The Sword and Laser discussion
What Else Are You Reading?
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Amazon Unlimited
Nice...I hope they include it in prime subscriptions, because the current lending model is pretty lame.
The current lending program is quite limited, I agree. Part of the reason for this is because authors get royalties for those books lent, and Amazon sets aside an amount each month (typically in excess of one million dollars) to reimburse those authors who participate in the Kindle Lending Library program.I predicted recently that Amazon would come up with a system which would charge a monthly subscription fee. Will be interesting to see how they pay royalties, but I suspect it will be based on how many reads a given book gets during that month.
I find no need for Amazon because I can get things electronically through the library for free.
I love this idea. I want to stick to Amazon only and keep my KDP promotions, but would be glad to loan out my books. As a self-published author I think I would get more. As a reader, I love the idea of ten bucks a month for what is basically an e-library.
This is great for exposure, but I hope Amazon is still planning on paying us authors for providing the books.
This is just speculation on my part, but my thinking is that this service's initial offerings will most likely (at least initially) consist primarily of works by more well-known authors and/or of more well-known titles. This isn't the first such service to test these waters, after all, and from a business standpoint it makes sense that they will need a strong draw for sign-up purposes, particularly since this program - at $9.99 a month - will be more expensive than Amazon Prime at $99 a year.
$9.99/month... I'd have to be reading two+ books/month from this service to make it worthwhile.
Bryan wrote: "$9.99/month... I'd have to be reading two+ books/month from this service to make it worthwhile."You make it sound like two books a month is a lot.
I have held off new SF because of price. While gutenberg press is great, the supply of older books will eventually run out. In fact I'm pretty much there now. If this plan is unlimited reading, I would easily get my money's worth from it.As for my own work, I think someone would be more likely to give it a try if it was part of an all-you-can-read plan. I am good for that. I get a cut of the Prime lends and would be fine with a cut of this service.
Sean wrote: "Bryan wrote: "$9.99/month... I'd have to be reading two+ books/month from this service to make it worthwhile."You make it sound like two books a month is a lot."
I know. I could do 2+ books per month standing on my head. On the other hand, I am a cheapskate with access to a pretty well stocked library system. It's an intriguing idea though...
Sean wrote: "Bryan wrote: "$9.99/month... I'd have to be reading two+ books/month from this service to make it worthwhile."You make it sound like two books a month is a lot."
Depends on the person, what they read, and their reading speed.
It also sets aside their reading done in other forms, such as other Kindle titles, ebooks from other providers (Nook, Apple, etc), and print. Doesn't include books being listened to.
Personally, my reading now depends on my work schedule and how much flying I'm doing. Plus what kind of book I'm reading. Maybe 3-12 books/month these days.
I certainly read enough books to make it worth it (if half of what I'm looking to read is available) but I still have so many unread kindle books that I've already paid for that I may wait a few years to try one of these services out.
I remain skeptical.Mostly the back catalog of books they can't sell. The audio versions aren't the audible version, just some books that are ready by "somebody." (AKA summer interns).
Gutenberg also has thousand of books available for free.
The 1897 census make for fascinating reading.
Shaina wrote: "I certainly read enough books to make it worth it (if half of what I'm looking to read is available) but I still have so many unread kindle books that I've already paid for that I may wait a few ye..."That's a good example of what I meant by reading in other platforms.
So now it is out there and from what I can see at this point they have mostly switched the "borrow free on Prime" books over to this Unlimited plan. Hey, if they think I'm forking over $9.99 to read "free" what I already had access to, they have another think coming. Plus, now my Prime membership doesn't have the books available it did before. I USED that free monthly book. (It used to be a perq, now it's a right! ha!)If they come up with something (like their proposed viewing channel) that removes my free streaming from Prime, I'll cancel it. It is the extras that made it worthwhile.
Yeah, I'm a little steamed.
I haven't read about it, but that is my feeling. And it would make sense to me that they expand the Kindle book-buying and their "subscription" market. Certainly, that's how it feels.Must read up on it though.
Julie wrote: "So now it is out there and from what I can see at this point they have mostly switched the "borrow free on Prime" books over to this Unlimited plan. Hey, if they think I'm forking over $9.99 to rea..."Wait, so now our prime reading privileges are reduced? After the recent prime price hike, I was hoping there would be more value added to the subscription, not less. And no, as I dont consider their current streaming music selection an additional perk.
