Comments on: ‘Beta-test’ novel a hit at Kindle store: #4 bestseller at 8 a.m. http://www.teleread.org/2008/01/11/bestseller-4-at-amazon-daniel-orans-beta-test-edition-of-his-believe-novel/ News & views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics Sat, 21 Nov 2009 20:01:59 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: David Rothman http://www.teleread.org/2008/01/11/bestseller-4-at-amazon-daniel-orans-beta-test-edition-of-his-believe-novel/comment-page-1/#comment-687428 David Rothman Fri, 11 Jan 2008 17:35:02 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/01/11/bestseller-4-at-amazon-daniel-orans-beta-test-edition-of-his-believe-novel/#comment-687428 Hi, Richard. Totally agree with you about the smaller numbers of the Kindle and the price of the book--noted in the post. Let's say 50,000 Kindles are sold in one year. Fewer than 1,000 downloads moved in a monthly would probably mean a best-seller. That said, it's still interesting that a "beta" topped works by brandname authors. Thanks. David Hi, Richard. Totally agree with you about the smaller numbers of the Kindle and the price of the book–noted in the post. Let’s say 50,000 Kindles are sold in one year. Fewer than 1,000 downloads moved in a monthly would probably mean a best-seller. That said, it’s still interesting that a “beta” topped works by brandname authors. Thanks. David

]]> By: Richard Adin http://www.teleread.org/2008/01/11/bestseller-4-at-amazon-daniel-orans-beta-test-edition-of-his-believe-novel/comment-page-1/#comment-687391 Richard Adin Fri, 11 Jan 2008 15:59:09 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/01/11/bestseller-4-at-amazon-daniel-orans-beta-test-edition-of-his-believe-novel/#comment-687391 Being number 1 or number 100 seems to me to be a neither here nor there proposition. A better statistic would be x Kindles sold, y Kindle owners bought the book. After all, if being #8 means that 10 copies were sold, that's not very impressive. Truthfully, I would also be more impressed if it were #8 on Amazon, #8 on Sony, #8 on Fictionwise -- you get the idea -- available on more than the Kindle. The Kindle is only a very small -- and very new -- "universe" of ebook readers. Owners of other ebook readers have demonstrated their staying with the format; Kindle readers have not yet demonstrated that they are here for the long haul. How many got these as holiday gifts as the latest technology craze (and without investigating other available devices) and are discovering that they don't really like reading on the Kindle? Additionally, Amazon's prices for Kindle ebooks are very attractive now and act as a lure. What happens when Amazon has to make a profit and prices rise? Will these Kindle readers still buy? Finally, as far as Oran's book, the real test would have been if the price were more realistic. At 99 cents, it's almost a no-lose proposition to buy the book -- especially for new ebook users for whom the novelty of the wireless connection has not yet dissipated. Being number 1 or number 100 seems to me to be a neither here nor there proposition. A better statistic would be x Kindles sold, y Kindle owners bought the book. After all, if being #8 means that 10 copies were sold, that’s not very impressive.

Truthfully, I would also be more impressed if it were #8 on Amazon, #8 on Sony, #8 on Fictionwise — you get the idea — available on more than the Kindle. The Kindle is only a very small — and very new — “universe” of ebook readers. Owners of other ebook readers have demonstrated their staying with the format; Kindle readers have not yet demonstrated that they are here for the long haul. How many got these as holiday gifts as the latest technology craze (and without investigating other available devices) and are discovering that they don’t really like reading on the Kindle? Additionally, Amazon’s prices for Kindle ebooks are very attractive now and act as a lure. What happens when Amazon has to make a profit and prices rise? Will these Kindle readers still buy? Finally, as far as Oran’s book, the real test would have been if the price were more realistic. At 99 cents, it’s almost a no-lose proposition to buy the book — especially for new ebook users for whom the novelty of the wireless connection has not yet dissipated.

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