08-19-2010, 07:50 AM | #1 |
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Advertising in Books
In today's Wall Street Journal, there's a piece about tradpub failing (didn't say it that way) and in order to get revenue, they're considering advertising. The problem is there's so much lag time in paper publishing, by the time a book comes out the ad probably won't be relevant. Ebooks seem more viable to them. If movies have product placement, they say, why can't books.
Product placement in movies was supposed to be subliminal but when a coca-cola can is in the middle of the frame, we all know what that's about. Do we want commercials in the middle of a book? Do we want product placement--as was once tried and failed miserably. If the ads appeared at the end of the book, would that be acceptable? Robin |
08-19-2010, 02:01 PM | #2 |
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I don't think ads at the end (or even the beginning) of an e-book would be that big a deal. It'd be easy just to skip over them or ignore them at the end.
What I think would be trouble is if [the ubiquitous] they put the ad inside the actual book - be it within the first few pages, the middle or wherever. I'd find that horribly distracting and would be bothered enough to make sure everyone I could tell knew about the e-book's failure. I don't really think an e-book could sell enough if an ad was in the middle of the book - and people knew about it. It'd be the equivalent of putting an ad in the middle of your favorite movie. I believe that just wouldn't be profitable. Marilyn |
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08-20-2010, 11:31 AM | #3 |
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"Air filled with the chatter of gunfire, bullets whizzing past, the hero ducked around the alley corner. He fired a few unaimed shots at his assailants, attempting to dissuade rapid pursuit. Gripping the pistol, breathing hard, he searched his surroundings for escape options. His eyes lit upon a ground level basement window. Diving forward and firing haphazardly behind, he crashed through the glass and landed upon an extremely soft and plush Serta Mattress. The cushioned landing provided the most excellent sensation of comfort and security; our hero could barely keep himself from taking a nap right then and there..."
C'mon, who doesn't want that? =) |
08-20-2010, 01:28 PM | #4 |
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Thanks for the laugh of the day, Kemp.
Given this example, I wouldn't mind blipverts if they were written by you. Robin |
08-20-2010, 01:57 PM | #5 |
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No, I wouldn't like ads in books at all. We're bombarded enough with ads everywhere. On TV, along the roadways, in magazines. No, I wouldn't like it at all.
Joyce |
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08-20-2010, 10:11 PM | #6 |
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We've had this discussion several times here on mobileread. It really depends on the content of the advertisment. Don't forget that publishing houses have been putting ads in books for many years. You know that page that lists the author or publishing house other works? Or that excerpt for the next big blockbuster novel you read at the end of a book? Those are ads and I'm ok with those. It's when you get into iAd or the new desire to bring the best of flash advertising (yes those) and mix it with even flashier video/etc that i start to get annoyed.
I picked up an issue of one of the new digital magazines by either time or newsweek for the iPad. I was turned off immediately when I had an embedded video ad for an airline pop up soon as I launched the magazine that i just spent like six bucks on. But hell...corporations control publishing now and if there's some new way to exploit something to make more money they'll be all over it, hardly caring if they alienate the people that actually buy their content.... Ps typing on an iPad sucks. I don't know how they ever expected people to do actual word processing on this thing |
08-21-2010, 01:02 PM | #7 |
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If you could have free books, but with quite a lot of advertising, would you be for that?
Robin |
08-21-2010, 01:06 PM | #8 | |
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Quote:
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08-21-2010, 02:38 PM | #9 |
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Some of the subscription-based blogs are including ads, but these are more like daily or weekly journals. I would go into that expecting advertising. For fiction and non-fiction, I can see them putting a sponsor page at the end, and I would be fine with that, or maybe a tiny blurb at the beginning "This book brought to you by the fine folks at .... "
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08-21-2010, 02:47 PM | #10 | |
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Quote:
If tradional pubs actually start dropping ads within the pages of the story...I'd imagine that'd be another nail in the coffin. That'd definitely make me seek out nothing but indie authors. Sandy |
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08-22-2010, 07:37 AM | #11 |
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I'm an indie author and if Gummi Bears approached me with cash, I'd have no problem adding a blurb for bears.
If it was for Nuva-Ring, no, I don't think I would do that. Robin |
08-22-2010, 09:53 AM | #12 | |
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I was just catching up on this week's emails when I found this from author David Farland/Wolverton:
Quote:
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08-22-2010, 10:15 AM | #13 | |
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Digging around a little further, I found these...
Cookbook from the 1930's S/F Book by A E Van Vogt from 1972 From the New York Times article: Quote:
Now the question is, who will be responsible for the ads? Publishers, Authors, or Hardware Manufacturers? Last edited by jaxx6166; 08-22-2010 at 10:26 AM. |
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08-22-2010, 11:50 AM | #14 |
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It's possible there might end up being two marketing strategies for ebooks: free ad-based ebooks, and then paid-for ad-free ebooks. Reader can then vote with their wallets (or eyes).
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08-22-2010, 12:42 PM | #15 |
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So long as people pay money for my books, I will do whatever I can to make sure no advertising is ever included. I find the whole idea to be shockingly distasteful and blatantly greedy.
I read yesterday that Amazon filed a patent related to showing advertisements inside ebooks. I hope this idea dies quickly, and will do my part to denounce it whenever I can. |
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