Nook vs Kindle - availability of titles?

juniper · May 4, 2012

Q summary: availability of titles on Kindle vs Nook? I like to buy printed books at an independent real-life bookstore - can I find those same books on a Nook too?
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Long version:
Oh, I'm sure this has been covered many, many times. I couldn't find a relatively current thread anywhere so I hope it's ok to start a new one. Or maybe my question can be blended into another appropriate thread by a mod.

A last-minute trip has once again kindled (ha!) my desire for an eReader, so I don't drag heavy books along with me. I am an eReader ignorant, despite looking at them a few times.

I don't like Amazon for a few reasons and don't want to support them, but it does seem as if the Kindle is the better product as far as availability of titles. Is that perception wrong? Are most books I'm likely to read (printed trade fiction, only occasional self-pub by someone I know IRL or here) available on Nook too?

I love physical bookstores, I live close to a marvelous independent store (Powells in Portland) and I can spend hours there just scanning the shelves, pulling down anything that looks interesting, and so that's the same availability I want from an eReader - a large selection from both small and large publishers, some micro-press books. I rarely buy hardcovers due to the price.

(The last book I bought was Stacia Kane's new "Sacrificial Magic." PB from a B&N, $7.99. Nook price is same. Will take that on the trip this weekend.)

Sorry if this is one of those questions that get asked over and over and over ... :Hammer:

Soccer Mom · May 4, 2012

Pretty much every publisher I know of publishes in both formats. Choose whichever device you prefer.

Sydneyd · May 4, 2012

I have a Nook and have never searched for a title that I could not find (well, unless the book hadn't come out yet).

One of the things I love about the Nook is that it is attached to a bookstore. I think you can bring your Nook to B&N and browse e-books on it, as long as you remain in the store (I mean like you could with a print book, you can always browse for books normally)

juniper · May 4, 2012

Soccer Mom said:
Pretty much every publisher I know of publishes in both formats. Choose whichever device you prefer.

So, clicking on your book leads me to Musa Publishing, and there I can choose to download your book in PDF, ePub, Mobi, or PRC.

Google search says ePub is the one for Nook. Most ebooks are published in that format? Even small press and micro-press ones?

Right now I download books on to my iPhone and use Kindle, but I want a bigger eReader so it's easier on my eyes.

(I wish eReaders weren't hooked to individual formats. It seems like Sony Beta vs VHS all over again. You might be too young to remember that.

)

Shadow_Ferret · May 4, 2012

Sydneyd said:
I have a Nook and have never searched for a title that I could not find (well, unless the book hadn't come out yet).

One of the things I love about the Nook is that it is attached to a bookstore. I think you can bring your Nook to B&N and browse e-books on it, as long as you remain in the store (I mean like you could with a print book, you can always browse for books normally)

I don't get this at all. What's the point of going to the brick&mortar store to buy an eBook? Can't you browse eBooks without having to go to the store?

Sydneyd · May 4, 2012

Shadow_Ferret said:
I don't get this at all. What's the point of going to the brick&mortar store to buy an eBook? Can't you browse eBooks without having to go to the store?

Yes, you can. But if you are weird like me and enjoy sitting in the bookstore, sipping a coffee and listening to the light jazz, you can sit in a comfy chair and browse through the books--reading pages from them, as you would a print book.

Soccer Mom · May 4, 2012

juniper said:
So, clicking on your book leads me to Musa Publishing, and there I can choose to download your book in PDF, ePub, Mobi, or PRC.

Google search says ePub is the one for Nook. Most ebooks are published in that format? Even small press and micro-press ones?

Right now I download books on to my iPhone and use Kindle, but I want a bigger eReader so it's easier on my eyes.

