Quote:
Originally Posted by J. Strnad
I contribute to public radio. I listen to it a lot, and it's worth a few bucks a month to me. I could listen for free, but I don't. I contribute. Why?
Because my self-image is not that of a leech. I'd rather contribute to something that I enjoy, because I can afford it and because it makes me feel good to know that I'm putting my money where it can support something I love.
I'd actually be kind of interested in a business model where I put Risen out there for free and let people who enjoy it send me a few bucks, according to what they can afford. But I also know that it takes a lot of wheedling and whining to get people to contribute to public radio, and I don't want to have to do that.
So, there it is, DRM-free, $2.39-2.99, about the cost of a hot dog. Those people who want it (and let's face it, their major investment is the time it takes to read the damn thing) can have it for a song. If they'd rather snag a copy for free and save two or three bucks, fine.
But am I going to make myself sit down and write another ebook from scratch because it's going to be worth the effort in dollars-and-cents? No. Frankly, no. I'd rather watch TV. Or play with the dogs. Or read. I have a fulltime job that pays the bills. If I could quit that job and write full-time, I'd love to do that, but I can't pay the bills that way.
Do you want a world in which the only writers are people in the "luxury class" who write as a hobby? If so, pirate away! On the other hand, if you want people who study writing and develop their talents as professionals and make some kind of living at it, you'll pay a little something for their work.
I gotta say, though, there's a lot of truth to the assertion that there's so much stuff available in the public domain, it's kind of crazy to pay for anything. Hmm...do I pay $2.39 for a copy of Risen, or download the complete works of Edgar Allen Poe and H. P. Lovecraft for free?
Strange days, folks. Strange days.
|
The wheedling and whining is one of the reasons I quit listening to public radio (I would rather have commercials than that incessant begging), the other being too much emphasis on talking about the music and not enough playing it or playing someting I don't like. I have a 6 CD changer in my truck that will hold up to 30 hours of music so I just listen to it. I've pretty much quit watching public TV because all they show anymore are repeats (and yes, I have donated in the past) and thinly disguised infomercials during the increasingly frequent pledge weeks. Again, I would prefer commercials, especially since begging isn't working.