What do you look for in ebooks?

[pjcsjc]

Hi all,

I was wondering what readers look for in ebooks.

Which book formats do you prefer (html, lit, rtf, pdf etc), whiich genres, and how do you decide to buy?

What places do you buy books from and what would make you try a new place?

How important are the prices to you, what would you consider reasonable in prices for ebooks?

Thanks for your help.

Regards,
Sandy Cummins
Writers Exchange E-Publishing International
http://www.writers-exchange.com/epubllishing

[dean_shan]

Which book formats do you prefer (html, lit, rtf, pdf etc), whiich genres, and how do you decide to buy?
I prefer .pdb PalmReader Format.

What places do you buy books from and what would make you try a new place?
I buy from PalmDigitalMedia.com I would try a new place if they offered a good selction at a good price in .pdb format.

How important are the prices to you, what would you consider reasonable in prices for ebooks?
Price is very important. They need to be less then or equal to soft-cover book (in price). $17.50 is just way to much for an ebook. $8.50 or less is the sweet spot.

[pjcsjc]

Hi,

I appreciate the feedback.

It confirms one or two things for me - and I agree about the prices, most independant publishers price their books from $3.00 to $5.00. There are hundreds out there at that kind of price.

Thanks again.

Sandy Cummins
Writers Exchange E-Publishing
http://www.writers-exchange.com/epublishing

[socrates63]

I'm in agreement with dean_shan on all points.

My preferred reader is Palm Reader so I look for .pdb format books. I don't like MS Reader's black text on white background and I've heard horror stories about trying to activate it.

Most of my ebook purchases were made at PalmDigitalMedia. But my most recent purchase was made at Fictionwise as they now carry most/all their titles in Palm Reader format, and the particular book that I wanted was couple of dollars cheaper at Fictionwise than PDM. And it looks like Fictionwise will be around for a while...just my subjective perception.

You mentioned independent publishers, but I usually look for mainstream stuff... books that I heard about or seen in the news or something by well-known authors. My last two purchases were books by Dan Brown of Da Vinci Code fame. Independent publishers will have to work a little harder to get my attention.

In order for me to consider other stores, they would need to offer (1) good selection in Palm Reader format, (2) competitive prices, (3) a website that is easy to navigate and assures me that it is a legit business which will be around. A new store better really knock my socks off because I try to keep the number of places I shop to a minimum in an effort to centralize my purchases (makes it more convenient for me if I need to re-download my purchased books).

As a general rule, I don't buy ebooks that are priced the same as hardbacks. Prices under $10 are easier on the psyche when purchasing a book that is not physically tangible.

[pjcsjc]

Hi,

Thanks for that feedback. I like pdb too I got a palm reading device this year and it knocks the socks off the ebookman I had previously.

Fictionwise is definitely going to be around for a while, they sell tens of thousands of ebooks a month from memory (I just wish more of them were my books :)

I am interested in how a new site would have to "knock your socks off" as such, would that be by ease of navigation, great covers, professional layout, variety of payment methods?

Regards,
Sandy Cummins
Writers Exchange E-Publishing
http://www.writers-exchange.com/epublishing

[Paula]

I prefer Palm Format (pdf) because I prefer Palm Reader, with Mobipocket coming in second. I use a black background with white letters, because it is easy on the eyes and Palm Reader offers this option while Mobipocket does not offer it.

I decide to by a book firstly by reading as many reviews and top 10 lists as I can, in my favorite genres. Then I watch and wait for the price to fall to below 15.00. It killed me to wait for Palm to have a special on The Da Vinci Code, but when they did have a special, I ran to the site and bought it. I loved it so much that I went out and bought the paper copy. :? Go figure...

I am a Mystery/Thriller/Intrigue junkie but other genres do catch my eye as well. What I would love the most is a mystery/intrigue novel in an Egyptian (or ancient) setting. I also love a lite mystery as well. I will admit right here and now that my secret pleasures :oops: are "The Cat Who..." series of books by Lillian Jackson Braun. I usually read one of these books between novels. My next book will be "The Rule of Four" By Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason.


