Startup Offers Pay-Per-Page E-Books

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Startup Offers Pay-Per-Page E-Books

Posted by timothy on Monday February 4, 2013 @01:42AM from the neal-stephenson-costs-more-than-cocaine dept.

judgecorp writes "TotalBoox, a startup from Tel Aviv, plans to sell pay-as-you-read eBooks, charging for each page read. 'We are trying to rid the world from outdated, expensive ritual of buying a book before you read it,' says founder ~Yoarv Lorch, saying that readers can save money and move on if they start a best-seller on the spur of the moment and it turns out to be a turkey. But what about slow-burning classics that you have to 'get into'? What about reference books? And all the bits of a reference book that you don't actually need? The company has a beta app on Google Play for Android tablets."

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They have this already by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-04 01:47 · Score: 0

first page is usually $10 then the rest of the pages are free.
1. Re:They have this already by Rockoon · 2013-02-04 01:57 · Score: 1
  
  I am reminded of the old encyclopedia marketing model.
  
  Sell the first N pages for $0.01 per page or whatever, but the last chapter is $2.00 per page.
  
  --
  "His name was James Damore."
2. Re:They have this already by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-04 02:35 · Score: 0
  
  You are correct that this already exists. But not in the model you described.
  
  It's called a library.
3. Re:They have this already by camperdave · 2013-02-04 02:56 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  Sell the first N pages for $0.01 per page or whatever, but the last chapter is $2.00 per page.
  I could see that working for mystery novels...
  
  --
  When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!
4. Re:They have this already by tyrione · 2013-02-04 09:25 · Score: 2
  
  Sell the first N pages for $0.01 per page or whatever, but the last chapter is $2.00 per page.
  I could see that working for mystery novels...
  Really? That scheme would result in one action: hardbound books and paperback sales through the roof.
BUT by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-04 01:48 · Score: 0

But Amazon lets you return ebooks!
1. Re:BUT by alen · 2013-02-04 01:57 · Score: 2
  
  so only buy the highest reviewed books
  i haven't bought an ebook i didn't like yet
2. Re:BUT by Joehonkie · 2013-02-04 02:20 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  Lots of books get great reviews and I hate them anyways.
3. Re:BUT by RabidReindeer · 2013-02-04 02:25 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  But Amazon lets you return ebooks!
  Sometimes even when you didn't want to!
4. Re:BUT by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-04 02:51 · Score: 1
  
  so only buy the highest reviewed books
  I don't even bother with reviews; what the reviewer hates I may love, and vice versa. I only buy books from authors I've already read and enjoyed -- only a fool buys a pig in a poke. That best seller? It's in the library. I'll check it out, and if I like it I may buy the author's next book. I have to work for my money, and am not foolish enough to gamble it on uncertainties like "Is this guy a great writer or a talentless hack?"
5. Re:BUT by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-04 03:58 · Score: 0
  
  "i haven't bought an ebook i didn't like yet"
  Me neither and I have 50,000 of them. :-)
6. Re:BUT by nogginthenog · 2013-02-04 07:48 · Score: 2
  
  I bought an ebook that had terrible formatting. For example, there was no spacing between chapters. Amazon refunded it no problem.
Are the closing pages of a chapter / book by Neil_Brown · 2013-02-04 01:48 · Score: 1

capable of commanding a higher price than the opening pages?
1. Re:Are the closing pages of a chapter / book by davester666 · 2013-02-04 06:51 · Score: 1
  
  Last page of a whodunit costs more than the rest of the pages combined!
  
  --
  Sleep your way to a whiter smile...date a dentist!
New business scheme by Brandano · 2013-02-04 01:51 · Score: 1

Publish hundreds of books 10 pages long
1. Re:New business scheme by SJHillman · 2013-02-04 01:54 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  Hardly new. Take a look on Amazon sometime - there's tons of "ebooks" that are hardly more than pamphlets going for a buck or two apiece.
2. Re:New business scheme by Maximum+Prophet · 2013-02-04 02:16 · Score: 2
  
  Publish hundreds of books 10 pages long
  Why not? As long as you are upfront with your customers. Kickstarter style, write the first chapter of a dozen books, then finish the ones that people actually read to the end.
  
  Yes, that will work best for the immediate action thrillers. The slow burners can still use the old business model of writing whole books that you may or may not get paid for.
  
