re lucky enough to be the next JK Rowling or Stephen King, most writers aren’t wealthy.
On her blog Shiloh Walker spoke of the problem of piracy. It’s a very good article and definitely worth a read. But in it she states:
“Now I don’t see me hanging up my writer’s hat any time soon. But… I have ended a series. The deciding factors were money and piracy.”
The idea of my favourite author writing less books or discontinuing a beloved series because of piracy appalls me. Books are one of the most important things in my life, a slightly dramatic statement, but I would rather give up TV, films & chocolate, yes chocolate before I gave up books. Imagine not knowing if Bella chose Edward or Jacob or if Harry could beat Lord Voldemort and I’m sure there are plenty of series’ we’d all be devastated not to know the end of.
So, to get back to the matter at hand: some of the problems I’ve encountered with ereader ownership.
One of my biggest frustrations is how slowly ebooks seem to take to come to market. There have been three new books out from some of my favourite authors lately that I want out to buy: the new Kate Daniels by Ilona Andrews, ‘Bullet’ by Laurell K Hamilton & the new edition to Rachel Morgan’s adventures by Kim Harrison. All of these books are available to buy if I don’t mind having a printed copy. But, after hunting around and on one occasion buying the book and then being told I’m not eligible to download it in the UK after, I have been unable to purchase a digital copy.
I have also been on the hunt for one of Diana Gabladon’s books to take on holiday. If you’ve ever read her books you’ll know they’re quite large and after paying for excess baggage last year I have vowed only to take my eReader with me this time round. But, I’ve been unable to find it.
So thinking back to the problem of piracy, just out of curiosity I did a quick google search for ‘free Diana Gabaldon ebooks’ to see what results I’d discover. Inevitably, while I may not be able to purchase a legitimate digital version I can easily download a pirate version for free.
I’d really be interested in a publisher’s feedback on this one, but I really don’t understand if you can purchase a hard, printed copy of a book why it’s not even easier to distribute a digital copy?
Another perplexing thing is the price of ebooks. Let’s take Stephanie Meyer’s latest book ‘The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner’ as an example if I bought it from Amazon as a hard back at the moment it would cost me £5.98. Looking across three ebook sites the prices of this were £7.99, £5.98 and £10.74. So, in all but one instance the ebook is more expensive than the printed copy. For the most part this baffles me.
Now, I understand that there are many costs associated with ebooks that would be shared with a normal book. But surely there are no printing, binding & distribution costs to be taken into consideration. So like mp3 downloads, realistically I would expect these to be cheaper?
It occurs to me that maybe I’m being naive and I’ve written this article to incite discussion. So, I’m more than happy to be educated. But it seems that if the industry tackled the problem of ebook availability and price, then perhaps it would help reduce the amount of book piracy? Which is in the interests of book lovers, authors, editors and publishers alike.
This is just my experience in the UK with a Sony eReader. I’ve recently purchased an iPad and this has given me access to Amazon’s kindle app. I’ve not really used it yet, but I have had a look around in the Kindle store. From my very early experience with it, it seems that while the prices look more reasonable than I have seen, availability particularly in the UK still seems a problem.
My plea to any reader thinking of downloading a book illegally would be please don’t do it, or you may contribute to damaging the industry we all love so much. But equally I would say to publishers, let me buy the books I want/need to read at a fair price and at the same time they’re released in print. Thank you.
16 Comments
With services out there like Smashwords, which will turn a digital text file into an eBook being offered for free, there is no reason other than contractual that an author's book should not be available in digital form. I've heard horror stories from many indie authors about their publishers barring the author from releasing an eBook, or charging the author to release the eBook. It's almost like they don't want money unless it comes from their very narrow funnel. But there really is no excuse these days for not allowing an eBook to be published, especially on new books. And pricing should never exceed the price of the mass market version, even if the book is only available in hardcover.
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I think your access issues are more about being in the UK than about actual availability. I don't know why they have different rules for different countries, but books like the new Laurell K. Hamilton were available almost immediately on Kindle.
As for piracy, you might be interested it a different author's perspective. J.A. Konrath has been very vocal about the issue: http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/.....again.html. His feelings can basically be summed up as "people who pirate weren't going to buy the book anyway".
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I was so excited when the Kindle was released internationally. I thought I'd wait awhile for the price to come down. I'm glad I did. I'm in Canada, and I've noticed that there a number of Kindle books that I simply don't have access to. I don't understand this at all, because I could order the paper version and they'd ship it to me, no problem.
