Netflix for Books

A while back, authors who sell their work via Smashwords were notified that our titles would be available on Oyster, an intriguing experiment in e-reading. Alas, Oyster has since been swallowed by the Google monster and will be riding into the sunset shortly. But Oyster wasn't one-of-a-kind. Scribd and Kindle Unlimited offer a similar subscription service whereby readers can pay a monthly fee and read as many eBooks as they like.

As a writer, I like the idea of a Netflix-like service for books. The more people reading my stuff the better, right? But as a very s-l-o-w reader, I don't think it would work for me. If I'm lucky, I get through about one good book a month.

And really, why pay for a service like this when the local library is right down the street? 90% of the books I read come from the library, and s-l-o-w reader that I am, I sometimes have to renew them. (I won't admit how often that happens.)

What do you think? Ready to sign up for one of these eBook services? Or does the musty smell and coffee-stained pages of a good, old-fashioned library book better float your bookworm-ridden boat?