  --
  All ideas^H^H^H^H^Hprocesses in this post are Patent Pending. (as well as the process of patenting all postings)
3. Re:New business scheme by History's+Coming+To · 2013-02-04 02:31 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  This is pretty much the current model anyway. Authors rarely write an entire book unless they've been commissioned to do so and paid an advance, instead the normal model is to provide a publisher with a synopsis and a sample chapter or two. Self-published authors tend to write whole books up-front, but that's usually because it's a labour of love rather than a way of making a living - there's an awful lot of (generally awful) books out there written without the benefit of an editor or proof-reader and it shows.
  
  --
  Please consider this account deleted, I just can't be bothered with the spam anymore.
4. Re:New business scheme by Brandano · 2013-02-04 02:45 · Score: 1
  
  Five Shades of Grey?
A stupid idea, badly executed by DiamondGeezer · 2013-02-04 01:51 · Score: 1

What next? TotalBoox hold the final chapters of thrillers to ransom...it'll end really badly

--
Tubby or not tubby. Fat is the question
1. Re:A stupid idea, badly executed by SJHillman · 2013-02-04 01:58 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  Or worse, they go out of business just before you can buy the last chapter of a TotalBoox exclusive.
the butler did it by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-04 01:51 · Score: 0

and it only cost you one page to find out.
Sign me up by SJHillman · 2013-02-04 01:56 · Score: 5, Interesting

I would be all over this. I have tons of reference ebooks that I only use a few chapters out of. If it's $40 for a 600 page book, I would gladly pay $10 for the 100 pages I would actually use even though the unit price (per page) would be higher. As it stands now, there are a lot of books I shy away from buying because a good chunk of it is irrelevant to me and the total purchase price is above my budget.
1. Re:Sign me up by SJHillman · 2013-02-04 02:01 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  I also see this being popular with students. Buy a chapter as it comes up in class... less upfront cost and I've never had a course that used every chapter of a textbook - even the one time a professor special-ordered an abridged version of his text of choice with only certain chapters.
2. Re:Sign me up by cbope · 2013-02-04 02:15 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  It won't take long before the books are structured in such a way as to make this impractical. Constant references to other parts of the book for example...
  Sorry, but this is NOT a good idea, it will only be abused by the book sellers.
3. Re:Sign me up by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-04 02:19 · Score: 0
  
  The problem is that textbooks already use a model where the author get paid by the page.
  This is what led to a situation where you have 100 pages of content filled out to 600.
  [This space intentionally left blank]
4. Re:Sign me up by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-04 02:23 · Score: 0
  
  This (kinda) already exists:
  http://www.questia.com
  It isn't really pay as you go, but more of a Netflix model.
5. Re:Sign me up by History's+Coming+To · 2013-02-04 02:34 · Score: 1
  
  When I was working for an academic chain bookseller we frequently supplied custom textbooks which were a collection of chapters from four or five main texts - saves the students a fortune because they only have to buy the one, and it's good for the bookshops because the books are only available locally, everyone wins.
  
  --
  Please consider this account deleted, I just can't be bothered with the spam anymore.
6. Re:Sign me up by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-04 02:46 · Score: 0
  
  Also it saves the publisher from the used book market. It's a lot harder to find a used copy of a book when it's only ever been sold at one university book store.
7. Re:Sign me up by camperdave · 2013-02-04 03:00 · Score: 2
  
  I would gladly pay $10 for the 100 pages I would actually use ...
  How do you know which hundred of the 600 pages you will actually need without buying the entire book to begin with?
  
  --
  When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!
8. Re:Sign me up by SJHillman · 2013-02-04 03:43 · Score: 1
  
  The same way I skip over all the pages I don't use now. I refer to the table of contents. Sure, I might still end up with some useless pages, but the signal to crap ratio will be much more favorable.
9. Re:Sign me up by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-04 03:44 · Score: 0
  
  I would gladly pay $10 for the 100 pages I would actually use ...
  How do you know which hundred of the 600 pages you will actually need without buying the entire book to begin with?
  Buy the Table of Contents first, Index second. Then use those to figure out the other 80 pages.
10. Re:Sign me up by jbengt · 2013-02-04 07:04 · Score: 1
  
  I have tons of reference ebooks that I only use a few chapters out of. If it's $40 for a 600 page book, I would gladly pay $10 for the 100 pages I would actually use . . .
  
