Comments on: Is Kindle the new paperback? http://pjmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2009/05/13/is-kindle-the-new-paperback/ The blog of the mystery writer, screenwriter and CEO of Pajamas Media Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:49:18 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Omnibus Driver http://pjmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2009/05/13/is-kindle-the-new-paperback/#comment-129093 Omnibus Driver Sun, 17 May 2009 21:18:56 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/?p=5419#comment-129093 I'd really like to get a Kindle, but find the cost prohibitive at the moment. I don't understand why Amazon isn't bringing the cost down and making it a loss-leader, instead of a profit center in itself. Until the cost comes down and they add color to the display, I'll stick to my laptop. I’d really like to get a Kindle, but find the cost prohibitive at the moment. I don’t understand why Amazon isn’t bringing the cost down and making it a loss-leader, instead of a profit center in itself.

Until the cost comes down and they add color to the display, I’ll stick to my laptop.

]]> By: kytraveler http://pjmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2009/05/13/is-kindle-the-new-paperback/#comment-129058 kytraveler Sun, 17 May 2009 01:18:12 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/?p=5419#comment-129058 I have never used a Kindle but I have read different people saying that even after you purchase a book it can be taken away or the Kindle service turned off. Is this true? If so, I cannot understand peoples' enthusiasm for the device. If I purchase a book I want complete control of it - no way would I pay money to purchase a book to read on a device when someone else had the power to turn off the service and essentially take the book away. This sound ridiculous to me. Can someone please straighten me out on this and let me know how it really works? I have never used a Kindle but I have read different people saying that even after you purchase a book it can be taken away or the Kindle service turned off. Is this true? If so, I cannot understand peoples’ enthusiasm for the device. If I purchase a book I want complete control of it – no way would I pay money to purchase a book to read on a device when someone else had the power to turn off the service and essentially take the book away. This sound ridiculous to me. Can someone please straighten me out on this and let me know how it really works?

]]> By: Michael McCollum http://pjmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2009/05/13/is-kindle-the-new-paperback/#comment-129056 Michael McCollum Sun, 17 May 2009 01:10:15 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/?p=5419#comment-129056 My wife informed me about 18 months ago that she could "never read a book on an electronic machine." So, I bought her a Kindle for her birthday. She has since nearly bankrupted me buying books for it. I am a professional science fiction writer who went into business for himself 15 years ago (after 15 years in the book stores). I sell both trade paperbacks and ebooks (nine different varieties) of 11 novels,a book of short stories, and four books on the art of writing. I have not been quick to go online at Amazon with Kindle editions because of the 65% they take off the top. When I sell ebooks through my website, I make 100% profit. However, upon learning that they will have a 7x9 Kindle out this summor, I decided to give it a try. I have sold $100 worth (my profit, not total sales) this week and am waiting to see if that rate holds up or was just the initial flurry. Kindle has succeeded where everyone else has failed because of the ease of electronic delivery. Even though I make a lot more at my personal site, there may be enough people who now have Kindles that my profit of 35% on Kindle sales will exceed 100% profit from my own sales. As the zen master said, "We shall see." My wife informed me about 18 months ago that she could “never read a book on an electronic machine.” So, I bought her a Kindle for her birthday. She has since nearly bankrupted me buying books for it.

I am a professional science fiction writer who went into business for himself 15 years ago (after 15 years in the book stores). I sell both trade paperbacks and ebooks (nine different varieties) of 11 novels,a book of short stories, and four books on the art of writing. I have not been quick to go online at Amazon with Kindle editions because of the 65% they take off the top. When I sell ebooks through my website, I make 100% profit.

However, upon learning that they will have a 7×9 Kindle out this summor, I decided to give it a try. I have sold $100 worth (my profit, not total sales) this week and am waiting to see if that rate holds up or was just the initial flurry.

Kindle has succeeded where everyone else has failed because of the ease of electronic delivery. Even though I make a lot more at my personal site, there may be enough people who now have Kindles that my profit of 35% on Kindle sales will exceed 100% profit from my own sales. As the zen master said, “We shall see.”

]]> By: chuck http://pjmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2009/05/13/is-kindle-the-new-paperback/#comment-128984 chuck Fri, 15 May 2009 05:33:39 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/?p=5419#comment-128984 I'll miss the paperback covers, often the best part of the book. And what of the few remaining pulps, they would go well on the kindle, no? I hope colors for the readers isn't too far in the future. I’ll miss the paperback covers, often the best part of the book. And what of the few remaining pulps, they would go well on the kindle, no? I hope colors for the readers isn’t too far in the future.

]]> By: Anita Hope http://pjmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2009/05/13/is-kindle-the-new-paperback/#comment-128967 Anita Hope Thu, 14 May 2009 20:56:01 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/?p=5419#comment-128967 I am with you Margie.. But used my daughters and it is great, as you can adjust print size to fit your vision. I am with you Margie.. But used my daughters and it is great, as you can adjust print size to fit your vision.

