E-Book Experience
You may remember one of my columns for Romancing the Blog explained why I don't read e-books. Last week I decided to break with tradition and try a few e-books. I bought Arrested by Alyssa Brooks (whom I found courtesy of Romancing the Blog) and The Vampire's Christmas by Angela Knight. Since I don't have an e-book reader, I went with the PDF format.
I bought Arrested after being intrigued by the cover and the excerpt. The story itself was not as enjoyable as I'd hoped: 2.5 out of 5. I was definitely convinced of the couple's lust, but they knew next to nothing about each other when they first hit the sheets. This can work in a story, but the hero and heroine need to get to know each other as the story progresses. That didn't really happen here.
The Vampire's Christmas was pretty short, 28 pages. The characters and plot were interesting but the sex turned me off: 3 out of 5.
Here's a question about e-books. Arrested was 63 pages and cost $5.75. The Vampire's Christmas was 28 pages and cost $2.49. I realize that one page on a PDF does not equal a book page, but it still seemed like less value for the page count than a paperback. Am I wrong about this? Feel free to express an opinion or set me straight if I'm missing something. I realize that creating a book in different formats takes some doing, but surely it's less expensive than an actual paper printing.
Would I try e-books again? I won't rule them out, especially if I get some kind of e-book reader so I don't have to read them on the computer. That's a bit cumbersome. But I can't say that I'm going to spend much time shopping for e-books.
Alyssa
Labels: 2.5 reviews, 3.0 reviews, a-b reviews, e-books, i-l reviews, romancing the blog
posted by Alyssa @ 8:27 PM
25 Comments:
I'd be really miffed about how short Arrested was when for that price I usually get something at least twice as long. I won my copy, so I didn't really have cause to complain, though it made me think twice about ordering from that company if that's their idea of novel length. Not to mention I also didn't like it too terribly much. Nice cover though.
If you're ever in the mood for snarky, kick ass women, I suggest Shelly Laurenston from Triskelion and her shapeshifters. Pack Challenge is the first one. It's only $4.99 and its pdf page count is 159 which I consider novel length for an ebook, probably at least category length. Triskelion lets you know the page count, which is nice and their prices are nice. Not to mention I like their books most of the time, though I haven't read any lately.
And with the cost...I think it's that they have to pay for operating costs, customer service, storage for files, broadband, website costs, artists, editors, servers, etc. I think because they are so small, the costs need to be higher to off-set things. They may not be printing, but they do have a lot of costs. It's like how books from small print presses are usually really expensive too. Print pubs print in such large quantities that costs are driven down. And you know they've already said that the cost of print books should be higher. Ugh.
I still avoid some pubs since I do want as much bang for my buck. and if I'm paying $5 and up, I want at least novel length.
Nicole, Nicole, why did you not say anything about Shelly Laurenston?
I love ebooks but I don't generally buy anything under an 80,000 word count. You're right, it is more expensive to buy an ebook in some cases than a mass market paperback from amazon, bamm, or b&n. And you can't get back any of that money by trading, swapping, or re-selling. It's my big problem with ebooks.
That said- I do love the convenience of them (I have a Pocket PC) and I think you do find original story ideas that you wouldn't otherwise find in mass market.
Like everything, there are ebooks that suck (you really have to get recommendations from someone you trust or you'll end up disappointed) and erotic romance that sucks (excuse the pun) but there are also some stunning reads too!
What do you mean, Màili? I love Shelly's books. No one asked me anything before.
E-books have always just seemed like too much of a hassle but at the same time, I feel guilty for feeling that way, LOL, because there are a lot of great people writing them.
I'd think they were a hassle if I didn't have my iPaq. I never read on my computer and when I first got into ebooks, I had to and HATED it. But I asked really nicely for an pda and decided on the iPaq. I just love it to death and read on it almost every night. But it IS expensive and not something everyone has the cash to splurge on, but if you do, I think it's the best idea. Since it's not dependent on one format, you aren't stuck. There are some drawbacks, but they're ones you can easily get around. Such as buying LIT format instead of Adobe at big name pubs.
And I agree with Angie, sometimes you get books that suck. Even ones that have a huge rabid fan following.
Can I say I hate rabid fans? Hate hate hate them. Maybe that's a rant for another day.
