Scribd

Laura: [00:00:00] Hello, welcome to the web to the next podcast. I am so happy to have you all back. And today's guest is Francesca from under the covers book blog, and she is here to talk about another service that we can read on a budget. So we're just very exciting things. So Francesca, tell us a little bit what you've been up to.

Laura: You may

Francesca: I am so happy to be back with everybody, and thank you for bringing me back, Laura. And I'm always looking for recommending ways that people can read more. I've been using this one that we're going to be talking about today for quite some time, mainly for audiobooks. I mean, I'm a big audiobook listener, so yeah, I feel like that's what I've been up to, especially this year when it comes to reading.

Francesca: I've been Mostly reading audio books. And when I am reading eBooks, I am having the like text to speech read back to me. So that's what that's been my, my, I'm in that era. It's simple.

Laura: short, maybe a reel that you just create and we'll share in our [00:01:00] respective newsletters. Chances of an under the covers community and what can readers expect if they want to join. Yes,

Francesca: Yes, we just migrated our community to sub stack, which I'm very excited about, because we're going to be able to deliver more content. There's lots of exciting things that are coming down the line, but we are expanding a little bit more from recommendations that we would normally do on the blog. So either we are sharing in the community, the books that like, didn't make a list that are already on the blog, or like, very niche kind of.

Francesca: Requests from some of our members, so we're definitely doing some of that there and also getting a little bit more personal sharing some of the things that we love at the moment, maybe some food, maybe some other things. So, yeah, a little bit of planning to there's probably going to be some planning content in there as well.

Francesca: So I'm very excited about that. And we're always open for suggestions from people.

Laura: and every Tuesday you share new releases, what to expect for the week. So which is a lot of work and I commend [00:02:00] you. I don't do that work. So you need to check out your font tag and you need to check our community so they can know what they can actually read.

Francesca: Yeah, on the podcast on the reading under the covers podcast, I kind of try to pick maybe like 5 books every week that either we recommend at under the covers and we've already read or the ones that are really like, they catch my eye, but inside of the community, we do actually keep a full release calendar.

Francesca: So, yeah that's a labor of love.

Laura: So if you're looking for recommendations, not just romance, I know you're like into romance space, but we do recommend other genres. It's a great place to go. Also, the blog is a great resource for 11, almost 12 years full of recommendations and like reviews. And so if you're looking for a book review, actually your site is the perfect site for it because

Francesca: there's a lot.

Laura: you there's a lot of reviews.

Laura: You normally, it's not just you have guest reviewers to talk about it, but you have 11 plus years of like content, like [00:03:00] you have

Francesca: I think there's over 6, 000 reviews right now, so there's a lot. Yeah.

Laura: to watch for next, then you go to under the covers to be like, okay, what exactly they say, because I'm a recommender, I would tell you, here's the highlights, here's where you should go blind, you should go this, what are the points, but the thorough review of someone who has read it and who can actually understand what's going on, that's your area of expertise. All right, so let's talk about it used to be Scribd, now it's Everant. It's a service that you pay a flat fee, you pay annual subscription, or you can pay a monthly fee. It's a great, if you refer others, you get an extra month, so it's like a good way to get a free reading if you refer to your friends.

Laura: Talk to us about like, when did you get started? Like, what are what can expect readers from taking on the service?

Francesca: so I probably started using script at the time it was still called script, I want to say at [00:04:00] least maybe it was 2020.

Francesca: I think it was around 2020 time of the pandemic. I was listening to, I mean, I've always been a big audio book listener, but probably like late 2010. So I was listening a little bit less cause I was getting more arcs and, you know, reading eBooks a little bit more, but definitely started getting more on audio books.

Francesca: And I discovered script and I really liked the fact that it was a flat fee. It's I kind of saw it as Kindle unlimited, but for audio books, it is what I mostly use it for. Is for the audio books, and I guess we can get a little bit more into why I don't really like reading ebooks on it later.

Francesca: But for audio books, I really do enjoy it. And I think that has to do with me doing the text to speech. So I will put a caveat for that.

Laura: yeah,

Francesca: But yeah, so I think that was 2010. I've really enjoyed it. I've kept up with my subscription the whole time because I do get value from it. I do listen to enough audio books on it and there are some pros and cons.

Francesca: I think people can expect that [00:05:00] there are some limitations on what kind of books you can check out or, you know, borrow. I guess I call them borrow, because you're just kind of like listening to it and taking it off of your list or whatever. But there are some limitations and I haven't really figured out what's the magical key of how that works.

