I've had several people buy a second or even third digital copy of my book to give to friends and family, when they could have just as easily forwarded the copy I sold to them without spending another cent.
I think there is sometimes that fear when you put something out digitally that it will just forwarded, copied, posted, emailed and somehow you'll just lose all these potential sales. But I guess the same thing could happen with a hard copy -- you lend books to people, borrow them from libraries, etc.
It's just interesting that even without all the material trappings (covers, paper, wingdings, etc.), the actual digital media itself is considered a thing, a whole, the goods of the artist in question, separate units of sale. I mean, that's the way it should be anyway, but it is cool to see that people on their own demonstrate that, recognize that with their actions. It makes me wonder if that is a model that will work for all media -- downloadable movies, music, etc.
Because some people argue that if you put out all books in digital format, it will only make it that much easier to torrent, etc.
This whole experiment in completely self-propelled digital publishing -- in its most basic "no frills" form -- is very fascinating to me. I'm continually learning. And it has really encouraged me to continue this route.
People will steal no matter how difficult or easy you make it to steal.
ReplyDeleteIf you haven't, read Corey Doctorow's "Content", which is available for free online. (I found a free copy at work.)
Example: After the first season of "Arrested Development", the New York Times profiled the show and its many Emmy nominations. I don't have a TV. When I was visiting my parents, I used their cable modem and downloaded the episodes. The humor appealed to me, and the next day, I visited the local Barnes & Noble and purchased the box set.
I'm not big on downloadable books. My limit is about five pages. (Put an edition on Lulu or iUniverse or Lightning Source, and I will buy the book.)
I don't buy DVDs on the subway, partly because I'm a strong believer in copyright, and partly because I can spend about $10 more and get a legitimate copy with lots of extras.
Hey... when selling your book, do you have the first chapter online for free? Have you considered the audiobook edition?
People are arguably more likely to respect the copyright of a private individual, like yourself, than the rights or a larger corporate entity.
ReplyDeleteCall me old-fashioned, but I think the honor system still works. *Most* people are decent and do the right thing, and in my experience, the people who download would not have bought it in another form. They do it because "it's free," and then wonder why they have so much stuff on their hard drive that they've never read/watched/listened to.
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