Baen Free Library Changes

[Joykins]

Originally Posted by shalym

That's a different case. The publisher decides whether or not to put DRM on the book when the book is uploaded If a publisher decides to put DRM on a book initially, I believe the only way to change that (remove the DRM) is to re-publish the book.

Shari

The decision was made to NOT put DRM on the book when it was released (i.e. uploaded), but I suppose because previous books from the same publisher were infested with DRM, Amazon mistakenly added it anyway.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by Joykins

The decision was made to NOT put DRM on the book when it was released (i.e. uploaded), but I suppose because previous books from the same publisher were infested with DRM, Amazon mistakenly added it anyway.

Or whoever uploaded it from MacMillan screwed up and used the settings they do when uploading books from all they're other imprints besides TOR. Especially since it was a new thing at the time. As I recall it was a problem at more places than Amazon wasn't it?

Speaking of TOR, whatever happened to the eBook store they announced was coming this past summer? Have they said anything else?

[Kirtai]

Curiously, I just noticed that some of the CD images that were available with some books at Baen have been removed without warning. Specifically the Cryoburn image which was available for people who bought the ebook.

[seajewel]

I bought the first bundled Vorkosigan books (Cordelia's Honor) a couple months ago, didn't realize all this was going on. Now the next omnibus Vorkosigan editions are not available anywhere I can find. i wish I'd bought them all then but I hadn't read any of them at the time and was just trying them at the great price Baen had them available for ($5 for each bundle of 2-3 books). Hmm..

[elcreative]

Originally Posted by Kirtai

Curiously, I just noticed that some of the CD images that were available with some books at Baen have been removed without warning. Specifically the Cryoburn image which was available for people who bought the ebook.

Try this thread which covers Cryoburn http://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...ghlight=bujold from last September...

[Kirtai]

Originally Posted by elcreative

Try this thread which covers Cryoburn http://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...ghlight=bujold from last September...

I'm aware of that, I'm talking about cd images that were available on Baens own site to people who had bought the ebook, not the ones on Fifth Imperium.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by Kirtai

I'm aware of that, I'm talking about cd images that were available on Baens own site to people who had bought the ebook, not the ones on Fifth Imperium.

Yeah, there was a posting on the Baen Bar not too long ago about it. AFAIK they did it with no notice at all.

[elcreative]

Originally Posted by Kirtai

I'm aware of that, I'm talking about cd images that were available on Baens own site to people who had bought the ebook, not the ones on Fifth Imperium.

I realised that but the withdrawing of the image applied to the Baen site as well... which I found clear reading pre-existing threads here and on Baen...

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by elcreative

I realised that but the withdrawing of the image applied to the Baen site as well... which I found clear reading pre-existing threads here and on Baen...

No, they just removed the image for Cryoburn and other CD's recently from the Baen Ebook Store (as in when the whole Amazon deal started), not when it was removed from other places.

[elcreative]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

No, they just removed the image for Cryoburn and other CD's recently from the Baen Ebook Store (as in when the whole Amazon deal started), not when it was removed from other places.

I wasn't being specific about the exact time they were removed but Bujold had already requested removal of Cryoburn from Baen as well... when I've got nothing else to do, I might spend some time to put a detailed timeline together to clearly lay out the whole saga with accurate cites for every point on the line... No, anyone who wants more detail can find it for themselves...

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by elcreative

I wasn't being specific about the exact time they were removed but Bujold had already requested removal of Cryoburn from Baen as well... when I've got nothing else to do, I might spend some time to put a detailed timeline together to clearly lay out the whole saga with accurate cites for every point on the line... No, anyone who wants more detail can find it for themselves...

I hadn't seen anything about Bujold and Baen's store specifically, but in this case Cryoburn was just an example. They've removed the ISO for ALL of the books that came with CD's from the eBook store for both future purchasers and folks who had already bought. There was a bit of a stir on the Bar, because they did it without telling anyone. All part of the adjustments made for selling through Amazon supposedly.

[Kirtai]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

IThey've removed the ISO for ALL of the books that came with CD's from the eBook store for both future purchasers and folks who had already bought. There was a bit of a stir on the Bar, because they did it without telling anyone. All part of the adjustments made for selling through Amazon supposedly.

That's what I was wondering about, it's a bit annoying that they removed the images for people who'd already bought the books they were attached to. Especially without warning.

[ereadingdotcom]

Here's the facts, at least for authors. Baen is giving away the digital editions because, for now, it is driving print sales.

However, what Baen failed to realize is that ebook sales would actually surpass print. It has not yet, but it's headed that way VERY quickly, and they know it.

I believe the end of the Baen free library, as it is today, is looming in the not-too-distant future. If you have a prolific author they may allow one of their books to be used as a loss-leader. But with the competitive model that has formed up around pricing tiers, Baen simply cannot "gimmick" the system and convince authors that this is in their best long-term interest.

Not to mention not being in the best interest of Baen's bottom line.

[silasgreenback]

Originally Posted by ereadingdotcom

... with the competitive model that has formed up around pricing tiers, Baen simply cannot "gimmick" the system and convince authors that this is in their best long-term interest.

Not to mention not being in the best interest of Baen's bottom line.

I don't see why giving ebooks away wouldn't bolster Baen's bottom line and that of authors' far into the future.

Baen's gimmick strategy has been working for Amazon for some time now. I've bought several books by authors I'd likely have never heard of because one of their titles were free.

[ereadingdotcom]

Originally Posted by silasgreenback

I don't see why giving ebooks away wouldn't bolster Baen's bottom line and that of authors' far into the future.

Baen's gimmick strategy has been working for Amazon for some time now. I've bought several books by authors I'd likely have never heard of because one of their titles were free.

You're overlooking the fact that this "strategy" is meant to create a dominate position in the marketplace, not to create a consumer-friendly, sustainable model.

Of course Baen didn't start out to create a gimmick; it really does drive print sales. But the print side is being quickly overtaken by digital, something I know for a fact that they did not expect. Everyone from Steve Jobs to Bill Gates predicated that the Kindle--and by extension, ebooks--would be a failure because, as Jobs said in 2007, "People just don't read anymore."

Right. So what Baen is discovering is their strategy has actually resulted in them putting a proverbial "no value" stamp on digital copies of many of their books that were previously given away for free. You'll begin to see them charging for all titles now, sooner or later, so that a case cannot be made later that the free ebooks were not a statement on their part that digital editions have no intrinsic value by themselves--a case I have heard made by a number of publishing executives, in-person, several times over the past few years.

This is a complex issue, and much of it hinges on the future structure of copyright law.