Francesca: But for example, if you want to like binge a whole series, maybe you won't be able to do that like back to back because it's going to stop you somewhere and it's going to tell you okay, you got to. The next audio book or the next book is going to be available after however many days. So for me, that's not a con because I don't binge anymore.

Francesca: So that's totally fine for me. And even if there's a book that, and it might have to do with publishers, because I've also found it where there's a book that I haven't read anything by the author. And it will tell me that it has to, you have to wait 28 days or something. So. As long as you're okay with waiting and it's, I see it as kind of like waiting for the borrowed list at the [00:06:00] library.

Francesca: So if you're going into it with that mindset, you'll have a good experience.

Laura: It's interesting I've actually had script, I had it in a subscription. I pay a hundred for it, so it's a good bank of money. It's not expensive. I think the subscription went off to, I don't know how much is the month? I think it's like 12 to $13 a month. But if you get in a subscription, you save some money from it.

Laura: And so, and I had a couple months, like people use my referral, which was great. But I'm probably not decent enough to justify the cost because I'm one of those people who likes to binge. And like have options and I pay when I'm like, you have to wait till the next billing period. You have to wait till the next billing period to do that.

Laura: So next month, whatever it is, I found it sometimes it's by some publishers. If I read too many books on the same publisher, the license gets limited. Or I've been doing the same for the same author, multiple books in a series, so like there's no limit. So it [00:07:00] is a, it is not unlimited, even though they saw it as unlimited.

Laura: It's not the unlimited like in the limited, where you're just like, oh, but then you just have it anytime. It's, there's some limitations, kind of like the library, like you have to wait times for the library. It's really, it's not hoopla. You don't have to wait too much for the library, and you just have to plan ahead. if you're looking for rarity, this is a good place to go. For me, it's my last resource if I need it. If I need the audio book, maybe I'll get a script. But I, or everyone, but I'll download the audio book, because I'm just able to just stop listening in the middle of it. So you have to download the book so that it doesn't tell you like, Hey, you just, you miss out on your time.

Laura: You're like, Hey, I have to wait till like next month to finish the book.

Francesca: Oh, wow. That hasn't happened to me.

Laura: Yes, you have to download it. You have to download it in your device. Otherwise, it doesn't, if you're not downloading a device, it can stop you from listening to it. It [00:08:00] happens to me. So that's

Francesca: to know.

Laura: and there's no rhyme or reason why things stop working and how many books can you read and how many books can you not listen to.

Laura: But if you listen to two or three books, you'd make the money back.

Francesca: Exactly.

Laura: So it's like, it's not it's not the old Ottawa state, but we're

Francesca: Yes.

Laura: oh, you can listen to. Yeah, it's not like that. It's like, it's basically like, you can listen to two or three books or five to 10 books, depending on. The reason I'm not, but you can get money back, they can justify if you're not a book listener.

Francesca: Absolutely. Absolutely. I mean, so far I've kept it all this time because it's, I am usually doing maybe three books a month from it. So in their audio books. So if you think about it that way, 11 for three audio books, that's, Excellent. You know, so I think, yes, as long as you're going into with the library mindset, in my opinion, [00:09:00] that's the key.

Laura: Yeah, and not all books are available, but you'll find HarperCollins books available, Macmillan books available. You won't find Penguin Random House with the books and the stuff, but you'll find the other influence. So A Line will be available, mostly A Line books. Simon Schuster is

Francesca: there's also some Indies.

Laura: And there's a lot of Indies.

Francesca: I've been listening to some Indies on there. I'm

Laura: You'll find indies that are not audible, but then you'll find the Amazon Read or Listen indies are available on the spread, whatever. Like, second points you might find available, you might find some stuff like, you know, some, like, popular titles that you see, like, I'm feeling limited. You may not have to know a minute, but you might be able to listen to them. So they, I don't know what the deal they have with Amazon, but they have some stuff. So,

Francesca: Yeah. I haven't figured out how any of that works, but I'm like, listen it

Laura: let's talk about how do you find [00:10:00] recommendations because the user interface is not as. user friendly. And so you kind of have to dig into a needle and haystack. So I am, and I will preface, I'm someone who loves scrolling through Libby. Like I scroll through Libby while I listen to another book at night and I just like scroll and look at covers and see what's available.

Laura: And I cannot do that in in Everett. Like I can't like, you know, pick something and just scroll and save books. I make listicles in my Libby. I have tags for everything. Like I'm like, okay, what do I kill a dog for? Unfortunately, I can't. So I want to know what are your tips and tricks to finding books available on ThreadRibbon.