(I wish eReaders weren't hooked to individual formats. It seems like Sony Beta vs VHS all over again. You might be too young to remember that. )

Mobi is the Kindle format. Musa's books are also all listed on Amazon so you can buy directly from Amazon's store or straight from the publisher in Mobi format. Musa books are also available at B&N's online store. All the publishers that I am aware of will offer their books in all the formats and all the ebook stores. It would be crazy for them to limit themselves. I have a Kindle touch and read my books on multiple devices. I'll start on my Kindle, read on my phone at work or with the Kindle app on my computer. You can sync all your devices which I find really convenient. I like making my print big because my eyes are aging and the small print is getting harder to see.

I can't speak about the Nook features since I don't have one. But I do love my Kindle. I'm not pleased with a lot of the things Amazon has done, but I'm on my third Kindle and it's super easy to use. Too easy in fact. One click buy is from the devil, just so you know.

And yes, I remember Beta/VHS.

escritora · May 4, 2012

Shadow_Ferret said:
I don't get this at all. What's the point of going to the brick&mortar store to buy an eBook? Can't you browse eBooks without having to go to the store?

I'd also like to add that B&N allows Nook users to read a particular book for an hour. It's a nice perk. I admit I never go to B&N for that reason, but I do indulge when I'm there.

Deleted member 42 · May 4, 2012

juniper said:
Right now I download books on to my iPhone and use Kindle, but I want a bigger eReader so it's easier on my eyes.

I'm biased since I have a hard time reading eInk, but the best thing to do is go try them.

Nook and Kindle are two options.

But there are Android based tablets, and my personal favorite (and I am really biased, so talk to others and go see for yourself) is Apple's iPad.

The iPad 3 is amazing in terms of the screen; I read in sunlight, though it means wearing a baseball cap. But mostly I read inside, and often, at night. I can read pretty much any kind of ebook at all, as well as send email, use the Web, watch movies, listen to music.

Right now, if you don't have to use the latest and greatest, there are super deals on the iPad 1 and iPad 2; the iPad 2 screen is better. You can get a new iPad 2 with a warranty from Apple that's been "refurbished," but you get the same warranty you'd get with a factory fresh iPad.

But go look at a bunch of devices for yourself.

HoneyBadger · May 4, 2012

My roommate rooted my Nook Color to run Cyanogenmod (a custom version of Android) and use Aldiko as my e-reader. It can handle epubs and pdfs, so I just use Calibre to convert mobis, pdfs, and stuff.

Carlene · May 4, 2012

Just received a Kindle Fire for my birthday and I love it. I can borrow books from the library - and do. I've found a few sites on the Internet where I can get books - FREE. Of course I buy books too, but am poor so have to save where I can. I don't know that much about the Nook so can't really compare them - but I love my Fire!

Carlene

Kerosene · May 4, 2012

I love my Kindle "Keyboard"
It is like reading on paper.

I find nook to be harder to use, less helpful and cheaply made.

I'm not a advocate for the "free" idea of readers as in Sony and other e-readers. They are an option, but not one I would take.

I also don't see the use in a tablet, when they are hard to read on for long-term and practically worthless (to me).

Note: If you do get a Kindle, get the amazon leather covers for them. They are expensive, but well worth it for the clip holding-thingy. Other covers don't hold the reader, just cradle it. The light cover is worthless (to me).

Shadow_Ferret · May 5, 2012

escritora said:
I'd also like to add that B&N allows Nook users to read a particular book for an hour. It's a nice perk. I admit I never go to B&N for that reason, but I do indulge when I'm there.

For clarification: Are you saying they let you download an eBook to your Nook and read it for an hour while you're in their store, then you have to delete it or buy it?

WordCount · May 5, 2012

juniper said:
Q summary: availability of titles on Kindle vs Nook? I like to buy printed books at an independent real-life bookstore - can I find those same books on a Nook too?
--------------------------------------------------------------
Long version:
Oh, I'm sure this has been covered many, many times. I couldn't find a relatively current thread anywhere so I hope it's ok to start a new one. Or maybe my question can be blended into another appropriate thread by a mod.

A last-minute trip has once again kindled (ha!) my desire for an eReader, so I don't drag heavy books along with me. I am an eReader ignorant, despite looking at them a few times.