I usually purchase books from Palm Digital Media. I would try a new place if the prices were better than Palm or Mobi, but all of the top sites usually keep their prices in line.


Prices are very important to me because in NZ our rate of exchange is terrible. A $15.00US book would cost me about $25.00NZ+. This is one of the reasons I wait until prices start to fall before I buy a book. I read way too many books in a short period of time to not pay attention to the cost of books.

Paula

[tanalasta]

I was wondering what readers look for in ebooks.
1. Price, easy navigation, no hassle DRM (or lack thereof altogether) and must load up quickly, look nice and use a small memory footprint.

2. Less important: A central and standardised download/ebook format.

Out of all ebook formats, I prefer iSilo for their very friendly layout and speed. Unfortunately, very few ebook retailers use this format and it does not come bundled with any devices. However, for those willing to convert their own ebooks or other HTML into this ebook, I love it!

Of the established ebook readers, palm format in my opinion is the best. Mobipocket second although I dislike their activation/download process.

I used to purchase eBooks from fictionwise. However, medical texts are usually bought from their specific publisher in their proprietary format. e.g. Unboundmedicine and Skyscape. I actively dislike their exorbitant prices.

Reasonable price: 50-99% of the cost of the print text. Or less.

[pjcsjc]

Thanks guys,

So far it definitely seems that palm, followed by mobipocket are the most popular - good to know these two are the newest I have started offering so not all my books are in it yet. From the responses so far I would say I need to work on that <smile>

I understand about the prices too, I have an international site and an Aussie site because I am actually in Australia, not the US like most publishers <grin>

Prices also seem to be important, makes me wonder why so far everyone seems to be buying off palmmedia when their prices are higher, most independants are $3 - 6 for an ebook, though we can't get our hands on the big names most of the time.

How do you format a html to iSilo <sp>? Are there any free programs? I'd never heard of it before - what reading devices use this format?

Regards,
Sandy Cummins
Writers Exchange E-Publishing
http://www.writers-exchange.com/epublishing

[ChristopherTD]

I buy mostly MS Reader from Fictionwise. Occasionally I get Palm Reader titles when the book is unavailable in MS Reader format.

Fictionwise Buywise club makes for very good savings if you buy frequently, and they get all the titles that Palm offer a few days after they appear there. So if you wait you can get Palm format books at Fictionwise prices!

[ctitanic]

I believe that the most popular format are .lit .pdf .prc .pdb and I think that any publisher should have at least 3 of these formats to have a wide range of readers.

[Hx4700]

I started off using only MSReader until I got fed up with the activation hassel. I now get PalmReader format whenever possible, even if it costs a little more. Activation is so much easier (credit card #). Based on the other comments here of using palmreader, M$ still doesn't get it about the activation.
Ron....

[socrates63]

I am interested in how a new site would have to "knock your socks off" as such, would that be by ease of navigation, great covers, professional layout, variety of payment methods?
You summed it up well. Basically, I want an overall experience that tells me this website offers quality products. When I don't know anything about the product other than what the website tells me, I use the presentation of the website in part to judge the credibility of the website itself. I don't intend to come across as saying that I will only consider purchasing from Barnes & Noble type or other glitzy stores. As a consumer, I want to be reassured that what I'm being offered for purchase is a quality product, and one of the ways to do this is through introducing the product on a well designed web site.

http://www.writers-exchange.com/epublishingI see you fixed the typo from your initial post. :wink: I got a 404 message when I clicked the link in your first post.

[xendula]

Yep, a well designed, esthetical website is as important as well formatted and of course well written books, and many formats to pick from (MS Reader (.lit) is still my favorite, though).

[disconnected]

I'm a mystery junkie (not thrillers so much), and I'll just about walk through fire (and pay exorbitant amounts of money) for current mysteries.

I prefer pdb for Palm Reader, because most of the books I buy have copy protection and that's the least offensive implementation. I'll only buy MSLit or Mobipocket format if that's all that's available.