Hey Nicole- if you email me, I'll tell you how to convert PDF to LIT. It's really simple and you won't have to not buy a book because it's in PDF format (which I agree sucks to read on an Ipaq - hate it!)
babybookworm@comcast.net
And I might hate ebooks too if not for my Ipaq. But with that, it's so convenient. No more having an entire suitcase for books when I go on vacation ;)
Oh, Angie, I LOVE to read pdfs on my iPaq! I prefer them to LIT. I was trying to remember why I didn't like the one that I'd bought at SimonSays.com that hadn't reflowed right, but when I tried it today, it worked great, so I think the tinkering I'd done must have helped.
Nicole - I had a look at Laurenston's web site and her stories sound the kind I'd like. I'd never heard of her until your comment here. Hence the sulky pout. :>
Ooooh....that makes more sense. :-) Yeah, I enjoy her stories a LOT.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Fascinating discussion, everyone. I appreciate all of your responses since I am such an e-book newbie. It's nice to hear that I'm not alone in thinking the price a bit high for the page count. I will definitely remember this for future purchases.
Alyssa
For the record, ebooks do have a shorter page count. My novel is over 82,000 words long (word processor count). The PDF version was only 159 pages long. Some publishers will change the margins to make a book appear longer.
Also Arrested was clearly marked as a novella not a novel. Most publisher list what type an ebook is and has a section to show the actual word count for each type.
As for cost, you got me there. Some cost more than others. Fictionwise occasionally has better prices, normally buying from the publisher is cheaper.
Thanks for letting me post.
Jen
Hi,
Cyndi Redding, another e-novelist here. First of all, let me say that I prefer reading e-books to paperbacks, but I'm not right and you're not wrong. All opinions are valid, and everyone has different reasons for them.
I love my PDA. I can read in bed without the light on, and my husband can sleep. I can carry over a dozen books with me in my pocketbook in the event that my doctor or hairdresser keeps me waiting, there's a long line at the DMV or I'm on a plane or train
I'm a tree-hugger. I admit it. 1/2 of all paperbacks are returned unsold and wind up in landfill. I believe more than a tiny handful of companies should recyle them, but they don't. My dh buys hardcovers. Yes, hardcovers! He has to have the newest release the minute it comes out and has to run out to find a bookstore before our vacation is half over.
Okay, those are only a few reasons I like to read e-books. I also like to have them read to me! Any e-book can be made to play out loud on your computer or lap top. I have fond memories of my mom reading to me as a child, and maybe that's why I enjoy .lit format being read by Microsoft Reader, which is a free download. Sure, the voice is electronic and only a little more expressive than Ben Stein, but that doesn't affect the story for me. I could select another voice if I wanted to and pay $35. Maybe someday I'll download one with a lovely English accent. When the computer mispronounces a word, I don't find it annoying, I think it's funny. Not all people would. Imagine the word, 'pussy.' rhyming with fussy! LOL. Of course, I'm talking about the cat.
Jen and Cyndi, welcome, and thanks for posting!
Jen, thanks for pointing out that Arrested was listed as a novella. I'm still very new to e-books--I don't know if I didn't notice this or if I disregarded it. Part of the problem may be that I am used to thinking about books in page counts rather than word counts, so it's a shift in thinking I just need to get used to.
I may have compared apples to oranges based on the price, thinking that an e-book should be as long as a print book sold at the same price. I'm slowly figuring some of this stuff out. I do appreciate the comments.
Cyndi, I didn't know that you can get e-books read aloud. How cool! I'm guessing that the $35 cost for a voice of your choice is a one-time cost? That's a good deal when you consider how much audiobooks cost these days.
LOL about the fussy pussy! That pronunciation makes it sound like a horrible medical condition.
I didn't know that half of all books are returned and sent to a landfill. :( How sad!
I can definitely see the appeal of e-books, especially when I look at my bedroom and realize that it looks like a bookstore has exploded.
Thanks again,
Alyssa
Hi all,
I'm co-owner of Liquid Silver Books which published Arrested by Alyssa Brooks, and would like to offer some insight into the seemingly high price of ebooks.
The reason is low demand. Ebooks are still a small market and sell much lower volumes than mass paperbacks. When demand grows, we will be able to lower prices.
Nicole identified the many costs involved in her second post. These costs are mainly fixed--ie they remain the same whether we sell 10 or 10,000 books.
What may make the price more palatable to you is this: most of your money goes to the authors and others involved in producing the finished book.
Our authors get 40-50% royalties on each sale, and our editorial and art teams get another 20%. With paperbacks, the typical author gets 5-10% royalties.