Francesca: I mean, as far as finding available, a lot of what I do is just when I know that I want to read something, or I see it online, I'll, I have, like, my system. I'll first search on Hoopla if it's available, or if it's on Kindle Unlimited, like, I'll go through those steps and then my last step to check is on Everend, Script, or whatever.

Francesca: [00:11:00] And I'll immediately add it to my saved books. So that way I always have a good running list to look there. Whenever there's something that I'm like, Oh, that might be interesting. I'll add it so that I have that saved as far as browsing. Like you said, it's not very user friendly. I have found recommendations from, like, the section where it kind of, like, learns what you're listening to or what you're reading, and it gives you recommendations.

Francesca: And based on that, that I actually find that it's quite good at throwing out ideas for me, and I have saved books from that list. So, as you use it more, it's going to recommend things that may be of interest. But as far as browsing, like, just the general list of stuff. I do not recommend, I would say, bring your title from outside and search for it there if it's available.

Francesca: For

Laura: am, I'm a browsing kind of girl. I like going online shopping and like shopping. It's like, oh, just get the books. You're just like, My version of like, you know, and a lot of readers go [00:12:00] to an independent bookstore and they go or Barnes and Noble and they go,

Francesca: Huh.

Laura: don't, I do MedGalley.

Laura: I do Libby. I do Hoopla. I know what the latest on Hoopla is. I should actually do like an episode of what the newest movies are because I know it's like,

Francesca: I would listen to that because I struggle.

Laura: It's a struggle, but I'm like, oh, I just pick, and I do that. And so I love scrolling through like, mounds of like, books and just like, finding the gems and putting them in the mail stack. And so, I'm frustrated. I think that's one of the reasons I'm like, well, I can't go book shopping here.

Laura: Like,

Francesca: no. It's not a book shopping platform at all.

Laura: no. So it is 25. In terms of listening speed, what are some of the listening speeds available for off headline?

Francesca: So, okay. Let me open that up. But I will say this, even though I will tell you that it goes up to a certain number, most audio books, when you listen them past two [00:13:00] or two point, let me see what's the last one that I listened. It gets like really. choppy. So you cannot go as fast as even it will to tell you that you can.

Francesca: And hold on, let's say speeds. Okay. So I have mine set for two and I am not a two speed person, but after two it gets really choppy. So you'll be missing some words. Technically it says that you can go up to a three.

Laura: it's

Francesca: I don't think that works for most audio books on there.

Laura: because I listen at 2. 10, 2. 30, it doesn't like, it jumps from 2 to 2. 5. So you're like,

Francesca: Right?

Laura: more, and I'm like, but I want a little bit more, but not too much.

Francesca: Not too much.

Laura: So again, this is like an honest review about the service. You take what you like. If you like it, join it. If you don't worry about it.

Laura: There are other services available, but it's a two point, like, this is an ideal two point speed

Francesca: yes. Yeah. And it's not because like, you're not going to [00:14:00] understand the words because of the speed is just the playback is just really, it cuts and I have that problem. Also, I mean, obviously, as a reviewer with the audio player from NetGalley, it does the same thing. You can't go past 2 because it gets like, really choppy and you're like, literally missing a word or 3 words.

Francesca: And then you don't know what the hell is happening. So I would say as is my least favorite player. on par with the NetGalley player. But, I mean, it's fine.

Laura: All right. And for listeners who might not know what Ned Galley is a research for reviewers, book reviewers, publishers, independently authors, and so forth, in the book publishing put together their books earlier than they were available for pre sale. for reviewers to pick out for free to read a review and share about this.

Laura: And so it's a system. It's free if you're, you review books on Goodreads, you can apply and you can get request books and get the stuff. So that's what NetValue is. We don't [00:15:00] talk a lot about it, but that's how we get access to early copies. But, you know, it's, they do offer also audiobooks, and as you can say, it's the same thing.

Laura: Again, I don't listen to audiobooks on Netflix because I don't like the app.

Francesca: Yes.

Laura: I'm like, I just rather wait for like, I get it from the library.

Francesca: I, that's the same thing with ScriptEverant. If I can get it from Hoopla or anywhere else, that would be my preference. But if it's not available on anything else, it's still fine. It's very clear at two times speed. So I know it's going to take me a little bit longer, but as far as quality, I've never had an issue with quality.

