thebibliosphere

[thebibliosphere]

Well now I have even more questions but this is the article I read, if looking at charts and the tradpub names might shed some light

https://trl.org/blogs/post/the-real-costs-of-digital-content-ebook-and-digital-audiobooks/

Audiobooks are tricky because platforms like Audible, FindAwayVoices, and Author's Republic don't allow authors to set a minimum price.

They decide the minimum price of the item, and you're only allowed to increase it, but even then, they treat it more like a suggestion than an actual price point. They can also take up to 80% of the purchase price in royalties, leaving the author with very little, so often, when you see a huge, huge price spike on audiobooks, it's being ramped up by the distributor for maximum profit for the distributor, not the author.

(I've ranted and raved about this before at length. I think it's under my audible tag.)

[thebibliosphere]

Huh. That's interesting. I know it's different in other countries, but I was talking to my US author friend the other day about the hassle she's having getting her physical books into US libraries, and her agent told her it had something to do with the library lending license for the physical books.

Admittedly, she's trad-pub, so maybe something got miscommunicated, or they're bamboozling her.

But now I'm wondering if it's just such a steep price hike on behalf of her publisher (I know on our end as self-pub, we're being prompted by distributors like Ingram to mark up our library prices by a significant margin) that the libraries are just like "nah."

Interesting. Welp. That's food for thought. And also good to know, thank you!

I have a question, if you have the spoons for it. Since you're self pub, can you set your price for libraries to purchase copies of your work just like you can set your prices on other platforms? And can you choose if libraries buy a time limited license for the e-book and audiobook? Or if it's even an option for them to outright buy the digital copy of the book the same as a physical copy?

Just saw an article from my local library about how much more expensive e-books and audiobooks are from the bigger retailers and I was really confused about the massive spike from physical copy to digital copy from their chart and didn't know if it was even an option to outright buy a digital copy for the library to lend out.

(Sorry maybe this would make more sense after sleep but I am very confused about the massive price difference. Wasn't expecting digital to be 3 or 4 times more expensive and only last 2 years compared to one and done for the physical book)

You can set the price the way you would for any other retailer, yes.

However, the large spike is dependent on the library system and whether they opt for an annual digital lending license or a "renew after X amount of checkouts" license, which is not something I can control as the author/distributor.

There's no option for me to let them just buy one copy; they need the license, too.

There are other factors at play, like major publishers massively hiking the cost of their ebooks (and thus hiking the cost of the digital licenses -- which, again, varies from library to library and also from country to country), and also sometimes the distributors we use hike the prices to make sure they're still getting their cut (audiobook distribution is daylight robbery I stg), but yeah, no the digital library lending license is required.

And that license exists for physical books, too.

It might cost them less to buy a physical copy in the short term, but they're usually still obligated by a lending license to replace the book after X amount of checkouts.

[thebibliosphere]

You’re meeting the friend of a friend for the first time, who’s apparently an empath. When they shake your hand, they immediately rip their hand away from you.

[thebibliosphere]

Yeah, there's no distributor that'll let you do that. It just straight-up doesn't exist, at least not any I've seen on the indie/self-pub side.

I have a question, if you have the spoons for it. Since you're self pub, can you set your price for libraries to purchase copies of your work just like you can set your prices on other platforms? And can you choose if libraries buy a time limited license for the e-book and audiobook? Or if it's even an option for them to outright buy the digital copy of the book the same as a physical copy?

Just saw an article from my local library about how much more expensive e-books and audiobooks are from the bigger retailers and I was really confused about the massive spike from physical copy to digital copy from their chart and didn't know if it was even an option to outright buy a digital copy for the library to lend out.

(Sorry maybe this would make more sense after sleep but I am very confused about the massive price difference. Wasn't expecting digital to be 3 or 4 times more expensive and only last 2 years compared to one and done for the physical book)

You can set the price the way you would for any other retailer, yes.

However, the large spike is dependent on the library system and whether they opt for an annual digital lending license or a "renew after X amount of checkouts" license, which is not something I can control as the author/distributor.