I and the rest of us at LSB will be very happy to discuss this further with you in our community forums--post any questions or comments in the "Readers and Customers" room at LSBOOKS.NET
To conclude, I look forward to the day when we can lower prices. But I can assure you that you are not being ripped off by current prices. They are necessary for us to stay in business and to give the authors, editors and artists sufficient reward to keep producing good books.
Thanks, it's nice to see ebooks being discussed in a balanced manner :)
Mike.
Hi Alyssa,
Alyssa Brooks here, author of Arrested:) I regret to hear you didn't care for Arrested or Angela Knight's ebook. I'm not offended and I'll bet she wont be either...we all have our opinions and are entitled to them. Many, many people loved Arrested, emailing me compliments. In fact, it was nominated for a CAPA and Golden Rose. As for myself, I don't care for most paperbacks. I prefer the variety of ebooks.
I would hope you wouldn't judge all ebooks off two. Also, in our defense, when you bought these books, I think you missed two very important points. They were short stories/novellas and they were erotic romances. While some publishers are more in depth with thier labeling than others, all offer a catergory, length, blurb, and excerpt. If you were buying a book in Waldens, you wouldn't look at the cover and run to the counter, would you? I would encourage you to try again, and check out what you buy first to be sure it's your style.
LOL. The way I see it, your dissing of my book only gave me free promo. There are those who prefer a sexy book to a sappy novel, who will now check me out.:)
On your opinion of these books, I of course must disagree. However, I do agree with the issue of pricing. There is very valid reasoning for them, yes, of course. However, I hope they will one day come down. Also, consider the fact that not all publishers are the same.
To me, you demonstrate another need for erotic ebooks. Labels. You obvisouly were looking for romance. The blunt sex was more than you were used to.
Ebooks are a great way to read for many reasons, but the biggest is that they offer you something different. They break out of the box. You will find books you love and books you hate in electronic form and in print. I hope you won't give up on ebooks.
Alyssa
www.alyssabrooks.com
Hi, Alyssa,
I hope you don't feel overwhelmed by Liquid Silver people today, lol. I write for them as Dee S. Knight.
I understand your confusion about lengths and prices if you're new to e-books. Someone else already commented on the fact that sometimes the shorter books are more expensive than longer ones--which seems contrary to logic, but no more so than discovering tiny halter tops cost as much as regular blouses, or women's jeans cost more than men's. My novellas are priced at $5.75 while my super-romances are $5.95.
I think Mike and Nicole discussed why pricing is the way it is for e-publishers. I wanted to tell you why I like e-books. I read both on my ebookwise reader and the computer--although I prefer the reader so I don't have to sit at the keyboard. Convenience, first and foremost! As Cyndi said, I can carry several books with me at a time in one compact device (or store scads of them in a small portion of hard drive), read in bed without disturbing my hubby, and actually hold a cup of coffee and read, instead of having to hold both sides of a book and bend the spine to keep it open. I don't find the prices too bad, especially considering I can keep all of my e-books. We move so much I can only justify keeping a few paperbacks, so they might cost about the same as an e-book, but I have to give most of them away when I'm finished.
I agree with most everyone else--I hope you'll keep trying e-books. There are some wonderful authors and stories to be found, and you'll find many that you already know and love are also available electronically now.
Thanks for the ear!
Dee
www.deesknight.com
PS--April Martinez, who designed the cover for Arrested will love hearing your comments on the cover art. I'll pass them on to her!
Dee, I don't mind you stopping by, although my ears are starting to burn as I can tell people are talking about me . . . ;) Seriously, though, I welcome comments. It's been interesting to read the insider perspectives, especially since I'm so new to the e-book thing.
Mike, talk about insider perspectives. LOL! Thanks for the detailed explanation. I think it's wonderful that the author gets a higher percentage of the cover price. The problem is that most readers (myself included) have $X amount to spend on books, and we want to get as many books as we can. Well, I do, anyway. The explanation is helpful, however.
Alyssa B, thanks for posting. I'm glad that many readers are enjoying Arrested and offer my congratulations that it's been nominated for awards.
I would like to clarify, however, that the sensuality level wasn't my problem with the book. Arrested didn't strike me as being more "blunt sex" than many of the books I read. I didn't want less sex, I wanted more characterization. As you've already pointed out, this is a subjective call.
I also read Lust Upon Roses, which I enjoyed much better.