  I would like to know where you find those $40, 600 page reference books. Most of the reference books I use are more like $120 for 60 pages.
11. Re:Sign me up by Sigg3.net · 2013-02-04 11:54 · Score: 1
  
  + 1 for students!
  I have 8 books remaining on this semester's to-order list, and only 2 of them require more than 1 chapter in the curriculum. (16 books total this semester but I'm out of cash.)
  PDF would be even better.
  
  --
  Defining Statistics and Social Research
Yeah but by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-04 01:57 · Score: 0

Doesn't Amazon already let you return ebooks?
ILL by hardie · 2013-02-04 02:00 · Score: 3, Interesting

Haven't these people heard of inter library loan?
The Plant by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-04 02:00 · Score: 1

Stephen King did "something" like that a while ago with the story "The Plant" where people would voluntarily pay for chapters. If 75% paid he would continue the story. Unfortunately he cut it short since the voluntary pay method didn't work very well. It will be interesting if this gets off the ground.
1. Re:The Plant by h4rr4r · 2013-02-04 02:44 · Score: 1
  
  Do 75% of the readers of his paper copy books pay?
  How many are borrowing from a friend or a library or the book was bought for a whole family meaning only one copy was bought for 2-4 or more readers?
  I think he set that mark too high.
2. Re:The Plant by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-04 04:06 · Score: 0, Insightful
  
  Unfortunately he cut it short since the voluntary pay method didn't work very well.
  Actually, he cut it short because it WAS working well, from what I read of the issue. He had set out to prove that voluntary pay didn't work well, and unfortunately for hime was proven wrong. Him not finishing the book was a real asshole move on his part.
3. Re:The Plant by smooth+wombat · 2013-02-04 04:51 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  Actually, he cut it short because it WAS working well
  
  False. This is the Wired article wherein his assistant, Marsha Defillipo states:
  
  By part four, only 46 percent of the people who downloaded the book paid for it, DeFillipo said.
  
  As I always say when these stories come up, and routinely get modded down, people are lazy and cheap. If they can get something for nothing, they will, regardless if it hurts the person producing the work. They feel they are entitled to take someone else's work without compensation and will use every excuse and twist of language to justify their actions.
  
  --
  We will bankrupt ourselves in the vain search for absolute security. -- Dwight D. Eisenhower
4. Re:The Plant by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-04 05:09 · Score: 0, Insightful
  
  That's some interesting excuses and language twisting there.
  So, every other downloader voluntarily paying proves that voluntary payment doesn't work? Another missing detail is how many were there downloaders in total.
  "We're not making enough!!!" and "Extend copyrights!" are also nice demonstrations of entitlement. Surely, every writer and musician's entitled to a new car every month. If their work brings them just a usual $3-6k a month (you know, like this guy, for example), it's surely because everyone's robbing them, not because they overvalue themselves.
The Ultimate Ebook Library by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-04 02:01 · Score: 0

'We are trying to rid the world from outdated, expensive ritual of buying a book before you read it,'
So is TUEBL.
1. Re:The Ultimate Ebook Library by camperdave · 2013-02-04 03:03 · Score: 0
  
  'We are trying to rid the world from outdated, expensive ritual of buying a book before you read it,'
  The easy way to do that is to release them into the public domain.
  
  --
  When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!
This will lead to terrible books... by Lispy · 2013-02-04 02:06 · Score: 4, Interesting

....that just try to keep you turning pages just like soap operas. All the drama will be lost by an effectdriven style that resembles "keep tuned for the next page where he will get the girl....no really just read on a weee bit more."
1. Re:This will lead to terrible books... by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-04 02:43 · Score: 2, Interesting
  