There's no option for me to let them just buy one copy; they need the license, too.

There are other factors at play, like major publishers massively hiking the cost of their ebooks (and thus hiking the cost of the digital licenses -- which, again, varies from library to library and also from country to country), and also sometimes the distributors we use hike the prices to make sure they're still getting their cut (audiobook distribution is daylight robbery I stg), but yeah, no the digital library lending license is required.

And that license exists for physical books, too.

It might cost them less to buy a physical copy in the short term, but they're usually still obligated by a lending license to replace the book after X amount of checkouts.

[thebibliosphere]

No fewer than six (6) beloved mutuals have changed their usernames and icons this month, and I am adrift. I am lost. At this point, we might as well start our ten year friendship over because you took your face off and I don't know you anymore.

#this is said with love and affection #please don't be mad if I have to ask who you are #I have ADHD and brain fog #I barely know MY name most days

[thebibliosphere]

I just need a scene where Fire Lord Zuko has been kidnapped and taken to sea. Katara shows up to save him and beats up the baddies, then walks slowly over to Zuko, leans down by his ear, and

Katara: don't worry

Zuko: stop

Katara: I'll rescue you from the pirates

Zuko: please leave me here to die

[thebibliosphere]

I have a question, if you have the spoons for it. Since you're self pub, can you set your price for libraries to purchase copies of your work just like you can set your prices on other platforms? And can you choose if libraries buy a time limited license for the e-book and audiobook? Or if it's even an option for them to outright buy the digital copy of the book the same as a physical copy?

Just saw an article from my local library about how much more expensive e-books and audiobooks are from the bigger retailers and I was really confused about the massive spike from physical copy to digital copy from their chart and didn't know if it was even an option to outright buy a digital copy for the library to lend out.

(Sorry maybe this would make more sense after sleep but I am very confused about the massive price difference. Wasn't expecting digital to be 3 or 4 times more expensive and only last 2 years compared to one and done for the physical book)

You can set the price the way you would for any other retailer, yes.

However, the large spike is dependent on the library system and whether they opt for an annual digital lending license or a "renew after X amount of checkouts" license, which is not something I can control as the author/distributor.

There's no option for me to let them just buy one copy; they need the license, too.

There are other factors at play, like major publishers massively hiking the cost of their ebooks (and thus hiking the cost of the digital licenses -- which, again, varies from library to library and also from country to country), and also sometimes the distributors we use hike the prices to make sure they're still getting their cut (audiobook distribution is daylight robbery I stg), but yeah, no the digital library lending license is required.

And that license exists for physical books, too.

It might cost them less to buy a physical copy in the short term, but they're usually still obligated by a lending license to replace the book after X amount of checkouts.

[thebibliosphere]

[thebibliosphere]

Source smoothdunk on twitter

[thebibliosphere]

It’s Lesbian visibility week !!!

❤️🧡🤍💗🩷 (we also have some reading recs over on insta)

[thebibliosphere]

It makes me happy when they listen

[thebibliosphere]

I recently had surgery, and at the time I came home, I had both my cat and one of my grandma's cats staying with me.

- Within hours of surgery, I wake up from a nap to my cat gently sniffing at my incisions with great alarm.

- I was not allowed to shower the first day after surgery, and the cats, seeing that The Large Cat is not observing its cleaning ritual, decided I must be gravely disabled and compensated by licking all the exposed skin on my arms, face, and legs.

- I currently have to sleep with a pillow over my abdomen because my cat insists on climbing on top of me and covering my incisions with her body while I sleep (which is very sweet but not exactly comfortable without the pillow). She also lays across me facing my bedroom door, presumably on guard for attackers who may try to harm me while I'm sleeping and injured.

That's love. 🐈‍⬛🐈❤️

[thebibliosphere]

Ad | Come chill with me in the Pacific North West. Ignore the weird anomalies.

[thebibliosphere]

[thebibliosphere]

lmaooo

[thebibliosphere]

[thebibliosphere]