I don't like Amazon for a few reasons and don't want to support them, but it does seem as if the Kindle is the better product as far as availability of titles. Is that perception wrong? Are most books I'm likely to read (printed trade fiction, only occasional self-pub by someone I know IRL or here) available on Nook too?

I love physical bookstores, I live close to a marvelous independent store (Powells in Portland) and I can spend hours there just scanning the shelves, pulling down anything that looks interesting, and so that's the same availability I want from an eReader - a large selection from both small and large publishers, some micro-press books. I rarely buy hardcovers due to the price.

(The last book I bought was Stacia Kane's new "Sacrificial Magic." PB from a B&N, $7.99. Nook price is same. Will take that on the trip this weekend.)

Sorry if this is one of those questions that get asked over and over and over ...

The only books I see that don't appear on both are self-pubbed ones. Often times I can't buy some of the books from self-pubbers on here because I have a Nook, not a kindle.

escritora · May 5, 2012

Shadow_Ferret said:
For clarification: Are you saying they let you download an eBook to your Nook and read it for an hour while you're in their store, then you have to delete it or buy it?

Sort of, yes, expect, you don't think you have to delete it or buy it. The system knows when the hour is up and times out.

Also, you can return the next day or any other time, pick up where you left off, and read another hour's worth. That said, if I like the book, I buy it.

Literateparakeet · May 5, 2012

I love my Nook! I'm one of those that was reluctant at first, but now don't go anywhere without it. I have the Nook Color so if I have wifi access, I can get on the web, check email etc.

Except for a couple self=pubbed books, and two literary magazines (Ploughshares and Kenyan Review), I've found everything I wanted on Nook.

I have a free Kindle application on my laptop that I used to read Ploughshares.

There are library applications for both Nook and Kindle...so you can borrow library books as well.

If I were going to chose again today, I'd still get the Nook!

VanessaNorth · May 5, 2012

I have both the kindle and the nook apps for the ipad. Mostly read kindle--I've bought exactly one title for nook and it was so poorly formatted as to be unreadable (one or two words per page, no words on a page, half a word on a page, literally unreadable). I am sure that was a problem with the BOOK and not the nook, but have had no other occasion to try the nook app.

Sage · May 5, 2012

As Amazon and B&N continue battling, there may become a bigger difference in which each one carries. I know one author whose publisher is now connected to Amazon, and B&N is no longer going to carry her books (people who had pre-ordered it have now been told that B&N will not be sending it to them). Her book isn't even listed on B&N's site anymore, not as print or ebook.

B&N also seems to take longer to load new ebooks (weeks instead of hours), so if you're looking to buy something from a small epublisher that's new, you might have to wait longer with the Nook unless you get it from the publisher themselves. This is the experience I'm having right now.

AlishaS · May 6, 2012

My book is available from both (for now) in e-book and print.

But sadly I can't borrow books from my library, or anything because I'm from Canada... here everything is KOBO or die lol

But yes, I suspect with the ever growing debacle going on that soon some will have to make a choice B&N or Amazon... and I hate to say it but I think Amazon will win out... They are just a little more worldy. It costs almost double to buy and ship my book to Canada using B&N where as Amazon it's a lot cheaper and a little more user friendly to us across the boarder.

Nook vs Kindle - availability of titles?

juniper

Always curious.

Soccer Mom

Crypto-fascist

Sydneyd

Aye, ye scurvy dog!

juniper

Always curious.

Shadow_Ferret

Court Jester

Sydneyd

Aye, ye scurvy dog!

Soccer Mom

Crypto-fascist

escritora

.

Deleted member 42

HoneyBadger

terribly loud, emotionally distant

Carlene

New kid, be gentle!

Kerosene

Your Pixie Queen

Shadow_Ferret

Court Jester

WordCount

You don't have coffee? Go away.

escritora

.

Literateparakeet

Nerdy Budgie

VanessaNorth

Purple hair, not prose.

Sage

Supreme Guessinator

AlishaS

Is swimming with creativity frogs