The largest percentage of my ebooks are from PeanutPress, but I also buy from Fictionwise and Powells. I've bought a few from W H Smith (but they no longer have ebooks), ebookad, and a few smaller sites. I've also bought from publishers' ebook websites -- contentlinkinc (Random House), SimonSays (Simon & Schuster), and Perfectbound (Harper Collins), but I think they've all discontinued selling pdb books from their sites, although they still supply them to PeanutPress and Fictionwise; it apparently has something to do with what Overdrive or some related company charges for digital book storage. The main thing I ask of a website is that they categorize the books and let me sort by the date the ebook was added to the site. PeanutPress and Fictionwise both work fine; Powell's doesn't do this and it's very annoying.

Paula, if you like mysteries and Egypt I assume you've probably read all of the Elizabeth Peters ebooks.

[tanalasta]

How do you format a html to iSilo <sp>? Are there any free programs? I'd never heard of it before - what reading devices use this format?

You can find out more information about iSilo at www.isilo.com
Readers for this book are available in both Palm and Windows OS (as well as desktop) but the book-format can be read on any of these devices. A trial version can be downloaded at the above sites.

iSiloX is freeware (www.isiloX.com) and converts html based documents into isilo format. This program is useful to convert websites onto a pocketpc portable format but I find that I can use it to convert other html documents (including ebooks) as well!

For an example of some ebooks that people have converted into this format, I recommend visiting: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/tolkienforpalm/

That's iSilo in a nutshell. It does allow for DRM management but i'm not sure how supported it is by the major ebook vendors.

Although mobipocket and palm reader are the most popular (definitely explore these options first) you should also consider MS reader simply because of the number of devices that come with this program :P That's microsoft for you.

Which part of Australia are you in? :P

[Paula]

Paula, if you like mysteries and Egypt I assume you've probably read all of the Elizabeth Peters ebooks.

Disconnected,
Can't say that I have ever heard of Elizabeth Peters, but you can bet I will start reading her books now. Thanks for the info.

Paula

[Jay Hartman]

I'm definitely primarily a mystery fan, but since I also write reviews for our site I find I tend to read a variety of subjects.

PalmReader format is currently my favorite. This was a surprise to me. I started off with the Nuvomedia Rocket, then moved to MS Reader. At the time, I HATED PalmReader...just couldn't get it to do what I wanted. At some point, that changed, and now I read almost exclusively PDB.

I do buy a lot from Fictionwise, but I'm a bargain shopper. I find that even though FW or Palm Digital Media may be running a sale, the title is still often cheaper over at Powells.com and I'll end up getting it there. I wouldn't pay more than $9.00 for an ebook unless I was absolutely desperate to read that particular author and just couldn't wait a few months.

I also think there's a lot to be said for buying direct from the publisher, and I try to do that whenever I can (or, cost permitting....definitely low funds here right now). This way, the publisher doesn't have to pay a percentage to a middleman and can keep more of the sale of the ebook. It may not be much, but I'd like to keep as many pubs cranking out titles as I can.

With the recent report of the significant sales increase of ebooks in Q1, I think you'll start seeing an even wider variety of titles available soon.

Best,
Jay Hartman
Content Editor
KnowBetter.com: For Everything Ebook
http://www.knowbetter.com

[disconnected]

I'm now sorry that I bought any of my ebooks from publisher sites like Simonsays, Perfectbound, and Contentlinkinc because since they've suddenly stopped supporing PalmReader, my bookshelves are gone. I have the books on my own PC, but I can never change the activation credit card or re-download the books if I lose my copies, and if new technology makes it necessary or preferable to have the books reformatted somewhow, this probably won't be possible.

I love some of the ideas on the Teleread site, like having some sort of national registry and ebook archive, so once you've bought an ebook, you can download it whenever you need it. I also love the idea of all books having a digital version. This would be especially great for all the books that are not giant best-sellers; most of these books are only in print for a very short time, and both authors and readers would benefit from their increased availability.