  - But, how can we stretch it further?
  He landed in his chair and poured a glass of whisky.
  - Sir?
  - Yes, William?
  - May I make a suggestion?
  - Go ahead, William.
  - You know about Dumas?
  - Dumas?
  - Classic French writer.
  - Yes, yes, Three Musketeers and all that. What about him?..
  He was visibly starting to lose his temper.
  - They say he was paid by the line.
  - Yes?
  - And he had a simple trick to make his works stretch out...
  - Oh, for God's sake!..
  He leapt from his chair, spilling his whisky, and barely stopped himself from grabbing William's collar, opting instead for sticking his finger under man's nose.
  - Just spit it all out already, or else!..
  William took a step back, visibly shaken.
  - Alright, alright!
  He took a breath and went on.
  - So, basically, he had two or three characters speaking in short lines. Just make each spoken line one printed line and...
  - Yes! Oh, yes, I can see now!
  He was rapidly pacing across the room.
  - Say, what if we stretch it even further by sprucing it up with some short actions and description?
  - Splendid idea, sir!
  (cont'd)
2. Re:This will lead to terrible books... by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-04 02:56 · Score: 0
  
  ....that just try to keep you turning pages just like soap operas. All the drama will be lost by an effectdriven style that resembles "keep tuned for the next page where he will get the girl....no really just read on a weee bit more."
  A page can only contain the amount of text that fits on to a page. Otherwise, it would be two pages, or three pages.
  If you dedicate a bunch of page space to the hype of the next page, there will not be much actual content to draw you into the book and make you want to turn the page. I don't think your scenario is likely to play out.
  On the other hand, I could envision a scenario where some pages of the book cost more than other pages of the book, which could easily give rise to developing hype specifically to get you to turn to some of the more expensive pages, at the expense of the book as a whole.
  So... variable page pricing could be a bad thing when writing fiction. What about non-fiction? Reference books? My wife was asked to write a couple sections of a technical book detailing the current best practices in her field and how to accomplish them. If the sections she wrote covered the more important topics, were better written, and more often read, why shouldn't she be able to charge more for the pages in her section than the authors of the lesser topics who did not take the time to polish their texts?
3. Re:This will lead to terrible books... by IndustrialComplex · 2013-02-04 03:08 · Score: 0
  
  You might be onto something here. I guess you could call it novel serialization. Imagine if this had occured back during the Victorian era. It might have killed literature dead in its tracks. Glad that never happened.
  
  --
  Out of modpoints but really liked a post? 1BDkF6TtmmeZ3yqXbz9yhdYVqRYnwFoXDj
4. Re:This will lead to terrible books... by Lispy · 2013-02-04 03:11 · Score: 1
  
  Slashdot comments. Theyre still the best.
5. Re:This will lead to terrible books... by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-04 03:13 · Score: 0
  
  No, they'll simply put in ads.
6. Re:This will lead to terrible books... by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-04 03:45 · Score: 1
  
  I think it happened much earlier, in the Middle Eastern Regions, where the stories would lead to other stories, not quite ending, dragging out the whole thing night after night after night.
  Ironically, it was done so the storyteller wouldn't be dead in her tracks.
7. Re:This will lead to terrible books... by Rogerborg · 2013-02-04 04:13 · Score: 1
  
  What the Dickens are you on about?
  
  --
  If you were blocking sigs, you wouldn't have to read this.
8. Re:This will lead to terrible books... by tlhIngan · 2013-02-04 05:40 · Score: 2
  
  You might be onto something here. I guess you could call it novel serialization. Imagine if this had occured back during the Victorian era. It might have killed literature dead in its tracks. Glad that never happened.
  But at least novel serialization took place at the chapter or several chapter levels, which at least leaves a fair bit of media to go into details and other stuff.
  Writing, as a medium, is a different way of expressing an idea. You could also do it with music, a movie/film, a play, video game or other medium. The thing is, they all have their unique quirks that can make one medium better than another. Too often people assume a book can be translated to a movie (it can't directly because you can do things in a book that will entertain a reader, but bore a viewer), likewise a video game and movie/book transformations. Not to say some aren't successful (See the Halo franchise - with video games and NYT bestselling books), but they are successful because they concentrate on what makes each medium special and the strengths each brings - they're not direct translations.
  At the page level, all you're going to get is a Michael Bay like novel where no cut lasts longer than 3 paragraphs (seriously - watch a Michael Bay movie and you'll see no scene lasts longer than 10 seconds before you cut to a different angle), and every page would have some explosion or other.
  Hell, add in some creative pagination so it always breaks off in the middle...
The Classics are free by jjsimp · 2013-02-04 02:12 · Score: 2, Informative

