Comments on: Amazon’s Long Play http://www.teleread.org/2009/02/14/amazons-long-play/ News & views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:19:30 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: bob stein http://www.teleread.org/2009/02/14/amazons-long-play/comment-page-1/#comment-1013594 bob stein Wed, 18 Feb 2009 20:48:16 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/?p=16930#comment-1013594 thoughtful piece Aaron, thank you b. thoughtful piece Aaron, thank you

b.

]]> By: Hamish MacEwan http://www.teleread.org/2009/02/14/amazons-long-play/comment-page-1/#comment-1013578 Hamish MacEwan Wed, 18 Feb 2009 18:39:48 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/?p=16930#comment-1013578 > The free market doesn’t work so well for book publishing Major understatement for an industry that spends as much time and energy braying that a State enforced monopoly (of ever increasing coverage, depth and duration) is absolutely necessary for their survival. > The free market doesn’t work so well for book publishing

Major understatement for an industry that spends as much time and energy braying that a State enforced monopoly (of ever increasing coverage, depth and duration) is absolutely necessary for their survival.

]]> By: Michelle O'Hagan http://www.teleread.org/2009/02/14/amazons-long-play/comment-page-1/#comment-1013557 Michelle O'Hagan Wed, 18 Feb 2009 16:45:35 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/?p=16930#comment-1013557 This post, and the comment above from Madison "Girl Arsonist" McGraw, are so interesting to me. I work in the custom publishing industry and it, too, is changing at blinding speed. Just five years ago, most of the custom content we produced for clients was "print:" magazines, newsletters, annual reports. Today, it is indeed a medium-agnostic world: content is content and it is delivered in the channel demanded by the reader (or user). It is as senseless to wax nostalgic about the death of independent bookstores as it is to bemoan the VCR player or the independent electronics stores that used to sell them. And there is good news, very good news, in the book publishing world: No longer does content need to be "vetted" by publishing houses in New York that may or may not have a clue about the author's intended audience. Today, an author can publish his or her own work (through companies like iUniverse or Lulu), and still get it sold on Amazon or BN.com, in order to reach his audience, even if that audience consists of only 100 people around the world. In other words, even the most niche content can find a reader! In the "old" publishing system, that scenario was not possible. Just as Detroit's auto manufacturers must change or die, so must the publishing world. And as always, each change will spawn fresh, new ideas from authors and booksellers that will make our world a more interesting place in which to live. This post, and the comment above from Madison “Girl Arsonist” McGraw, are so interesting to me. I work in the custom publishing industry and it, too, is changing at blinding speed. Just five years ago, most of the custom content we produced for clients was “print:” magazines, newsletters, annual reports. Today, it is indeed a medium-agnostic world: content is content and it is delivered in the channel demanded by the reader (or user). It is as senseless to wax nostalgic about the death of independent bookstores as it is to bemoan the VCR player or the independent electronics stores that used to sell them. And there is good news, very good news, in the book publishing world: No longer does content need to be “vetted” by publishing houses in New York that may or may not have a clue about the author’s intended audience. Today, an author can publish his or her own work (through companies like iUniverse or Lulu), and still get it sold on Amazon or BN.com, in order to reach his audience, even if that audience consists of only 100 people around the world. In other words, even the most niche content can find a reader! In the “old” publishing system, that scenario was not possible. Just as Detroit’s auto manufacturers must change or die, so must the publishing world. And as always, each change will spawn fresh, new ideas from authors and booksellers that will make our world a more interesting place in which to live.

]]> By: Aaron S. Miller, CTO of BookGlutton, a Web-based community of readers http://www.teleread.org/2009/02/14/amazons-long-play/comment-page-1/#comment-1013068 Aaron S. Miller, CTO of BookGlutton, a Web-based community of readers Mon, 16 Feb 2009 17:50:59 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/?p=16930#comment-1013068 The free market doesn't work so well for book publishing, where the notion of quality still matters to (some) people more than brand loyalty. Take a look at Andre Schiffrin's "The Business of Books" sometime to see what I mean. The free market doesn’t work so well for book publishing, where the notion of quality still matters to (some) people more than brand loyalty. Take a look at Andre Schiffrin’s “The Business of Books” sometime to see what I mean.

]]> By: Madison "Girl Arsonist" McGraw http://www.teleread.org/2009/02/14/amazons-long-play/comment-page-1/#comment-1012863 Madison "Girl Arsonist" McGraw Sun, 15 Feb 2009 20:12:03 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/?p=16930#comment-1012863 I'm really tired of attending the Independent Bookstores' Pity Party. It's quite simple: change or die. Create and thrive or stick to what you know and beg for business. I love Amazon. I love, adore, and am devoted to my Kindle. Using my Kindle I read more than ever and I'm buying more books; in the grocery store line, waiting for the train, on the train, and when I'm stuck in traffic. It's not up to me (or you) to save Independent Book Stores. If they can't figure out a way to drive customers to their store and keep them coming back, then they don't deserve to be in business. I’m really tired of attending the Independent Bookstores’ Pity Party.
It’s quite simple: change or die. Create and thrive or stick to what you know and beg for business.
I love Amazon. I love, adore, and am devoted to my Kindle.
Using my Kindle I read more than ever and I’m buying more books; in the grocery store line, waiting for the train, on the train, and when I’m stuck in traffic.
It’s not up to me (or you) to save Independent Book Stores. If they can’t figure out a way to drive customers to their store and keep them coming back, then they don’t deserve to be in business.

]]> By: Rich Adin http://www.teleread.org/2009/02/14/amazons-long-play/comment-page-1/#comment-1012610 Rich Adin Sat, 14 Feb 2009 21:57:05 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/?p=16930#comment-1012610 I make it a point not to buy from Amazon. I used to buy a lot of books through ABE Books, but that ended when Amazon bought them. The last thing I want to do is help Amazon be the last bookstore and publisher standing. I make it a point not to buy from Amazon. I used to buy a lot of books through ABE Books, but that ended when Amazon bought them. The last thing I want to do is help Amazon be the last bookstore and publisher standing.

]]> By: Gary Frost http://www.teleread.org/2009/02/14/amazons-long-play/comment-page-1/#comment-1012567 Gary Frost Sat, 14 Feb 2009 17:54:47 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/?p=16930#comment-1012567 I agree that Amazon has deliberately disguised Kindle as a book reader. The actual agenda is elsewhere as a connected fulfillment device. Here are three reasons: With Kindle as a book reader it projects Amazon as a Library without any of the educational mission or cultural commitment. It positions technical evolution of the hand-held reader in the challenging domain of book simulation just as the photocopier industry discovered. It disguises outright marketing to educated customers and keeps within the politically correct confines of literacy advocation. I agree that Amazon has deliberately disguised Kindle as a book reader. The actual agenda is elsewhere as a connected fulfillment device. Here are three reasons: With Kindle as a book reader it projects Amazon as a Library without any of the educational mission or cultural commitment. It positions technical evolution of the hand-held reader in the challenging domain of book simulation just as the photocopier industry discovered. It disguises outright marketing to educated customers and keeps within the politically correct confines of literacy advocation.

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