1) You do not get an ebook file, you can access it only through their app (so no sideloading anywhere) 2) Dedicated Kindle readers will never leave their beloved eink ereader to read on their phones 3) Kobo did this 10 years ago and failed, though they had huge support and displays in major indies - ThreadSky

jadoogan.bsky.social • 29 days ago

1) You do not get an ebook file, you can access it only through their app (so no sideloading anywhere)
2) Dedicated Kindle readers will never leave their beloved eink ereader to read on their phones
3) Kobo did this 10 years ago and failed, though they had huge support and displays in major indies

Comments

bookchellf.bsky.social•29 days ago

You can sideload books that do not have DRM. Which isn't a lot but will work for some publishers like TOR.

jadoogan.bsky.social•29 days ago

Right, but these books have DRM. You don’t get a file, you get access to it within their apps. I’ve already purchased a book to test!

jadoogan.bsky.social•29 days ago

Most publishers balk at selling ebooks through a service without adequate DRM.

jadoogan.bsky.social•29 days ago

I don't buy books on Amazon unless it really isn't available elsewhere! I own a Nook! I get audiobooks at Libro dot fm! I worked in ebooks for seven years! I just don't see this working in any kind of industry-changing way.

jadoogan.bsky.social•29 days ago

The best way to support your local indie is to buy directly from them in person, from their own website, over the phone, via email. If you can’t do those things, bkshp dot org is a great alternative that gives your indie an affiliate cut instead of their 40-50% profit from direct sales.

jadoogan.bsky.social•29 days ago

And yes, if your indie signs up for this program and you’re happy to read on an iPad or similar, this is a great option for ebooks. If you’re reading on an LCD screen and think this is exciting, I assume you already know you can get ebooks from many non-Amazon places!

jessicaesquire.bsky.social•29 days ago

Yeah totally agree, I don't think it should be presented as a giant solution when it's actually a small and probably just okay solution.

jadoogan.bsky.social•29 days ago

Update: apparently once Bookshop dot org has created a way for booksellers to integrate ebook sales into their websites, bookstores will get 100% of the profits, per Publishers Weekly. That’s great!

jakobpunkt.bsky.social•29 days ago

Kobo didn't fail, my dude? It is the dominant eReader in Canada. Literally everyone I know has a Kobo.

jadoogan.bsky.social•29 days ago

Kobo stopped selling ebooks through American bookstores in 2018. I didn’t say Kobo failed, I said their plan to sell ebooks through bookstores failed. I hear good things about their new ereaders.
https://www.bookweb.org/kobo-ebooks

jakobpunkt.bsky.social•29 days ago

(To be clear, I agree with everything else you're seeing. This seems like a doomed project)

ghostyspook.bsky.social•29 days ago

Oh yeah if I can’t read on my kindle I will stick to library books 🤦🏻‍♀️

marniekaplan.bsky.social•29 days ago

I think these points are all correct but there are people who read books on their phones, my husband being one of them - I find it an appalling practice.

jadoogan.bsky.social•29 days ago

Oh for sure those people exist! And this is a great alternative for him! I hope he makes the switch to this or already buys his ebooks from one of the other more industry-friendly services.

carynrose.bsky.social•29 days ago

why are you shaming people who are fucking reading?

marniekaplan.bsky.social•29 days ago

I just think it must be bad for his eyes? I’m happy for people to read whatever they want in any way, my comment was tongue in cheek.

carynrose.bsky.social•29 days ago

I read books in PDF and hard cover and paperback and when I’m standing on line at the grocery store I read them on a phone

jadoogan.bsky.social•29 days ago

Good for you! I assume you’re getting those PDFs responsibly and not pirating them, lol. And buying ebooks from a non-Amazon seller, since that is the actual point of my post.

winwinirwin.bsky.social•29 days ago

Marnie, don’t worry. Your tongue-in-cheek rage found a supportive audience of one, at least. I agree—Appalling

marniekaplan.bsky.social•29 days ago

Haha thank you. I’m a Luddite. I have a kindle and I use it but I actually prefer the heft of real books. And I have never read a book on my phone. I hate that I read articles on here. I miss magazines and physical newspapers.

winwinirwin.bsky.social•28 days ago

Some of my students *write their papers on their phones* and when I see them "typing" in class I have to suppress a deranged howl

zincstoat.uk•29 days ago

Meanwhile Hive have been selling .epub format eBooks for ages, in the UK at least, but Bookshop's the favoured destination for authors and indie bookstores apparently.

romanbattaglia.com•29 days ago

Agree. The lack of ability to read on eink readers/sideloading is wildddd.

girlwhowhirls.bsky.social•29 days ago

Interesting! I read on my iPad, mostly through Libby and Hoopla, but I use Kobo when I need to buy a book. I am probably a huge outlier, which I didn't realize.

joshuadahlman.bsky.social•29 days ago

I’m a weird iPad Mini reader. I don’t know a single in person friend that uses an iPad. I mostly use Apple Books. I’ve never successfully been able to acquire any loan through Libby.

girlwhowhirls.bsky.social•29 days ago

Huh, you mean because they're always checked out? I generally have to put new books on hold and then wait for a month or two, but for older books I often have luck switching to "available now" and browsing.

joshuadahlman.bsky.social•29 days ago

Example for me: Picnic at Hanging Rock. 1 copy. 16 week wait. 7 waiting in line. I put a reserve on. Never receive any notifications. Go back many months later after forgetting. Process starts all over again.

girlwhowhirls.bsky.social•29 days ago

Interesting! My library doesn't have Picnic at Hanging Rock on Libby. (They have the physical book.) However, I always receive notifications, both by email and as a push notification on my phone.

girlwhowhirls.bsky.social•29 days ago

I actually find Libby to be really user-friendly, if you can get around the long wait times for popular new books.

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