I use the video streaming some but never the music streaming.
I signed up for the 30 day free trial, but I dunno if I'll bother to use it. One thing I found annoying is there is no marker on my wishlist, so I have to click on each item to see if it is one of the free readables. I haven't ever used the one book a month free read because I don't have an official kindle reader - this at least lets me read them through the app on my tablet.
If they make it easier to identify which books are included I think it may be worth the money, but right now I am also way behind on reading the stuff I've already paid for so...meh.
Yeah I did a trial of Oyster before, and ended up cancelling it. My reading list is pretty specific...I will not be choosing books based on whether I can get them free, or using the service to browse books looking for stuff I might be interested in reading since it's available. That said, I too will probably sign up for a 30 day free trial...Just remember to add a google calendar reminder to cancel on the 29th day :)Amazon is already giving you video on demand via prime (compare to netflix), now music on demand via prime (compare to spotify), I dont see why books on demand are a separate service from prime, except that perhaps while spotify and netflix offer better services than their prime counterparts, amazon feels they have a chance to offer a best of class service for book rentals and feels it should make money on it independent of prime.
Our house is fond of Prime's movie streaming. Only our daughter (a/k/a Wednesday Addams) uses the audio bit.We also ruthlessly use the free shipping feature.
Amazon already has something like it with their Amazon Prime and I have found it wasn't worth it because the titles I want (both with streaming video and lending library) were rarely available. I always check when I'm buying to see if I should try it again. I had a months free trial once I only watched a few movies. The free shipping is only worth it if you are in a hurry. Most things having free shipping anyway if you use the slow option.This year I've read 50+ books on my Kindle already so if they were in the lending library it would be well worth it. They just haven't been. :(
Elizabeth wrote: "The free shipping is only worth it if you are in a hurry."It's worth a lot to us. We live in a very remote spot, up in the Green Mountains of Vermont, 1/2 off the grid. To get most stuff we either have a 3 hour round trip (to Burlington) or order through the mail. Postage adds up.
Bryan wrote: "Elizabeth wrote: "The free shipping is only worth it if you are in a hurry."It's worth a lot to us. We live in a very remote spot, up in the Green Mountains of Vermont, 1/2 off the grid. To get..."
I think what Elizabeth meant is that you can usually get free shipping in 3-5 business days without Prime, instead of 2 days with Prime. I know what you are saying about the mail but most stuff I order from Amazon (even the delicious, delicious tuna) is stuff I can wait an extra couple of days for.
The free 2 day shipping was the whole reason I joined prime when it first came out. Well, that was about all it offered at the time. And given I have 2-3 packages a week coming, and I am an impatient person, I still use it heavily. But having owned 5 kindles and now a FireTV, I do enjoy the extra services they offer. But all the streaming services suck, in my opinion...Netflix rarely has what I want to watch on-demand, so I cancelled it. Oyster rarely had what I wanted to read, so I cancelled it. Hulu Plus never had what I wanted to watch, so I cancelled it. The one bright spot in streaming on-demand content is Spotify. I would pay 9.99 a month if amazon had a book library comparable to spotify's music library, I am just disappointed they arent offering it as part of Prime, or at least at a discount to existing prime members (or offer a "prime+" package for say $149 a year that includes it)...Anywhoo, enough whining.
Bryan wrote: "Elizabeth wrote: "The free shipping is only worth it if you are in a hurry."It's worth a lot to us. We live in a very remote spot, up in the Green Mountains of Vermont, 1/2 off the grid. To get..."
Most things on Amazon have the free shipping option without Prime - it is just slower.
Sky wrote: "The free 2 day shipping was the whole reason I joined prime when it first came out. Well, that was about all it offered at the time. And given I have 2-3 packages a week coming, and I am an impat..."I love Netflix but I also found Hulu lacking. Netflix didn't used to have much to offer streaming but now it is so much better than the first time I tried it.
I live fifteen miles form an Amazon distribution center, so my packages get here in two to three days even with the "Free Super Saver Shipping." Using Prime is actually worse for me because the UPS drivers won't leave a package if I'm not here to sign, and I'm never home when they come by.
