Comments on: Why I have almost stopped reading books in my own language http://www.betatales.com/2010/07/26/why-i-have-almost-stopped-reading-books-in-my-own-language/ Exploring digital media trends Fri, 10 Feb 2012 07:54:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Wendy Kubik http://www.betatales.com/2010/07/26/why-i-have-almost-stopped-reading-books-in-my-own-language/comment-page-1/#comment-6878 Wendy Kubik Sun, 30 Jan 2011 22:02:00 +0000 http://www.betatales.com/?p=2449#comment-6878 I am a Canadian in the process of learning Norwegian and it drives me crazy that I can't get Norwegian books in e-form. It's very difficult - impossible? - to find many books in Norwegian either in the bookstores or on Amazon. I have several sites to purchase them from in Norway but the shipping costs me a fortune. I was just wistfully scrolling through some of the many books that I can't afford to have shipped here when I came upon this site. It will be a happy day for people like me and people with a Norwegian background who live in North America when the publishers finally get their act together. I am a Canadian in the process of learning Norwegian and it drives me crazy that I can’t get Norwegian books in e-form. It’s very difficult – impossible? – to find many books in Norwegian either in the bookstores or on Amazon. I have several sites to purchase them from in Norway but the shipping costs me a fortune. I was just wistfully scrolling through some of the many books that I can’t afford to have shipped here when I came upon this site. It will be a happy day for people like me and people with a Norwegian background who live in North America when the publishers finally get their act together.

]]> By: Ian http://www.betatales.com/2010/07/26/why-i-have-almost-stopped-reading-books-in-my-own-language/comment-page-1/#comment-6833 Ian Thu, 02 Dec 2010 19:08:00 +0000 http://www.betatales.com/?p=2449#comment-6833 Hi John, Thank you Very much!!! I am writing a research paper on you topic. However, it is hard to find sources. My research paper involved looking for the sources about the demand of the foreign language book/ e-book in the United States. So.. after searching Google for long time, I finally found you. I will use your post as one of my sources. Thank you very much!! You save my paper! And.. Merry Christmas! Hi John,

Thank you Very much!!!

I am writing a research paper on you topic. However, it is hard to find sources. My research paper involved looking for the sources about the demand of the foreign language book/ e-book in the United States.

So.. after searching Google for long time, I finally found you.
I will use your post as one of my sources. Thank you very much!! You save my paper!

And..

Merry Christmas!

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]]> By: John Einar Sandvand http://www.betatales.com/2010/07/26/why-i-have-almost-stopped-reading-books-in-my-own-language/comment-page-1/#comment-5965 John Einar Sandvand Wed, 04 Aug 2010 20:22:52 +0000 http://www.betatales.com/?p=2449#comment-5965 Angie, There are indeed a great number of Scandinavian books - and I cross my fingers that they will be available for e-readers pretty soon. Angie,

There are indeed a great number of Scandinavian books – and I cross my fingers that they will be available for e-readers pretty soon.

]]> By: angie http://www.betatales.com/2010/07/26/why-i-have-almost-stopped-reading-books-in-my-own-language/comment-page-1/#comment-5952 angie Wed, 04 Aug 2010 04:27:29 +0000 http://www.betatales.com/?p=2449#comment-5952 Some of the best books I have ever read are from the Skandinavian countries: Smilla's Sense of Snow, Troll, The Millennium Series. These books I read in English because it is my language, but I think they would have been much richer in their original language. We need to ask/write/email/cajole/demand. Some of the best books I have ever read are from the Skandinavian countries: Smilla’s Sense of Snow, Troll, The Millennium Series. These books I read in English because it is my language, but I think they would have been much richer in their original language. We need to ask/write/email/cajole/demand.

]]> By: John Einar Sandvand http://www.betatales.com/2010/07/26/why-i-have-almost-stopped-reading-books-in-my-own-language/comment-page-1/#comment-5937 John Einar Sandvand Sat, 31 Jul 2010 09:36:08 +0000 http://www.betatales.com/?p=2449#comment-5937 Thomas, I think in many ways you are right that global platforms will win the game, be it Kindle, iBooks, Nook or other. As I see it, the most interesting discussion is not which device is the best, but which distribution platform that will be most convenient for users in the long term. For the book publishers in a small market like Norway the biggest challenge seems to be the business model. For paper books there is a politically blessed system of minimum retail prices, in effect making all new books very expensive for a long period after they are published. Also paper books - not the digital versions - are exempt of VAT, which is 25 % in Norway. The book publishers also are used to stay in control of distribution of their own products. The establishment of the book data base is an attempt to stay in control of pricing and distribution. All publishers will distribute their e-books through the same central and digital retailers will need to hook up to this central before being able to sell the e-books. In this way the book publishers hope to stay more in control than if they leave everything to the global players. Whether they will succeed is too early to say. The first step in any case is to make the books available. So far they are hesitating, although the technical solution is ready. How are book publishers in other small markets playing in this new digital market? I would love to hear from other users! Thomas,

I think in many ways you are right that global platforms will win the game, be it Kindle, iBooks, Nook or other. As I see it, the most interesting discussion is not which device is the best, but which distribution platform that will be most convenient for users in the long term.

For the book publishers in a small market like Norway the biggest challenge seems to be the business model. For paper books there is a politically blessed system of minimum retail prices, in effect making all new books very expensive for a long period after they are published. Also paper books – not the digital versions – are exempt of VAT, which is 25 % in Norway. The book publishers also are used to stay in control of distribution of their own products.

The establishment of the book data base is an attempt to stay in control of pricing and distribution. All publishers will distribute their e-books through the same central and digital retailers will need to hook up to this central before being able to sell the e-books. In this way the book publishers hope to stay more in control than if they leave everything to the global players.

Whether they will succeed is too early to say. The first step in any case is to make the books available. So far they are hesitating, although the technical solution is ready.

How are book publishers in other small markets playing in this new digital market? I would love to hear from other users!

]]> By: Thomas Baekdal http://www.betatales.com/2010/07/26/why-i-have-almost-stopped-reading-books-in-my-own-language/comment-page-1/#comment-5916 Thomas Baekdal Tue, 27 Jul 2010 00:45:58 +0000 http://www.betatales.com/?p=2449#comment-5916 My thoughts exactly! I read about 2 books per month, and none of them is in Danish. Like you I have simply given up trying to find danish books in a digital format. It's just too complicated. Another reason is also that since I publish in English, it is easier for me to read in English too. Too much work trying to translate my thoughts. The problem we have in Scandinavia is that the size of each country is too small for wide scale adoption of new technologies. In the US, 2% of the market is a substantial business (Amazon, BN, and Border sold for $13 billion in 2009). In Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark, 2% isn't enough to cover the cost of building an ebook platform. I think the trick not create country specific services, but either use or build global offerings (with local ebooks). We need scale :) My thoughts exactly! I read about 2 books per month, and none of them is in Danish. Like you I have simply given up trying to find danish books in a digital format.

It’s just too complicated.

Another reason is also that since I publish in English, it is easier for me to read in English too. Too much work trying to translate my thoughts.

The problem we have in Scandinavia is that the size of each country is too small for wide scale adoption of new technologies. In the US, 2% of the market is a substantial business (Amazon, BN, and Border sold for $13 billion in 2009). In Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark, 2% isn’t enough to cover the cost of building an ebook platform.

I think the trick not create country specific services, but either use or build global offerings (with local ebooks). We need scale :)

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