As for Angela Knight, I've liked most of her writing. If I remember correctly, I knew that it was 28 pages when I bought it, so I wasn't expecting a long story. Although I didn't especially enjoy The Vampire's Christmas, I've enjoyed a number of her other books and novellas. I'm sure I will continue to do so.
I'm also sure you didn't mean to imply that the only books I like are "sappy novels." Right?
Dee, LOL about the less/more comparison. Bikinis are always more expensive than one-piece suits, aren't they?
I've definitely got to find my PDA so I can try reading on it. So far I've read four e-books of varying lengths on the computer screen, which just isn't fun for me.
I also visited your site. I'm intrigued by Passionate Destiny, which I see is available in print and e-book format. The print book is 304 pages, but the e-book calls it a full-length novel, which is between 45,000-80,000 words. Passionate Destiny is closer to 80,000, right? I can't imagine a 45,000-50,000 word book being 300 pages.
Anyway, I'm considering giving it a try. (Where is my PDA?!)
Thanks again for your comments,
Alyssa
Hi, again, Alyssa.
You know, when I was looking at book lengths on the LSB site--while writing my response to the blog--I noticed for the first time that Passionate Destiny is listed as full-length. But it's over 80,000 words and should really be called a super novel. (In my opinion, a SUPER super novel, if you know what I mean, lol, but I admit to a certain bias.)
I'd love for you to give the book a try!
You mentioned liking the Arrested cover. April Martinez designed that cover and the one for Passionate Destiny. The PD cover just placed 4th place in the All About Romance cover art contest--the first e-book cover ever to get one of the top honors! She's really fabulous.
You know, I admit, getting used to e-books takes some time. I read both e-books and print books and like them both, slthough the coffee thing I mentioned previously is a big consideration. :)
Dee
www.deesknight.com
Alyssa,
If you'll write me at dsknight@deesknight.com, I'll be happy to send you a complimentary copy of Passionate Destiny.
Dee
Alyssa,
BTW I love your name:)
I am so happy to hear you liked Lust Upon Roses better, and even happier to know you gave me another chance! I really, truly value reader’s opinions and take them to heart.
Was I offended by your review of Arrested? No. I hope I didn’t sound defensive… I had been trying not to. Though, in a way I was trying to stand up for myself, my publisher, and e-books in general so I may have. LOL. I am not a public speaker…I write but I cannot talk and will openly admit that sometimes when I try to make a point I come across wrong.
To me, it seemed you were basing your whole opinion of e-books on our two books, and I didn’t want to see you give up! But really, it interested me to hear your opinion. I am always interested in improving myself, and being criticized doesn’t bother me. The way I see it is different strokes for different folks. We can’t all appreciate the same exact things.
Did I mean to insinuate you only read sappy romance novels? Oh no. But I will be honest and say what I gathered from your reviews was that the intense sexuality turned you off. You said things like ‘I was convinced of the lust’ and ‘the sex turned me off’, in addition to not enough romance/characterization. So yes, I got the idea the books may have been more intense than what you liked or were used to. The thing with erotic romances is that it comes in many levels, and we don’t all like the many variances. For instance, I just have no taste for lesbian relationships. I have no problem with them at all; they simply don’t turn me on. If I read a book with one, I probably wouldn’t like it. I understand what you were saying completely, and hey, even if you did just like sappy romances, there’s nothing wrong with that! I drank them up for years until I discovered erotica. Sometimes I still do, and in fact, I am attempting to write something to send to Harq now.
Anyway, good luck with your e-book experience! I have *heard* that fictionwise sells a good e-book reader. And you can get them there at a discount and I *think* even earn free stuff. www.fictionwise.com
Best,
Alyssa Brooks
www.alyssabrooks.com
Alyssa (I like your name too, LOL!), no worries. I wasn't offended. It's difficult to convey tone through electronic communication; there's always the potential for misunderstanding. I figured that's what happened. I appreciate the clarifications. I can see that I didn't help matters with my too-brief analysis.
Thanks again, and I appreciate the tip re: Fictionwise. I'm heading there shortly to check things out. If I end up getting one and they have some kind of referral reward, I'll make sure I mention you.
Dee, thanks for the updated info about the word count. And thanks for your generosity! I will e-mail you soon.
OK, I had no idea that AAR posted all of the results. When I clicked on the link, I just saw the winners of the different categories. I'm going to check that out, too.
Based on the two covers by April I've seen, I'd say she's quite talented. I can see why the Passionate Destiny cover was nominated.
Alyssa
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