Comments on: This Book Brought to You with Limited Commercial Interruption http://blog.vromans.com/this-book-brought-to-you-with-limited-commercial-interruption Independent Bookstore Sat, 04 Feb 2012 16:50:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Dr. S http://blog.vromans.com/this-book-brought-to-you-with-limited-commercial-interruption/comment-page-1#comment-1540 Dr. S Thu, 30 Jul 2009 22:03:04 +0000 http://blog.vromans.com/?p=909#comment-1540 Many of Charles Dickens's novels (the ones published in standalone parts, not the ones published in periodicals) featured pages of advertisements--not just for other books from the same publisher but also for things like cosmetics, various pills and pharmaceuticals, and plated silverware. (I wish I had my facsimile copy of the 1846 Oliver Twist with me so that I could give you more specific examples; they're actually terrific for getting a glimpse into the nineteenth-century world.) If people had their part-numbers bound together into books later, they generally stripped out the illustrated covers and the "advertiser" section, leaving just the novel's text--but I think it's safe to say that the "advertiser" is part of what underwrote the business model that made his books affordable and turned him into a superstar. So, it's also important to remember that "reading as ad-free zone" might be a historically specific phenomenon that isn't always going to be economically viable--and that the debate over how visible the *business* of literature should be isn't anything new. When I watch television shows on Hulu, I figure that the least I can do is watch an ad or two; if people want to get books for free, they should probably get ready to do the same. So, yeah: if I had an ebook reader (which I don't), I'd be willing to watch an ad in order to get my content without paying for it. And with things I actually cared about, I'd be willing to pay in order to avoid ads. None of this is to say that I'd want an ad to pop up right in the middle of my reading experience--which is why I'm likely to keep my reading old-school, paper and ink, unless I'm working with something (like a GoogleBooked nineteenth-century novel) that I can't get in print. Many of Charles Dickens’s novels (the ones published in standalone parts, not the ones published in periodicals) featured pages of advertisements–not just for other books from the same publisher but also for things like cosmetics, various pills and pharmaceuticals, and plated silverware. (I wish I had my facsimile copy of the 1846 Oliver Twist with me so that I could give you more specific examples; they’re actually terrific for getting a glimpse into the nineteenth-century world.) If people had their part-numbers bound together into books later, they generally stripped out the illustrated covers and the “advertiser” section, leaving just the novel’s text–but I think it’s safe to say that the “advertiser” is part of what underwrote the business model that made his books affordable and turned him into a superstar. So, it’s also important to remember that “reading as ad-free zone” might be a historically specific phenomenon that isn’t always going to be economically viable–and that the debate over how visible the *business* of literature should be isn’t anything new.

When I watch television shows on Hulu, I figure that the least I can do is watch an ad or two; if people want to get books for free, they should probably get ready to do the same. So, yeah: if I had an ebook reader (which I don’t), I’d be willing to watch an ad in order to get my content without paying for it. And with things I actually cared about, I’d be willing to pay in order to avoid ads.

None of this is to say that I’d want an ad to pop up right in the middle of my reading experience–which is why I’m likely to keep my reading old-school, paper and ink, unless I’m working with something (like a GoogleBooked nineteenth-century novel) that I can’t get in print.

]]> By: Squeezing Pennies from a Book « The Word Hoarder http://blog.vromans.com/this-book-brought-to-you-with-limited-commercial-interruption/comment-page-1#comment-1131 Squeezing Pennies from a Book « The Word Hoarder Tue, 21 Jul 2009 14:32:09 +0000 http://blog.vromans.com/?p=909#comment-1131 [...] 21, 2009 in bookselling | Tags: bookselling, ebooks Over at the Vroman’s blog, Patrick Brown recently discussed the latest moves by AMZN to patent the practice of putting ads in books (E- & POD). I’m not [...] [...] 21, 2009 in bookselling | Tags: bookselling, ebooks Over at the Vroman’s blog, Patrick Brown recently discussed the latest moves by AMZN to patent the practice of putting ads in books (E- & POD). I’m not [...]

]]> By: Rich Rennicks http://blog.vromans.com/this-book-brought-to-you-with-limited-commercial-interruption/comment-page-1#comment-1130 Rich Rennicks Mon, 20 Jul 2009 15:16:21 +0000 http://blog.vromans.com/?p=909#comment-1130 Isn't it interesting that the underlying assumption in these plans is that the book is perfect as it is, and a viable strategy to squeeze more dollars out of readers is to make a substandard product the new norm (book with ads) and make a traditional book (no ads) the premium product? Isn’t it interesting that the underlying assumption in these plans is that the book is perfect as it is, and a viable strategy to squeeze more dollars out of readers is to make a substandard product the new norm (book with ads) and make a traditional book (no ads) the premium product?