As far as piracy goes… well, people who think that just because something's digital means it's free make me furious. Nobody's going to want to write anymore (well, they may write, but they won't want to publish) if they're going to get screwed by thieves. As for people who say that pirates wouldn't buy the book anyway, that may be true. But if the pirated version is a lot easier to get, you might end up with a whole bunch of new pirates… who don't want to actually steal stuff, but figure they have no choice.
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I am still on the fence about an ereader, but I cant imagine ever stealing a book. I am shocked to learn that authors are being affected this way and its just terrible.
BTW I have an award for you: I Just Wanna Sit Here and Read!
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My understanding on why a book isn't an opition in some places outside the US vs. in the US is copyright laws. And, this goes two ways. I'm in the US and I see a ton of books (mostly Fantasy) that I can't get and don't even have release dates in the US yet. And I haven't figure out a way to get Amazon to let me purchase UK books for my kindle.
As to other things, one thing that really bugs me is a kindle book being MORE then the price of the mass market paperback. I can completely understand a book being $10 because it is released only in trade paperback but I do not understand still charging the $10 when it has been released in mass market size. Urg! I just end up buying the book in paperback when that happens since my kindle isn't replacing my paperbacks completely.
I have no problems supporting authors I've enjoyed (and often have supported authors who I didn't end up enjoying too). I recently saw an author go off on how you are hurting them by sharing books. That one I didn't over very well with me because I can't tell you how many times I've introduced an author to someone and then they go out and buy all their books. I see nothing wrong with loaning my books to friends because if they don't return it, I buy another copy (or make them).
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@Gary I totally agree why can't books be available in digital format as soon as they are released in print? I would be interested to hear from s publisher what impact this has on revenue, which is my main guess as to why.
@Jaime I think it probably is a mainly UK thing too. As to the people who would have downloaded a pirate book would have done it anyway, without ebooks with just printed versions I guess they wouldn't have had the option.
@La Cocchinelle yes i'm having to get some books in paperback due to these problems. Piracy makes me furious too. I would hate it to stop my favourite author from writing.
@Kate I do love my ereader and don't regret buying it but it just has a few frustrations
@Wonder Bunny yes I thought it was to do with right issues too, but in all honesty I don't really understand the details. The issue of loaning a book is a good one and actually and something I miss doing since I've got my ereader as my sister and I were forever swapping books. I don't see anything wrong with loaning books. Like you I've introduced friends to authors and they've subsequently gone out and bought more books from the author due to the introduction.
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I am in the United States and was given the Nook as a gift from my loving family. I love the nook but I have noticed that eBooks cost more than the printed versions. I am not happy about that! I would never download a pirated copy of a book. I love books too much and respect the authors and to process it takes to write a book.
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The one great thing about an ebook is that it is so much easier and cost effective to allow bloggers to read ARCs of books. Unfortunately, it also allows it to be pirated easily as you have stated. I also personally love it because I can have several books with me at any time but I also sometimes like to flip back and forth between a book when I'm exploring thoughts from the book and it is harder to do that in an ebook. So, while I love the portability of an ereader I still love my physical book.
I'm also hoping that my library gets involved in the lending aspect of ebooks. I'd be in heaven! However, that also means that then I'll not only be buried in physical books, but ebooks as well. Eh, not a bad way to go! Just wonder if my headstone would look like a physical book or an ebook?
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wow laura that is frustrating! I bought the B&N nook and i'm in love with it. They offer tons of free books(i downloaded 20 over the 4th) I'm wondering if it's because your in the UK I have found a few books not available on the nook but every book ive bought has been discounted. I cant understand why a book couldnt be available everywhere digitally on the same day, hopefully some improvements will occur soon
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This is a fascinating post. I don't have an ebook and have hesitated – maybe I'm old school but I totally agree, that like any other download, ebooks should be cheaper than a normal paperback or hardback because like you said there is no printing. And yes, say no to piracy!
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Interesting post. And speaking as a small publisher based in South Africa, I sometimes have to scratch my head and wonder what the bigger international publishers are thinking with their handling of ebooks. It doesn't make sense to over price ebooks. They should be considerable cheaper than a normal paperback copy. I've also been incredibly annoyed with the way they handle territory restrictions. Because I'm in South Africa there are so many books that are not available to download here and I also can't get the paperback copy. That's why I've made sure that all of the books I've published are available all over the world and in most formats and priced them at a lower price.