Laura: All right, let's talk about reading ebooks and whatnot. So I want you to know you can now read ebooks on your Kindle paperwise. It does not work. It can work on your tablet. So by tablet I mean iPad, Fire, Samsung tablets, any type of tablet. Your phone can work so if you read on your phone but eink itself you can now read [00:16:00] it at least in the Kindle paperware.

Laura: You might be able to read books and like any other Android player. But I don't think we were like Pobo or Kindle does not work.

Francesca: Right. Basically, I think the key, because I just recently wanted to read an ebook on it. And I went through this whole deep dive of research. Basically, you can only read it on any device where you can download the script app, because that's the only place that you're going to be able to access that ebook.

Francesca: So, as long as your tablet or e reader, you can download apps. From the app store, then you can download that app, log into your script account and pull up the ebook. That's it. So I see that as a downside. I would rather read on my Kindle or I read on my Kindle app on my phone, which totally works if you're using the phone to read, not on the Kindle app, but on the script app.

Francesca: However, when I was talking about the text to speech. The text [00:17:00] to speech will work, but it does not scroll to the next page alone. So, if you're doing text to speech, it will read you the one page, and then it stops. And then you have to manually go and, like, swipe. Horrible experience. Do not recommend.

Laura: not recommending, but it's totally fine for you're just reading the book. If you want

Francesca: yeah, if you're doing what normal people do when they read ebooks, you're fine.

Laura: Yes. So that's exciting. Other services, I think Scribd is mainly, I would say audio books is the main reason why we look at it. If I use some eBooks every so often, if you cannot find them anywhere please do not use this document, it's not a good thing, it's not a good look, and that's the one thing I downside is that they allow you to upload documents and people upload

Francesca: don't understand why they do that. I mean,

Laura: don't know why,

Francesca: even looking at

Laura: I don't know why they're not getting in trouble with Amazon, like half of the stuff is like [00:18:00] Amazon issues. So, yes, these are not part of us. There's ways to get books for free or low cost. If you need suggestions on how to save money on Pimple Unlimited, I have a guide on how to buy a subscription if you're in the U.

Laura: S. Or ways to get a book free. There's an episode about that. You can get a, you can get free trial, get cancelled and then come back to it. Same goes with Audible. Like, you can get things for cheap. You don't need to pay Jeff Bezos all your money. You can get non resident library cards for a low cost. That actually is the cost of like, you know, I would say there's 27 light and non resistant cards to 50 tools.

Laura: And I realize depending on your needs, if you need suggestions of library cards, come to my sub sac do reviews of all the different paid library cards. And I'll tell you which ones you have to pay for.

Francesca: Yeah.

Laura: there's ways that you don't need to credit your books. You can get books for free or low cost.[00:19:00]

Francesca: I agree. Fully agree. There's also podcasts. You can also listen to podcasts on there.

Laura: Yes, you can. So, any final thoughts about Scribd for everyone that we should know about? Yep. If you're an audiobook

Francesca: I would say that I think it's still a great service to have, especially if you listen to audio books, I have found a ton of stuff. I think it'll keep you busy. Especially if you don't want to spend a ton of money, you will be able to find a nice variety of. Published books and indie books, I think more so than with other services, whereas with something like Kindle limited, you're getting a lot of indie books, maybe a little bit less.

Francesca: Publisher traditionally published books. So I think it's got a good mix and with some limitations, which is why I compare it to the library. I think that it will still give you a nice, solid reading month, maybe a mix of eBooks and [00:20:00] audio books. So it's a really good investment when you don't have a ton of budget for books.

Francesca: So I definitely recommend it. I think, yes, there are other ways for you to have a better app or better anything, but you're going to pay more. So I think for the cost, this is a great service to have or to look at, or maybe just to include it in your overall book spending. You know, maybe Kindle Unlimited EndScript.

Laura: Scribd, and then you have to know about it, and then you can pick some up. No need to buy it private, because you can get some of those expensive books on Scribd.

Francesca: Yes, you can. Yes, you can.

Laura: Francesca, tell us what you're finding online, and how do we sign up to the community?

Francesca: So you can find me always on the blog at under the covers book, blog.com, on social media. It's UTC book blog, and under the covers book, blog on YouTube and Facebook. You can always sign up for the community at under the covers community.com. [00:21:00] And yeah, just come and hang out. I, we will be doing lots of kind of videos coming soon.

Francesca: Still haven't gone fully back on YouTube, but that's coming. And also our podcast reading under the covers.

Laura: Awesome. Thank you, Francesca, for being on the show.

Francesca: Thank you so much for having me.