Bookshop.org is launching an eBook store to take on Amazon | Hacker News Reader

Bookshop.org is launching an eBook store to take on Amazon

theverge.com

28 pointsdivbzero9 comments

This actually seems like it might fill a niche I've been noticing for almost a decade now:

I love going to bookstores to browse for new books, but I exclusively read electronically. Arguably, if the local bookstore is what ultimately introduces a new book to me that I end up buying, they do deserve a cut. It's kind of sad that nobody has cracked that yet.

German booksellers had a scheme that came somewhat close, as far as I understand, but unfortunately it only included large chains, not independent small stores.

> Can I read my ebooks on my Kindle, Kobo, Nook, etc.?

> Ebooks from Bookshop.org must be read on either our Apple or Android app, or via a web browser, with the exception of DRM-free titles.

And there doesn't appear to be a way to filter for only DRM-free ebooks.

womp womp :(

Having ebooks at all is a pretty new feature, and their whole thing is being an alternative to Amazon so of course they're not going to want to use Kindle's DRM.

That being said, this is a very new product. I would be extremely surprised if they didn't end up adding a search filter for DRM-free ebooks. For now, you could just search for books published by Tor or other publishers that you know don't use DRM.

Yeah, that's a no then. I'm not buying something tied to "Adobe Digital Editions" DRM (and even less something even more proprietary I can't read on my ereader).

It's one of the worst pieces of software I've ever had the pleasure to suffer from, and I'll only tolerate it for library books, definitely not for something I "own".

FWIW, other readers can utilize Adobe Digital Editions DRM, so you're not necessarily stuck in their reader.

It's still a horrible system. It's impossible to deauthorize lost/broken devices, it's unclear how many slots I have left at any given time, and the web interface to manage my account looks like it's been on it's last leg for about at least the past 15 years.

publishers wouldn't do it unless they followed the DRM requirements

Web: https://bookshop.org/ebooks

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.bookshop.a...

iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bookshop-org/id6465290096

Unfortunately it seems to be completely US-centric.

I hope they succeed and expand across the world!

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