]]> By: Margie http://pjmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2009/05/13/is-kindle-the-new-paperback/#comment-128965 Margie Thu, 14 May 2009 20:21:30 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/?p=5419#comment-128965 I would love a Kindle but not at the current price...I'll just wait awhile. I would love a Kindle but not at the current price…I’ll just wait awhile.

]]> By: SeanLA http://pjmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2009/05/13/is-kindle-the-new-paperback/#comment-128958 SeanLA Thu, 14 May 2009 18:33:51 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/?p=5419#comment-128958 I love my kindle. I used to have a stack of books near the sofa that drove my wife crazy, now its a larger stack but its its kept in a slim leather binder. I did read an interesting criticism, the person wrote that when he puts his book down in the evening hes sure the text will be the same in the morning, he doesn't have that assurance with Kindle. Its paranoid (right now), but I see his point... I love my kindle. I used to have a stack of books near the sofa that drove my wife crazy, now its a larger stack but its its kept in a slim leather binder.

I did read an interesting criticism, the person wrote that when he puts his book down in the evening hes sure the text will be the same in the morning, he doesn’t have that assurance with Kindle.
Its paranoid (right now), but I see his point…

]]> By: LarryD http://pjmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2009/05/13/is-kindle-the-new-paperback/#comment-128953 LarryD Thu, 14 May 2009 17:18:24 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/?p=5419#comment-128953 I have a problem with any system that has "features" like <a href="http://www.keionline.org/blogs/2009/05/13/kindle-2-vs-reading-disabled-students/" rel="nofollow">this</a>. Who knows how many other remote flags the Kindle "supports". This is the sort of thing that makes me uninterested in the Kindle, or any other proprietary equivalent. I'll stick with paper, for now. Or a net book and open source software. I have a problem with any system that has “features” like this.

Who knows how many other remote flags the Kindle “supports”.

This is the sort of thing that makes me uninterested in the Kindle, or any other proprietary equivalent. I’ll stick with paper, for now. Or a net book and open source software.

]]> By: Sgt. Mom http://pjmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2009/05/13/is-kindle-the-new-paperback/#comment-128951 Sgt. Mom Thu, 14 May 2009 16:23:08 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/?p=5419#comment-128951 I made one of my books - "To Truckee's Trail" available on Kindle 18 months ago, when Amazon first launched it. As near as I could tell at the time, getting it up there was fraught with difficulty, Amazon didn't post the cover pic for months, and I had zilch sales for a year. I was not pleased at all, and planned to put no more effort into it with my other books. But in January of this year, one of the other IAG writers was singing praises of the Kindle, so I uploaded all three volumes of the Adelsverein Trilogy - it was a simple process, everything went well, and damned if I haven't had very satisfactory sales of all four books ever since the beginning of this year. The royalties per author are much less than for print versions, of course - but the cost of a Kindle download relative to a hard-copy version makes it much more likely that a reader will "take a chance" on a relatively unknown writer. So, I'll take a smaller cut, just for having more people out there willing to sample my books. In that sense, a Kindle down-load is the equivalent of an inexpensive paperback. I made one of my books – “To Truckee’s Trail” available on Kindle 18 months ago, when Amazon first launched it. As near as I could tell at the time, getting it up there was fraught with difficulty, Amazon didn’t post the cover pic for months, and I had zilch sales for a year. I was not pleased at all, and planned to put no more effort into it with my other books. But in January of this year, one of the other IAG writers was singing praises of the Kindle, so I uploaded all three volumes of the Adelsverein Trilogy – it was a simple process, everything went well, and damned if I haven’t had very satisfactory sales of all four books ever since the beginning of this year. The royalties per author are much less than for print versions, of course – but the cost of a Kindle download relative to a hard-copy version makes it much more likely that a reader will “take a chance” on a relatively unknown writer.
So, I’ll take a smaller cut, just for having more people out there willing to sample my books. In that sense, a Kindle down-load is the equivalent of an inexpensive paperback.

]]> By: PC14 http://pjmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2009/05/13/is-kindle-the-new-paperback/#comment-128947 PC14 Thu, 14 May 2009 15:55:04 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/?p=5419#comment-128947 Nothing beats my local library. I live less than a mile from the local branch. I can reserve most books online that I want to read and have them delivered to the branch. They email when it's ready to pick up. Return is an easy drop off outside and doesn't even require going inside. And it's all free...so to speak. Nothing beats my local library. I live less than a mile from the local branch. I can reserve most books online that I want to read and have them delivered to the branch. They email when it’s ready to pick up. Return is an easy drop off outside and doesn’t even require going inside. And it’s all free…so to speak.

]]>