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richardmurray

Boycott Amazon
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Posts posted by richardmurray

  4. Posted · Report reply

    @Troy No, the Kindle handles Amazon's ebook format, Mobi. Kobo uses the open format Epub. Epub is not Kobo's epub is for anyone to use, Kobo reads epub and pdf's. Kindle read Mobi and pdf. That is what i meant about amazon. They knew being first to have an ereader, they had a chance to use their own ebook format exclusively. Epub was made and is used mostly throughout the industry. But in the usa, the market of amazon pulls toward mobi while outside the usa it is epub.

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  6. Posted · Report reply

    @Mel Hopkins books and audiobooks for reading or listening:)  Music is something I am working on.

     

    To any who may see the following

    I have to go into storytime mode , talking about Kobo, with the advantage of hindsight.

    The ebook industry's problem began with the firm first to make an ereader, Amazon. Amazon knew, based on how they dominated the eretail market, that people online in the usa are loyal to websites. They do not leave them voluntarily, for the most part. I know this having been forced to leave two blog sites, and only after the second actually doing real searching into what is out there. amazon also knew the only danger to their plan is not having a large library and not having a growing new publications list. Amazon thus opened their writing program  and converted as many books as possible into ebooks, using their system. The last piece of their statian domination , though most vital, was their machines. the Amazon kindle was the first ereader, but the amazon fire is the economy car tablet. Thus, amazon had the two devices most people in the usa will have to read ebooks. And the kindle doesn't accept epub and the fire doesn't allow every other app, like kobo's for example. The dominance Amazon has in the usa market is like facebooks. I know for certain other websites do better or equal to facebook or instagram in the esocial , but their audience is not based in the usa. Sequentially, people in the USA are hard to see the other firms. That last point connect to Kobo but I continue. ... Barnes and noble tried to mirror Amazon's strategy, thinking their book stores gave them a userbase that can wither amazon's in the reading world. But, barnes and noble was wrong. amazon's strategy depended on being first, the second your firm is not first, you can not duplicate amazon. Another bookstore called Borders had to do something. They were not a tech firm like amazon and didn't have the money like barnes and noble to invest in making a product. But, this canadian firm Kobo, had a product. Me side my blood relatives, love to read, and liked going to borders. Sequentially, when they sold the first Kobo's we were interested. The best thing about the original kobo was the purpose. This was not a multipurpose device, this was a straight forward read ebook device. I do not like to buy technology that overlaps purpose, so I was interested. Over time, borders went out of business as Kobo couldn't provide the uptake needed in the usa market. But, Kobo survived cause outside the usa, many liked the universal nature of kobo. Unlike barnes and noble or amazon, Kobo's objective is getting people to read. And, they developed a nice market share in europe especially, where the buying habits to technology are not like the usa. THis is why in Europe, the nintendo game systems market shares are much larger than sony playstation or microsoft xbox. PEople in europe do buy sony or microsoft, but many people in europe have an affordable quality mentality to buying technology. Nintendo fits that mold, Kobo as well, fitted that mold. But, to make more devices, Kobo needed investment and they couldn't get it on there own. So, here comes Rakuten, a japanese company, biggest publisher in japan. They owned Overdrive, which is a website that was started in the usa, but centers on ebook collections. Rakuten bought them too and combined was able to advance both companies projects. Overdrive like Kobo are not well known by the average usa ereader, but in certain sections in the usa and definitely outside of it, are more well known or more importantly used.

     

    Now, what does this have to do with being a member of Kobo writing life. You have to comprehend, being a member of Kobo in the usa, means few will ever know what you are talking about. My storytelling was meant to explain the international strength of Kobo is key. Kobo is not the biggest ebook firm in the usa, and will not be any time soon. Many, not necessarily most, of the biggest kobo writers also have amazon accounts. But, if you are expecting people in the usa, to have automatic recognition to kobo, you are wrong.

    Having said that, I considered joining amazon aside others writing programs. But I joined Kobo after trying to join amazon first, it was too complicated or messy. It seemed amazon wanted me to sign an affidavit on something and that bothered me.

     

    I conclude with the following. Do what you want, in terms of writing program. I am not a fan to amazon but in the end I am not one to tell others where to go or what to do. But Kobo is a stable or straightforward writing program, that gives you access to strong unfamiliar reading markets outside the usa,which are becoming more accustomed to the ebook at a faster growing rate, or overdrive.  I can't give you a revenue sheet to guarantee financial success. But, I can tell you that Kobo's writing life , even part of Rakuten, maintains their original premise, which is an open format,  for writers to dictate their prices and how their books are sold. Kobo is not going to beg anyone to come to them but the door is open, use at your own will.

     

    Now, I am off that silly pulpit.

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