....what about slow-burning classics that you have to 'get into'?
Why would you pay for the classics? Go to Project Guttenberg and download at will for free.
1. Re:The Classics are free by Fallingcow · 2013-02-04 03:28 · Score: 2
  
  Translations that aren't in 19th century English trying to sound like Attic Greek?
  Nice introductions and footnotes benefiting from recent scholarship?
  I could go on, but most of the other nice things about newer-than-1923 editions of classics are only found in (or are only good in) print books, for now. Project Gutenberg is noble and all, but it's fairly awful as a source of top-notch copies of the classics. Until one of the GitHub-alike projects to build on it takes off (if ever) it'll likely stay that way.
2. Re:The Classics are free by Sigg3.net · 2013-02-04 11:56 · Score: 1
  
  Classics are written today as well, you dolt.
  
  --
  Defining Statistics and Social Research
ebookoid by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-04 02:13 · Score: 1

or just go to ebookoid.com and download millions of books for free from Russian pirates
the taxicab model by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-04 02:13 · Score: 0

Once you step into the cabin, the meter starts running and advances relentlessly even at times of no forward progress. Usually, when I'm in the back seat of a taxicab I glance over at the meter many times each minute.
Choose your own adventure? by Joehonkie · 2013-02-04 02:14 · Score: 4, Funny

Clearly the best way to consume choose your own adventure books. I mean nobody really picks every choice, right?
1. Re:Choose your own adventure? by RivenAleem · 2013-02-05 05:03 · Score: 1
  
  Yes, but it punishes you for being good.
Micropayments taken to the extreme by rknop · 2013-02-04 02:25 · Score: 2

Holy cow... like most people, I already don't like micropayments in most circumstances-- it leads to stress because you're watching what you do at all times knowing that every little thing leads to more money being charged, rather than the comfort of knowing that you've got what you got. This, however, is the concept metastasized.
This is the kind of headline I'd expect to read on April 1.
1. Re:Micropayments taken to the extreme by SJHillman · 2013-02-04 02:33 · Score: 1
  
  Oh, you can get a lot more extreme than this. How about by the letter? The book just scrolls across your screen word by word, letter by letter with a little meter racking up until you hit STOP. The best publishers will give you the punctuation for free.
2. Re:Micropayments taken to the extreme by bill_mcgonigle · 2013-02-04 06:43 · Score: 1
  
  like most people, I already don't like micropayments
  Is this why the local newspapers that implement $20/mo paywalls are doing so well?
  
  --
  My God, it's Full of Source!
  OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
TotalBoox by Ralph+Spoilsport · 2013-02-04 02:52 · Score: 1

has fail written all over it. Just the opposition from publishing alone will kill this dead. @ 10cents a page, you'll have to mortgage your house to read Proust.

--
Shoes for Industry. Shoes for the Dead.
1. Re:TotalBoox by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-04 20:53 · Score: 0
  
  Read the info on their site. If you read the entire book, you pay the same price you would have payed if you bought it at Amazon.
just wait for the next scheme... by girlinatrainingbra · 2013-02-04 02:52 · Score: 3, Insightful

Next scheme coming up will be to add eyetrackers and scan which words you are reading which will allow (sarcasm begin) two great new additions:
1 -- why, you only pay for the words you read! Boring paragraphs like Jules Verne's 20k Leagues of their Own Under the Sea 5-page long paragraphs describing every color of every fish seen can be skipped and you'll save money!!!
2 -- need to re-read a sentence to grok its meaning? We'll charge you for the opportunity!
(/sarcasm)
Seriously, why do people fall for these crazy crazy ideas? Lke submitting your schoolwork to turnitin and giving them a life-time or perpetual license on your work... as in that other article earlier.... cray-crazy!
Fair enough. Pay rent on my eBook reader. by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-04 02:53 · Score: 0

After all, bill boards get paid to host content by those creators, so I want payment to host a page of their eBook.
And we have a way already around this antiquated "buy a book before you read it". Several.
Libraries
Loans
Take it
How is this really different by zrelativity · 2013-02-04 02:56 · Score: 0

One the advantage of the micropayment system being touted here is that if you don't like a book, your upfront payment is lower.
But on Amazon and others, for many books you can get a preview format, ie the first couple of chapters of the book, for free. If you like it, then purchase the book.
Also, this type of payment system would only work for books which are essentially linear or self contained in small sections.
I can't see authors getting on board with this by sandytaru · 2013-02-04 02:56 · Score: 1

At least not for fiction. Non fiction, textbook, and reference books would be suited for this. But no author is going to want to give someone an escape clause in case their book doesn't end the way the reader wants. There will be entire forums and websites dedicated to listing spoilers for the books, so that people can decide based on the final outcome whether they want to bother paying for the rest of a book or not.

