Comments on: eReader has new pricing

By: Mim

Mim — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 13:42:34 +0000

Book publishers are as retarded as newspaper publishers.

Seems as if free trade is a thing of the past with the geographic restrictions on ebooks. Sorry, fictionwise, but it’s back to the library for me. In the last few years I’ve spent hundreds on ebooks, at least now I’ll be saving money.

By: Christo

Christo — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 05:23:47 +0000

I will watch Books on Board’s UK site, but my first visit was full of false hope. They had all of Iain M. Banks books there. Hooray! But they are only in Adobe epup locked down versions. Sigh.

By: David S.

David S. — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:33:20 +0000

Actually since posting previously I’ve found that Books on Board have now opened a “UK store” that sells to the half of the English-speaking world that comes under UK publishers purview (oh how I love 19th century business models. Not.) I assume it ensures the money goes to the correct non-US publishers and so avoids the geographical issues non-usians buying from US publishers apparently raises (but oddly only for ebooks!) It doesn’t yet have as many titles as their US site, but it’s growing and it works (I managed to buy two titles I couldn’t get via Fictionwise and the US BoB site). Prices seem reasonable too.

Perhaps the ebook spring will stick around for a while longer after all. Fingers crossed.

By: ~Brian

~Brian — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:33:10 +0000

While geographical restrictions suck it’s the publishers doing, not the resellers.

It’s a big mess and hopefully publishing contracts will catch up with the 21st century sooner rather than later making ebook right global for whichever publisher holds them. Some publishers are already doing this on new contracts from what I’ve read.

From what I’ve read on MobileRead all you need to do to get around it at Fictionwise is pay with micropay and say you’re in the US. So it appears pretty trivial to get around.

By: Christo

Christo — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 07:46:44 +0000

Actually, I have just checked on eReader, and pretty much every title (including many I have previously purchased) is geographically restricted now. B&N or Fictionwise have just lowered the shutters on an entire site.

By: Christo

Christo — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 07:36:45 +0000

I kind of agree with David S. I haven’t bought any ebooks for several months because of geographical or format restrictions. Prior to that I have bought hundreds (mostly from Fictionwise/eReader).

There are ways around the geographical block, but unless I really want the book I just can’t be bothered.

By: David S.

David S. — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 03:57:27 +0000

Meh. With the sudden explosion of geographic restrictions being slapped on ebooks from eReader, Fictionwise, Books on Board, etc. and the lack of the Kindle, there’s little point in worrying about ebook prices for non-US and non-CA customers. For us the brief eBook spring is over and it’s back to the 20th century world of dead tree books. It was nice while it lasted.

By: Dana

Dana — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:09:26 +0000

If you go to amazon you can find different prices for different ereaders too – i went throught this site http://www.top-ereaders.com – and from there i got a sony 505 in a really great discount price.
even though i see that you sell the kindle here for a great price too!!

By: Aaron Pressman

Aaron Pressman — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:06:09 +0000

I wonder if this will hit Amazon and perhaps force some backtracking on their recently creeping higher Kindle book prices.

By: Christopher Davis

Christopher Davis — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:48:12 +0000

Interestingly, this means they’re now significantly undercutting their own prices on Fictionwise.com for the exact same books. I wonder if Fictionwise pricing will catch up, or if I’ll wind up looking at both storefronts every time I buy a book so I can get the cheaper price….