Joan De La Haye
Rebel e Publishers
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@Anonymous I agree I would never download an pirated book I love books and therefore authors too much
@Melissa I like to read several books at once too which is why I love my ereader so much, I can several hundred in my handbag if I so want to! I have heard of ebook libraries but have not used one, so recommendations would be great
Also death by books… I can think of worse things!! 
@Fiction state of mind I'm hoping it's just the fact that the UK are slow to catch up because it can be frustrating
@Amused I don't regret my ereader purchase at all. I also still believe that authors, publishers, editors etc should be paid for their work, but like you said there are no printing costs? Puzzling…
@joandelahayne thanks very much for your comment, it's nice to get a publisher's point of view. It looks like you agree with my points, it's good to know that your books are available everywhere and at a lower price
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I am in the market for an ebook reader as well and being in Australia there are so many things to consider as I don't want to be stuck with an ebook reader and unable to purchase any ebooks to go with it.
I've been reading a lot about different ebook readers, ebook online stores and the whole geographical restriction issue. It seems the problem is that one book is published by x publishing company in the US, then y publishing company in Australia and z publishing company in the UK, so just because US gets the book approved for ebook format doesn't mean the other countries do as well.
However, what I seriously do not understand is if I am able to purchase the hard copy of a book in Australia, or even from the US and be allowed to ship it to Australia, shouldn't I have just as easy access to an ebook format here? I do not understand how Australia or other countries can be approved for the paperback distribution of a title but not for ebook distribution, it seems strange to say the least.
I know that you guys are all against piracy, but to be honest, I know some people that purchase paperbacks, then they purchase ebooks when it can be made available to them, but due to publishers just not moving quick enough, sometimes it leaves you no choice. What will you do if you have already read the first two books of a trilogy, and then the 3rd becomes unavailable in any format in your country? What choice will you then have? I am not at all saying it's correct but the publishers can make this a win-win situation for EVERYONE, for themselves, the author and the readers!
I have never pirated a book and I have been purchasing hard copies but I've got 3 wall bookshelves and I cannot continue to buy more books, hence why I am considering an ebook reader, but being somewhere other than the United States I have to consider whether it's worth my time to get an ebook reader as we do not have as large a catalogue available to us.
It's quite depressing to say the least. Many Australians like myself have to jump hoops to be able to purchase an ebook from Barnes & Noble and Amazon where we can just go to our local book store and purchase the hard copy there!
Those that are purchasing ebook readers are also trying to save the environment, I know many of the books I buy, I read in 2 days and many I do not read again. So an ebook would be a better format for me, and I'm willing to pay the $10 fee, eventhough I can get most new released books for $11-$15 in paperback.
I just do not understand why the whole system is moving so slow into it's development, haven't they learnt ANYTHING at all from the whole music industry and pirating? Disappointing really.
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Theft is wrong be it music, movies or books. That said, I love my kindle. I will never give up traditional books I adore them to much, but the ease of travel with my kindle is amazing. Yesterday I sat on the beach and read with one hand unencumbered! Love that. I agree about waiting for a book to come out in digi form and pricing! Lover Mine by J.R. Ward costs more at amazon than the hardcover, no way! I won't buy it.
When I was in Barnes and Noble, the man showing the nook off said some authors are so opposed to the e-book, they won't allow their books to be put into that format, I'm not sure who they are though.
Paula
Tomes Devotee
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Thank you for the great post. I love my e-reader (Kindle) and have been frustrated with many of the things you mentioned in your post. But I would never turn to an illegal copy. I have turned to paperbacks, however, if I can't get the digital version I want!
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I love my Nook and wish there were more books available in e-format, such as the Harry Potter series. I was surprised too that the price for the Nook copy wasn't greatly lower than print. Like Laura, I assumed that without the binding and paper issues, the price would be greatly less.
The issue about pirating though raises some thoughts for me. As with music and movies, I know there are places out there you can get books for free. Are they pirated? I don't know. In the book world, how would you define piracy? With movies, I understand that if someone goes to the movie theaters and "films" the screening that's piracy. Personally, I don't understand why anyone would want to view it as the quality isn't going to be very good.
My thought is if I buy an e-book and want to share it, why would someone call it pirating? If that's true, then technically aren't used book stores doing the same thing? Authors aren't getting paid for these used books to be resold. Same thing with libraries. Authors receive no compensation every time I check out a book from the library. No royalties or commissions. Just confused about where the line is drawn and what the difference is.
As with musicians and filmmakers, authors deserve to be compensated for sharing their talent with the rest of us and sadly in this world, there are people out there who are dishonest thieves.
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