We're taking a day away from Gallbladder because there are too many interesting things to talk about.
Long time novelist,comic and screen writer Peter David is forming a publishing company of his own with several other authors. Whether or not he writes your kind of book, it's something to think about when NYT best selling authors feel the need to "self publish." Also, an interesting debate going on at his blog over what the books should be priced. In general, I think people undervalue e-books, acting as if all the worth comes from its physical existence rather than the time and effort spent in development. What do you folks think? Anyway, I almost wish David had done this a year ago. He had a decent sized role in my master's thesis regarding new technologies and changes in the balance of power, but back then I was just saying how he'd branched out all over and established himself with lots of different audiences by doing crazy things like writing books for bizarre space opera themed punk rock bands. Now he's taken the next logical step.
Next up, former co-worker and cool person Linda Epstein is blogging regularly now. While of course she can't hold a candle to me in the chuckles department, both the quality and brevity of her posts make me embarassed at my own. She's even got some pretty fun polls of her own. So go read her stuff. Do it. Do it now.
Also, do you guys know about Kickstarter? It's kind of an odd site, but here's the premise. Small companies and start ups and things pitch their product to the world at large, looking to make the money they need to actually put it together. Not that it's donation on the "investor's" part since you'll get something out of it. One of the agency authors, Jeremy Schipp (whose writings are as fun as they are freakin' weird) is having a musical made out of one of his stories, and they're in need of more funding. Check it out, and if you leave anywhere near where it will be performed, "donate" 20 bucks. It'll get you a ticket and if the musical is as good as his books, it'll be worth it.
Finally, Merriam Webster's Word of the Day-
shaggy-dog \shag-ee-DAWG\ adjective
: of, relating to, or being a long-drawn-out circumstantial story concerning an inconsequential happening that impresses the teller as humorous or interesting but the hearer as boring and pointless; also : of, relating to, or being a similar humorous story whose humor lies in the pointlessness or irrelevance of the punch line.
Is this what you guys think of General Gallbladder? Someone speaaaak to meeeeeee.
Have not been reading General Gallbladder because I am a total flake. Actually, I've been insanely busy trying to keep small demons off my lap. They're winning the battle.
ReplyDeleteI pay about the same for an e-book as I do paperbacks most of the time. Sometimes a little more, sometimes less. I feel the price is VERY reasonable. I can get what I want to read when I want it, carry it with me everywhere, and share it with my husband who has a kindle on the same account. I prefer e-book for many reasons, but I still buy paper books occasionally. Kid books, for instance, are rare in e-book form. I have a few on kindle for doctor's office waits and such, but mostly we are overwhelmed by a mountain of board books and colorful illustrations. Our money is probably equally distributed.
Frankly I am not sure what the fuss is about. As long as the readers are buying they can't complain. It's economics. If customers are PAYING the prices, the prices are reasonable. Don't like it? Don't pay.
Okay, first of all? Ouch.
ReplyDeleteI have to say I understand why e-book prices are so contentious. Same with any other digital medium. I think people perception of the item's value is unfairly dimished by the lack of a physical object. I'd imagine this will lessen and maybe even disappear eventually, but it's difficult or even impossible for producers to make things at the quality consumers expect and still release them for the pittance that many consumers feel is the maximum value they'd pay. You're not necessarily wrong to say that if people buy it, it's reasonably priced (after all, e-books are technically luxuries) but it's also true that there are a lot of other concerns. If they price similarly to print editions, they may lose a lot of sales. Even a book that does well might have made more money by selling more copies after even only a slight drop in price...but doing that devalues books and undercuts the print editions, and that will be a concern until print is marginal.
Good to know e-books are working out well for you. I was offered one for my birthday actually, and I turned it down. I've got such a backlog, I don't need it and I figure the next models will be out for Christmas, so this would be the worst time. And for the last two years I've been saying similar things and feeling like a dumbass for supporting it so much in principle but not in practice.
RC
I really have been overrun by demons, and they are NOT keen on web-surfing (or any other keyboard-related activity) unless they can help. Which isn't good.
ReplyDeleteThe biggest reason I bought mine was wrist pain even when holding up a paperback. I adore it, and it's run wonderfully. E-ink is a fabulous thing.
As far as pricing goes, I don't think they will lose sales as long as they keep prices between $5-10. Most people can buy paperbacks at that rate, so you do adjust. I, for one, am willing to pay more for a new release from an author I love. It's the same for me as it is with bound books.
I have a difficult time understanding why people get SO cranky about this. It's the same thing as buying a digital music album instead of a CD. There is not a huge gap in prices, and most people are relatively content. It's become commonplace, and you can even buy a single song (ANY song!) instead of an entire album. Obviously, there are still people who will pirate stuff, but we will have that regardless.
Totally buy an e-reader. Check out Amazon a few days before Thanksgiving and see what you find. Last year they sold a limited amount of Kindles at a really low price for the next day. You have to be quick, just stay up til midnight. I bet they do it again this year then break out a new model for Christmas. I have the older kindle (second generation) and it's a tank. Been using it daily for 3 years.