]]> By: Kam http://blog.vromans.com/this-book-brought-to-you-with-limited-commercial-interruption/comment-page-1#comment-1110 Kam Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:42:29 +0000 http://blog.vromans.com/?p=909#comment-1110 I think ads will be way too distracting to be tolerated while reading a book. It seems so ridiculous that we have come to this crazy advertising atmosphere. I have noticed lately that if you go to a website to look at clothing, then the ads for clothing stores show up in your browser on the right side. It reminds me of the movie where the actor switched eyes in order to get by a retinal scan. There were advertisements for the previous owner showing up in front of him as he walked along. I would pay more for a book with no ads. I think ads will be way too distracting to be tolerated while reading a book. It seems so ridiculous that we have come to this crazy advertising atmosphere. I have noticed lately that if you go to a website to look at clothing, then the ads for clothing stores show up in your browser on the right side. It reminds me of the movie where the actor switched eyes in order to get by a retinal scan. There were advertisements for the previous owner showing up in front of him as he walked along. I would pay more for a book with no ads.

]]> By: YMFY http://blog.vromans.com/this-book-brought-to-you-with-limited-commercial-interruption/comment-page-1#comment-1108 YMFY Wed, 08 Jul 2009 07:02:12 +0000 http://blog.vromans.com/?p=909#comment-1108 cheers to that. I will drop by your store sometime in the near future now that I work near Pasadena. cheers to that. I will drop by your store sometime in the near future now that I work near Pasadena.

]]> By: Patrick http://blog.vromans.com/this-book-brought-to-you-with-limited-commercial-interruption/comment-page-1#comment-1105 Patrick Tue, 07 Jul 2009 23:23:50 +0000 http://blog.vromans.com/?p=909#comment-1105 Lee, Thanks for the comment. As we sell a lot of non-book product (as an economic necessity and because our customers demand it), I definitely get what you're saying. I will point out, though, that those non-book products aren't actually <i>in</i> the book you're reading. Once you've got the book and are hunkering down to read, the fact that the book was in a display with other merchandise seems irrelevant. Lee,
Thanks for the comment. As we sell a lot of non-book product (as an economic necessity and because our customers demand it), I definitely get what you’re saying. I will point out, though, that those non-book products aren’t actually in the book you’re reading. Once you’ve got the book and are hunkering down to read, the fact that the book was in a display with other merchandise seems irrelevant.

]]> By: jim duncan http://blog.vromans.com/this-book-brought-to-you-with-limited-commercial-interruption/comment-page-1#comment-1104 jim duncan Tue, 07 Jul 2009 23:04:37 +0000 http://blog.vromans.com/?p=909#comment-1104 Assume for a moment I actually have an ebook reader. I would pay the extra for ad-free books. It's possible I would think different if I was the sort who bought several books a week. It might be worth the savings to tolerate useless ads. Might, but I doubt it. Ads I would tolerate? Stuff about other books. If the ads were not scattered throughout the book, I'd be more tolerant of them, basically because they would not interfere with the reading experience, and that aspect is the most important. Assume for a moment I actually have an ebook reader. I would pay the extra for ad-free books. It’s possible I would think different if I was the sort who bought several books a week. It might be worth the savings to tolerate useless ads. Might, but I doubt it. Ads I would tolerate? Stuff about other books. If the ads were not scattered throughout the book, I’d be more tolerant of them, basically because they would not interfere with the reading experience, and that aspect is the most important.

]]> By: Lee http://blog.vromans.com/this-book-brought-to-you-with-limited-commercial-interruption/comment-page-1#comment-1103 Lee Tue, 07 Jul 2009 22:48:21 +0000 http://blog.vromans.com/?p=909#comment-1103 I'm a new owner of a Kindle DX. I have a love-hate relationship with it, as it is, without adding ads. I love the portability of the device, but I completely miss the bookstore experience: the clerks, the customers, the atmosphere, etc. However, a good many bookstores sell non-book items as a way to make their rent and keep the business going. I'm not sure that's all that different from what Amazon plans. Sometimes I feel I have to hunt for the book that I want within a display that sells non-book items that may or may not have anything to do with the book I want. It'll be interesting to see how Amazon actually intends to use this technology and until it does, I'm reluctant to jump to an opinion. I’m a new owner of a Kindle DX. I have a love-hate relationship with it, as it is, without adding ads.

I love the portability of the device, but I completely miss the bookstore experience: the clerks, the customers, the atmosphere, etc.

However, a good many bookstores sell non-book items as a way to make their rent and keep the business going. I’m not sure that’s all that different from what Amazon plans. Sometimes I feel I have to hunt for the book that I want within a display that sells non-book items that may or may not have anything to do with the book I want.

It’ll be interesting to see how Amazon actually intends to use this technology and until it does, I’m reluctant to jump to an opinion.

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