Quote:
Originally Posted by meromana
Yes, I had the same reaction. Just because somebody wrote a book doesn't entitle the world to read it. Most authors/publishers would like their works to be available to as many readers as possible, but they own the rights to the work, and they don't have to share it, any more than you have to share your vacation property with a homeless person. Maybe your Swiss chalet is sitting there empty and unused while some guy is freezing on the street, but that doesn't entitle him to move in.
--Maria
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And I'd be happy to *buy* the titles. But if you, as a publisher say, choose to NOT release one of your titles to ebook format after d-t publication, when you've chosen to do so with the rest of the backlist, then you have made a conscious decision to NOT make further money from that title. So be it. I'm not going to deprive myself from enjoying the author's work 'just because' some publishers can't be bothered to have a consistent ebook release policy. And we know this happens.
I also realize that extenuating circumstances arise, such as the one copy remaining is so worn that it is taking a lot of effort to clean it up for e-formatting. That might well add a year to the release time. Which is why if one of my 'faves' start showing up in ebook format, I will usually wait a year for the 'missing' titles. But I'm not going to wait forever because I can probably snag a library copy or a used-bookstore (ub) d-t copy and make my own scan. (And by availing myself of a library or ub copy to make a clean scan, I'm not violating any copyholder rights.)
(Given that I routinely allocate money to replace darknetted titles with Amazon releases *when* they become available, I don't even feel guilty because *eventually* the publisher remembers that the customers are always right - as well as their lifeblood.)
Derek