Comments on: Piracy, Uh, What Is It Good For? http://booksquare.com/piracy-uh-what-is-it-good-for/ Dissecting the publishing industry with love and skepticism Wed, 17 Mar 2010 16:52:27 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Clive Warner http://booksquare.com/piracy-uh-what-is-it-good-for/comment-page-1/#comment-167704 Clive Warner Thu, 01 May 2008 16:24:35 +0000 http://www.booksquare.com/piracy-uh-what-is-it-good-for/#comment-167704 It seems to me pretty obvious that the market is changing away from books. I used to be an avid reader but I rarely read a physical book any more. There are too many alternative enjoyments that offer an immersive experience and demand much less imagination, e.g. Grand Theft Auto IV. In the music business the physical CD is dying; physical books will surely follow sooner or later. I wonder how writers will make any money in a digital future. I can imagine selling novels in bite-sized pieces over the Net, with a short video advert preceeding each piece. I suspect the 'chapter', invented by the Victorians as a way of defining a convenient reading session, will be replaced by something rather shorter. It seems to me pretty obvious that the market is changing away from books. I used to be an avid reader but I rarely read a physical book any more.
There are too many alternative enjoyments that offer an immersive experience and demand much less imagination, e.g. Grand Theft Auto IV.
In the music business the physical CD is dying; physical books will surely follow sooner or later.
I wonder how writers will make any money in a digital future. I can imagine selling novels in bite-sized pieces over the Net, with a short video advert preceeding each piece. I suspect the ‘chapter’, invented by the Victorians as a way of defining a convenient reading session, will be replaced by something rather shorter.

]]> By: Speakeasy » Blog Archive » Fans or Pirates? http://booksquare.com/piracy-uh-what-is-it-good-for/comment-page-1/#comment-167697 Speakeasy » Blog Archive » Fans or Pirates? Wed, 30 Apr 2008 01:34:29 +0000 http://www.booksquare.com/piracy-uh-what-is-it-good-for/#comment-167697 [...] this, in the form of free sample chapters, and in Neil Gaiman’s case, free e-books. A recent post on Booksquare also asks a few pertinant [...] [...] this, in the form of free sample chapters, and in Neil Gaiman’s case, free e-books. A recent post on Booksquare also asks a few pertinant [...]

]]> By: bowerbird http://booksquare.com/piracy-uh-what-is-it-good-for/comment-page-1/#comment-167696 bowerbird Tue, 29 Apr 2008 19:13:09 +0000 http://www.booksquare.com/piracy-uh-what-is-it-good-for/#comment-167696 are you sure it's difficult to find pirated books? tell me what titles you want... -bowerbird are you sure it’s difficult to find pirated books?

tell me what titles you want…

-bowerbird

]]> By: Kassia Krozser http://booksquare.com/piracy-uh-what-is-it-good-for/comment-page-1/#comment-167694 Kassia Krozser Tue, 29 Apr 2008 16:36:39 +0000 http://www.booksquare.com/piracy-uh-what-is-it-good-for/#comment-167694 George -- great comments, and I have to say I agree, though I suspect we're in the minority. It would be an accounting nightmare -- of course, there are technological solutions to help there -- but I do like the idea very much. George — great comments, and I have to say I agree, though I suspect we’re in the minority. It would be an accounting nightmare — of course, there are technological solutions to help there — but I do like the idea very much.

]]> By: George Burke http://booksquare.com/piracy-uh-what-is-it-good-for/comment-page-1/#comment-167693 George Burke Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:44:03 +0000 http://www.booksquare.com/piracy-uh-what-is-it-good-for/#comment-167693 I don't necessarily believe in the "Right of First Sale" doctrine. Although my book rental company, BookSwim.com -- with no due dates, unlimited rentals and free shipping both ways -- has gotten away by owning older books for a dollar or two apiece and freely renting them out to our BookSwimmers without the need to pay royalties, I believe a new model should be presented. Just in the way Netflix and Blockbuster obtain their inventory through revenue-share, I believe "netflix for books" organizations like BookSwim.com can embrace the same model. We can pay $X per rental to the publisher/author instead of buying the book upfront. This is a win/win situation as it rewards authors who write timeless books, while also allowing us to source more inventory with less paid upfront. I don’t necessarily believe in the “Right of First Sale” doctrine. Although my book rental company, BookSwim.com — with no due dates, unlimited rentals and free shipping both ways — has gotten away by owning older books for a dollar or two apiece and freely renting them out to our BookSwimmers without the need to pay royalties, I believe a new model should be presented.

Just in the way Netflix and Blockbuster obtain their inventory through revenue-share, I believe “netflix for books” organizations like BookSwim.com can embrace the same model. We can pay $X per rental to the publisher/author instead of buying the book upfront. This is a win/win situation as it rewards authors who write timeless books, while also allowing us to source more inventory with less paid upfront.

]]> By: Kassia Krozser http://booksquare.com/piracy-uh-what-is-it-good-for/comment-page-1/#comment-167692 Kassia Krozser Tue, 29 Apr 2008 14:30:15 +0000 http://www.booksquare.com/piracy-uh-what-is-it-good-for/#comment-167692 That's only the UK and Canada. Unfortunately, the United States doesn't have the same sort of system (hence "this nation"). I've written quite a bit about how other countries handle ongoing payments for artists, but generally, nobody here seems interested, and I doubt there's any political will to even consider change. That’s only the UK and Canada. Unfortunately, the United States doesn’t have the same sort of system (hence “this nation”). I’ve written quite a bit about how other countries handle ongoing payments for artists, but generally, nobody here seems interested, and I doubt there’s any political will to even consider change.

]]> By: Jim Murdoch http://booksquare.com/piracy-uh-what-is-it-good-for/comment-page-1/#comment-167691 Jim Murdoch Tue, 29 Apr 2008 12:02:22 +0000 http://www.booksquare.com/piracy-uh-what-is-it-good-for/#comment-167691 Writers do get payments if their books are in libraries: Public Lending Right payments. See these PDFs for details: http://www.plr.uk.com/mediaCentre/mediaReleases/feb2008(2).pdf http://www.plr-dpp.ca/PLR/news/En06FebReport.pdf Writers do get payments if their books are in libraries: Public Lending Right payments. See these PDFs for details:

http://www.plr.uk.com/mediaCentre/mediaReleases/feb2008(2).pdf
http://www.plr-dpp.ca/PLR/news/En06FebReport.pdf

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