--
Occasionally living proof of the Ballmer peak.
Not good by fyngyrz · 2013-02-04 03:00 · Score: 4, Insightful

Which is the opposite of the intent of US copyright (note this is not a US app/project), which is to, for a limited time (too long right now, but that's another discussion), secure the rights to the author so that eventually the work will promote progress. From the constitution:

To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;
In the US context, at least, this would work against such a thing. The way I see it, someone writes a book, eventually, that book should become part of the shared knowledge base, arts base, etc. I'm wary of a concept where a book is only available in part, where readers may never get the whole thing, and where e-readers... not exactly known for avoiding DRM and other such intellectual poison... contain the only (partial) copies.
A used book should be a treasure, something saved and valued and passed along. Electronic or not.
No sir, don't like it.

--
I've fallen off your lawn, and I can't get up.
1. Re:Not good by History's+Coming+To · 2013-02-05 04:02 · Score: 1
  
  Agreed, although for textbooks you have the problem that they can become out of date pretty quickly. Old medical and legal texts in particular tend to get pulped very quickly as they're worse than useless.
  
  --
  Please consider this account deleted, I just can't be bothered with the spam anymore.
As revolutionary as buying songs instead of albums by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-04 03:23 · Score: 0

I'd bet this is going to be one of those disruptive ideas, just as the idea of buying your favorite song of a CD instead of having to buy the whole thing.
Naturally, there will be people that will say that they don't like buying single songs vs buying the whole album, but that doesn't stop them from buying the whole album anyway.
I think that we are going to witness a repeat of the song vs. album story: a lot of copyright fights, many publishers will not want to do it, some books will not be available per-page, etc., but eventually the concept will stay as firmly in place as it is happening with Apple's iTunes, Amazon, etc., today.
Sounds like slow torture by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-04 03:45 · Score: 0

" But what about slow-burning classics that you have to 'get into'? "
BAD IDEA by erroneus · 2013-02-04 04:31 · Score: 1

One of the main problems with "be on the internet" DRM scemes is that the internet, the users' devices and the hosts' servers can never all at once be depended upon. And what could be more frustrating than starting a book to find you can't get the next page for some reason?
Choose Your Own Adventure by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-04 05:12 · Score: 0

This new revenue model brings back Choose Your Own Adventure, Lone Wolf, Fighting Fantasy, and other 80s gamebooks.
One more data point by Corwn+of+Amber · 2013-02-04 05:15 · Score: 1

If it fails (probably will : making people pay for data can't compete with free data + premium manufactured matter) it will just be one more data point to inscribe on the spectrum of possible businesses sorted by level of success or failure.

--
Making laws based on opinions that stem up from false informations leads to witch hunts.
good theory... bad practise by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-04 06:04 · Score: 0

this is a good idea but internet is not the right place for it.
stupid idea by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-04 08:09 · Score: 0

Outdated model of buying a whole book before you read it ??? I guess the guy never heard of a public library. This makes about as much sense as a pay-toilet. How about charging by the musical note for song downloads? Or by the frame for movie downloads? Or by the hour for a cheap hotel room. Wait a minute. Now THAT'S not a bad idea!
Be warned, vendors will adapt by mykro76 · 2013-02-04 13:44 · Score: 1

- super-wow graphic on front page to suck you in
- 6 page thank you note by author
- 11 page table of contents, double spaced
- 17 page prologue describing the conception of the e-book
- overly normalized content, stuffed with references to other chapters
- no index, forcing you to flip through all the pages

I don't know about you, but I don't like the sound of these e-books.
In practice by RivenAleem · 2013-02-05 05:05 · Score: 1

I have a great way to game the system.
(please pay €1 to read next comment)
1. Re:In practice by RivenAleem · 2013-02-05 05:06 · Score: 1
  
  You simply spread your work onto more pages!