[dh]

Disconnected, you are so right. I no longer use a Pocket PC but I have many books in MS Reader format. If it were not for Convert Lit all these books, most of which I paid for the rest being the MS free ones, would be of no use to me. On my Zaurus I can read Mobipocket books, but not protected ones. When I buy a book I buy it as .lit and convert to MP. It's a lot of messing about but at least it works.

There has to be a better way so that we can read our books regardless of what platform we use and regardless of whether the company still exists. A universal format and reader would be a huge step towards the success of e-Books.

[Ommadawn]

I used to purchase in palmreader format, but now prefer lit, and then convertlit'ing it into HTML so I can read it with ubook on my ipaq (a very nice, feature-rich and FREE book reader). I also like isilo format, so it's hand for that as well.

I'm also not screwed when the publisher decides to not support a format any more, or closes it's doors....

[mush]

I look mainly for price. I simply won't pay $20+ for an eBook. I consider reasonable to be between $4 and $9 for a full-length novel.

Check Fictionwise (http://www.fictionwise.com) for what I consider to be the standard in ebook pricing.

If I buy a few books from a particular site and I find lots of typos, I quit buying from them. I don't like the implication that the publisher can't be bothered to properly proof "just an ebook".

Format is determined by reader, and reader is determined by preference. Most folks here use Palmreader, but I don't like it and I use Mobipocket instead. I have Mobipocket, Palmreader, AND MS Reader installed on my device because sometimes I find a book I want that is only offered in one secure format.

A big bonus for ebook buyers is a choice of formats, secure or unsecured.

[Ommadawn]

0X I have Palmreader/Ereader, Mobipocket, MS Reader, iSilo, Vade Mecum (plucker reader) and ubook installed, so I can cover all bases. ubook is my favourite reader, followed by isilo and eReader (I love convertlit... :devilboy: )

[sylvangale]

I don't think MSreader/lit should be listed as your preferred reader choice if the only reason you buy LIT books is so you can crack them and read your books in something else! 8O

I personally prefer Ubook for my free text reading, but Palm Reader for my paid text reading. I do use MS Reader too, but just for those free reference books (dictionary/translators). I might purchase MS reader books if I was absolutely forced to... but I would convert them into another format to read.

[Ommadawn]

I never stated MS Reader and lit books were my favourite format. My favourite format is actually html or rtf, as I will always be able to read them, even in 10 years time when all the current formats are dust. I can convert these to any other format I want to. I want to be able to read books I pay for now at any time I want to in the future.

Oh, I forgot to mention another reader I have installed: Repligo, which is very nice for formatted documents, and much better than PPC acrobat!

Craig.

[sylvangale]

I didn't mean to direct that to any particular person. It looked like some really like MS reader for its CLITability, not as a reader.

[Ommadawn]

If MS Reader didn't take up so little space on a small PDA screen, and if MS Reader gave you more control over font size, type, etc, and if it didn't take so long to load a book up, especially when it's a large one or you have a few in your library, I'd probably like it as a book reader. :evil:

I still stand by ubook. 0X

Craig.

[Stephen Beesley]

I never stated MS Reader and lit books were my favourite format. My favourite format is actually html or rtf, as I will always be able to read them, even in 10 years time when all the current formats are dust. I can convert these to any other format I want to. I want to be able to read books I pay for now at any time I want to in the future.

Oh, I forgot to mention another reader I have installed: Repligo, which is very nice for formatted documents, and much better than PPC acrobat!

Craig.

I agree totally - at least at this stage html and rtf seem to have a greater life expectency than the other formats. For this reason I tend to stick to these formats (reading them with uBook (http://www.gowerpoint.com/Index.html#new) which really is excellent). That said I do often convert rtf files to .lit and use MS Reader as well - unlike so many others here I really like the font and black on white display.

[dMores]

back when i used mslit i used to format my word docs to have a 70% black font, which made it really easy on the eyes when reading.

what do i look for ... original, legal versions. i hate it when books aren't available in ebook format and you have to try and find them elsewhere.
bad OCR jobs where the text is almost undecipherable, parts missing and the story ending up making no sense at all.

my personal limit for ebook prices is around 10 bucks for new books.
they're not supposed to be more expensive than paperback versions.