Elizabeth wrote: "Bryan wrote: "Elizabeth wrote: "The free shipping is only worth it if you are in a hurry."It's worth a lot to us. We live in a very remote spot, up in the Green Mountains of Vermont, 1/2 off the..."
True. It's even worse for us, though, as the upper northeast tends to enjoy an extra day or two of shipping time.
I'm having trouble seeing how the numbers work out on this. For movies or for music, a subscription service makes a certain amount of sense -- I can watch/listen to a lot more content in the course of a month than I could realistically afford to buy, and I'm more willing to use subscription services for marginal stuff because the time commitment for any given movie/song is relatively minimal.Books are a whole different story -- I only read probably 5-6 books/month on average (which may put me below average in present company, but which puts me way above the general nationwide average), so if I'm only reading things I don't already own, then I'm saving some money but not a ton, in exchange for which I'm subject to the whims of Amazon and the publishers in terms of what's available.
I suppose a lot of it will depend on exactly what those 600,000 books are -- if it gave me a way to read Kindle versions of books I already own in hardcopy that might be somewhat tempting, but if it's 600,000 self-published, typo-ridden sparkly-vampire-in-lurv books, well ...
another note...Amazon says 2,000 titles from Audible will be available through the service. By last count, Audible has over 150,000 titles, so that is about 1.3% of Audible's library.
This tells me that the catalog of available books will be slim to scarce. Bilking! No way!
All the reviews I'm seeing indicate the selection is pretty poor.
I also feel like as a prime subscriber for 5+ years, shouldn't this be part of the now more expensive prime or at least discounted for prime subscribers or kindle owners. Maybe give you a free year or 6 months with each kindle or something.
Shaina wrote: "I also feel like as a prime subscriber for 5+ years, shouldn't this be part of the now more expensive prime or at least discounted for prime subscribers or kindle owners. Maybe give you a free year..."Agreed!
the navigation is confusing I dont want to search through all 600,000 books to find one science fiction book wtf!
For the average person that's going to be too much. Of course it might be a big plus for users with Amazon cloud reader, Caliber skills etc. Join for a month, download a hundred or so books then cancel.
Joseph wrote: "I suppose a lot of it will depend on exactly what those 600,000 books are -- if it gave me a way to read Kindle versions of books I already own in hardcopy that might be somewhat tempting, but if it's 600,000 self-published, typo-ridden sparkly-vampire-in-lurv books, well ..."Browsing through, it seems there's a lot of overlap with the titles that show up as daily and monthly deals. Of course I have tons of those sitting on my Kindle already, so that's not much of an incentive to use the service. The sci-fi selection seems a bit thin, though Tom should like it since it has a bunch of Dick and Lem. History, though, has lots of interesting stuff, and it looks like most of Ed McBain's 87th Precinct mystery series is available as well (most of those books you can read in a single afternoon, so if you're a mystery fan it'd make the service worth it).
Chakara wrote: "the navigation is confusing I dont want to search through all 600,000 books to find one science fiction book wtf!"
Just go to the Unlimited page and search. All the results you get will be confined to what's available as part of the service. For some reason the Unlimited filter isn't available in the search engine unless you're already in that section.
Also, here's the SF section
Sean wrote: "Joseph wrote: "I suppose a lot of it will depend on exactly what those 600,000 books are -- if it gave me a way to read Kindle versions of books I already own in hardcopy that might be somewhat tem..."Wow, was not expecting my book to already be listed there. Hmm, will keep an eye on the sales and see how beneficial this will be.
I think I'll do the 30 day free trial when I've finished reading that which I have already purchased. There are a lot of titles, but not a lot of premium titles, and that's what I'd most want a sub service for.
It would seem they've dumped the entire KDP Select catalog into Unlimited. For those who don't know, KDP Select is a Amazon's self-publishing option that returns a 70% royalty (minus expenses) and more pricing flexibility in return for exclusivity. The other option is 35%, but you can publish elsewhere. No one else uses this model. This was the email sales pitch from the author's perspective: "Today we are excited to introduce Kindle Unlimited--a new subscription service for readers in the U.S. and a new revenue opportunity for authors enrolled in KDP Select. With Kindle Unlimited, customers will be able to read as many book as they want from a library of over 600,000 titles. KDP authors and publishers who enroll their books with U.S. rights in KDP Select are automatically enrolled in Kindle Unlimited. Inclusion in Kindle Unlimited can help drive discovery of your book, and when your book is accessed and read past 10% you will earn a share of the KDP Select global fund. For the month of July we have added $800,000 to the KDP Select global fund bringing the total to $2 million.
