True, it can't get too low -- if it's going to be a significant chunk of the thing that's being earned back. (I suppose I'm remembering when people were doing the "ebooks will never catch on, ha ha" thing.)
I do think that the perceived value is going to need to be better, in many cases, to make people understandingly fork over that $4-$5 (Baen sells 'em for that!) or more. In particular, being able to back up one's library easily is important. Books are also at risk, physically, but at least you can loan them around as you wish (and buy new ones; my mom got my R&Rue, and my replacement copy just shipped... O:> ), etc.
(I still say that typesetting and layout are things that I don't see any use for in 90% of the linear-text stuff that exists, if it's an ebook, because once it gets onto my reader, I want to control the font, the size, the leading, and all that good stuff.
Poetry needs layout. Text just needs to have the paragraph markers, bold, italics, underline, blockquote, and maybe smallcaps. I'm reading old stuff on Project Gutenberg, it looks fine, and I'm sure they're not bothering to do any layout beyond double-spacing the paragraphs!
Cover text also falls into the category of Cover Art Experience, and will require choice, etc. I do admit to a fondness for a pretty cover icon.)
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2010-02-05 01:48 am (UTC)I do think that the perceived value is going to need to be better, in many cases, to make people understandingly fork over that $4-$5 (Baen sells 'em for that!) or more. In particular, being able to back up one's library easily is important. Books are also at risk, physically, but at least you can loan them around as you wish (and buy new ones; my mom got my R&Rue, and my replacement copy just shipped... O:> ), etc.
(I still say that typesetting and layout are things that I don't see any use for in 90% of the linear-text stuff that exists, if it's an ebook, because once it gets onto my reader, I want to control the font, the size, the leading, and all that good stuff.
Poetry needs layout. Text just needs to have the paragraph markers, bold, italics, underline, blockquote, and maybe smallcaps. I'm reading old stuff on Project Gutenberg, it looks fine, and I'm sure they're not bothering to do any layout beyond double-spacing the paragraphs!
Cover text also falls into the category of Cover Art Experience, and will require choice, etc. I do admit to a fondness for a pretty cover icon.)