Continuing discussion on a previous post...

[aithine]

What would make you take a chance with an unknown small publisher to purchase directly from them? Formats available, no DRM, payment methods, what? (Yes, I have a reason why I'm asking, no I'm not going to share it right at this moment. *vbg*)

Comments

[amalthia]

Reasonable pricing is important. I know I won't pay more than 5-6 dollars for an ebook. I think as long as it's Baen price range should be good.

Personally, I really like no-drm because I'm never happy with the formats other people make so I like being able to run ebook through Calibre and give myself 1px margins on LRF files.

Necessary formats. Mobi, Epub, Lit, LRF (okay that's probably not necessary but it'll be nice) and HTML.

payment methods. I like paypal.

[aithine]

(I mistyped in the message the other day--meant LRF not lit. *g*)

Baen's one of the few publishers (Harlequin's another) I think that will actually make it through this transition intact, because they get it. Unlike 99% of the publishers in New York who are still hung up on some mistaken idea that they're the arbiters of taste and the guardians of the gate and things should be done their way because they've always done that way! *rolls eyes*

[amalthia]

I never visited the Harlequin site but i've been hearing good things about their business model as well.

I really don't get why more publishers don't sell ebooks like Baen???

[aithine]

I haven't either, but the comments on SBTB and DA have pretty much been universally positive. :)

Because most publishers (like many companies) are listening to marketing people, who are screaming about theft and giving things away for free. They don't understand the economy of small scale (sell lots of items at a low price, as opposed to selling a few items at a high price) at all, which is what ebooks are and really should be all around.