KDP Select is an optional program that makes your book exclusive to Kindle and eligible for the following benefits:
Reach more readers – With each 90-day enrollment period, your book will appear in Kindle Unlimited in the U.S. and the Kindle Owners' Lending Library (KOLL) in the U.S, U.K., Germany, France, and Japan which can help readers discover your book.
Earn more money – When your book is selected and read past 10% from Kindle Unlimited or borrowed from KOLL, you'll earn your share of the monthly KDP Select Global Fund. You can also earn a 70% royalty for sales to customers in Japan, Brazil, India, and Mexico.
Maximize your sales potential – Choose from two promotional tools including: Kindle Countdown Deals, time-bound promotional discounts for your book, available on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk, while earning royalties; or Free Book Promotion, where readers can get your book free for a limited time."
Will this be a good deal for authors? Hard to say, but my personal opinion is no. For the vast majority of them, their titles will remain lost in the vast sea of books that are self-published every year. If they do manage to find some readers, then they have to share a piece of a relatively small pie. If a lot of authors become successful, them the money available for each will be reduced. This is not a good model for a publisher/distributor. In fact, the only other place you will find that sort of a payout structure is a jackpot lottery.
Also, I don't remember Amazon consulting the authors before they forcibly enrolled them in this program. Given the publishing industry's track record of late, I'm skeptical that authors were given any consideration in this new pricing scheme.
Sean wrote: "It would seem they've dumped the entire KDP Select catalog into Unlimited. For those who don't know, KDP Select is a Amazon's self-publishing option that returns a 70% royalty (minus expenses) and ..."Well I certainly wasn't asked, so no they definitely didn't ask the authors. I don't really mind, but right now I'm not seeing much benefit to being KDP select. Would be better off posting on Smashwords and collecting funds from all the sites.
Wilmar wrote: " I'm not seeing much benefit to being KDP select. Would be better off posting on Smashwords and collecting funds from all the sites. "I came to a similar conclusion. Publish and promote from a site like Smashwords, but put it up on regular KDP for those who prefer the one-click simplicity.
Mostly I thought it was a little hypocritical to complain that Hachette is trying to manipulate the pricing structure, and then go and do a similar thing themselves.
http://nypost.com/2014/07/18/amazon-l...
The Unlimited is just an update to Kindle Lending program available only to US market right now. But if you've published on kindle the details are all there and the indie author has to opt out to not be included.Its another possible revenue stream for indie authors will it increase sales? Maybe for the readers in the US who were thinking of trying a indie book but didn't want to pay a $2.99 for one. Now they can read it for free but the still have to find your book.
I've not used smashwords so I have no idea how good it is for advertising and marketing.
Whether Amazon Unlimited will be a good deal for authors is an open question, but if Amazon keeps to its listed terms, it will give one advantage over normal sales. According to those terms, a regular buyer can return a book, in which case the royalty for the sale gets returned as well, but under the Unlimited plan a writer gets the royalty if at least ten percent of the book is read, even if the reader goes no further; i.e., returns aren't relevent here.Did surprise me that they slid over we KDP folks the way they did, but I'm guesing they figured the overall number of availabilities that gave them would be a sucessful advert in and of itself.
Y'know, Amazon, if you really want to make me happy, instead of a half-baked "subscription" service, offer a service where I can, say, scan the UPC code of a physical book I already own (but may not have ordered from Amazon originally) and then buy the corresponding Kindle version for a buck or two.
Joseph wrote: " and then buy the corresponding Kindle version for a buck or two."THAT, I would pay a subscription fee for.
I went to look for the sequel to Dawn and is available for kindle unlimited, so maybe when I get to that I'll buy in.
I like the idea but I also like owning my books (I use calibre to strip DRM and keep a copy on a flash drive). It'd definitely use a trial to see if I liked it.
Sounds similar to Oyster and Scribd. Does anyone use either of those services now? Are they worth it? Are you more or less likely to use Amazon's service?