if you’re a reader or a writer, and you’ve been on the net over the last few days, then you’re no doubt aware of the Amazon / Macmillan stoush. There’s been plenty written about it on blogs and websites, but the best two blogs I’ve come across were by the ever practical John Scalzi, and Charles Stross. For my part, I think it comes down to one thing–choice.

The publishers want you to have it. Amazon don’t.

Yeah, yeah, Amazon would have you believe that it’s all about the money and the price of books, and that the publishers are the big bads wanting to over price books, but let’s be realistic here. Amazon want to corner the market. They want to make themselves THE place to get ebooks. That’s what the Kindle and the 9.99 price point is all about. Amazon lose money selling ebooks at that price, but they don’t care because to get that price, you, the reader, have to buy a kindle. And guess what? They make lots of lovely money on the kindle.

Personally, I’m glad Apple decided to step into the ring with its IPad. It once again opens the field and gives the marketplace another option. Up until that point, Amazon and it’s kindle was looking like the only viable option in town when it came to easy-to-get ebooks–and tell me, since when has a company achieving a monopoly ever resulted in cheaper prices?

Anyway, enough of that. Onto the writing update:

Story–Dark Angels

New pages – 10 (over the weekend)
Current page count – 363
Intriguing things – The bad guys kidnapped one of Risa’s friends. Bad, bad move.
Annoyances – Muse would rather watch Supernatural!
Music – Eco Zen 2
Taking care of Keri – dieting, exercising, crap like that. lol
Muse food – promising the muse a supernatural season 5 blitz once this story is finished!