...We chose the AppEngines eReader concept to publish our stories. Here's why:
Although we give away one public domain title to introduce readers to pulp fiction, iPulp doesn't draw on Project Gutenberg for our material like Stanza, Classic, and the others. This means we need to pay royalties and protect our intellectual property rights. By packaging each volume as a separate easy-to-use application, AppEngines protects our product better than an eReader that pulls in any old external file that that can be easily pirated.
I don't think people are complaining about having to pay for books. I believe that someone should actually make an "ereader-ish" app that could provide a catalog in which you could purchase individual books within the app the same way that you would buy books in the app store.
Think of the "iPod" icon on the Touch or iPhone. Your library of music, tv shows, movies, and podcasts are contained within this app. I would appreciate if I could store a "library of books" within an app.
Some people complain about the number of icons required to display individual app titles. That is true if you have all your books on your iPhone/iPod. But those icons - your library - should sit on the shelf in iTunes. Think of your iPhone/iPod as your book bag. Do you keep the entire library in your book bag? Simply "check out' the book you are currently reading to your iPhone/iPod book bag and remove it when you're done.
Actually, this is where it gets messy and cumbersome. This method is not convenient to the end user. That is why you don't have individual icons for every movie or song that you carry on your iPhone. It is just too messy, as we have seen on the app store. First, the books where dumped on the "Education" category, and then they had to create a book category to hold that mess. Now, I feel like the app store needs subcategories within the "Books" category in order to be able to find anything at all. Again, this category and subcategory could then be established in a seperate app which could store such "books".
Also, this creates consistency between different books in UIs; guidelines (like in real books)if you will, which the end user benefits in the end.
The high resolution iPhone/iPod screen actually presents remarkably clear type and reading is rather enjoyable. I am on the iPod/iPhone now to be in a better position when these apps can be delivered to the larger touch-screen mobile devices that are on the horizon.
I totally agree with you on this one. It is rather enjoyable to read on an iPhone/Touch, which is why an app with a better catalog access(doesn't have to be free i.e. Guttenberg
) and ease of use is in need. Think of a fusion between the "music" store app combined with the "ipod" app, but for books. Now that would sell like hotcakes.
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UPDATE: The point I wanted to make is that the iPhone/iPod, or their successor, will never become a reading platform, no matter how fancy the reader if people don't buy original content. Sadly, when Steve Jobs looks at the book sale stats and sees how small a percentage of iPhone/iPod owners download the free books, much less purchase original works, he will still have the opinion that people don't read anymore.
I have to disagree with you on this one. For example, my wife today took my iPhone because she "needed" it more than me today (excuses
) I missed reading "1984" today more than when I used to miss my iPod for the music. That means that, at least to me, the iPhone/Touch, is already a great reading platform. That is why there needs to be an app that could make "original works" available in a way more accessible app, other than to have to dig in the "books" section in the "app store" for a book that is buried within all that clutter.
My two cents
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