Quote:
Originally Posted by pruss
I have a book with a major academic press. If I could distribute it for free electronically, I would do so in a heartbeat, in order to increase readership (which is what I care about; nobody is really making money on this item). But I can't, given the wording of my contract. Since I freely consented to the contract, I need to abide by it.
|
You might broach the subject with your publisher.
Point to the example of Cory Doctorow, who releases books in hardcover through Tor Books, but also makes all of his work freely available in electronic form under a Creative Commons license. Cory is doing well enough from his writing that he quit his full time job with the EFF. I believe he thinks that the free downloads of his electronic copies spurred sales of the paper books.
Or point to the Baen Free Library, which makes a chunk of their back catalog available in an assortment of formats, as free downloads you are encouraged to copy and share. Writers participating see a gratifying increase in sales of their new novels, and a nice surge in sales of backlist titles.
Given the likely market for your book, I don't see an electronic edition cutting into sales of the paper volume. The folks who would buy it at all will buy the paper volume even if an electronic edition exists.
______
Dennis