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Alright, since you asked, here's my opinion on what you've posted. First I think you're working from a false premise -- that there are only two types of artists, a few full-timers who care about their income and all the rest, who don't. I think that's completely wrong. You don't have to be a full-time writer to generate a significant part of your income from writing.
>1. Authors already earning their main income outside writing litterature would have a pretty unchanged situation. They'd be doing it because of Mastery, Wanting to contribute etc. (as in the movie I linked before).
Have to disagree. The situation would be entirely changed. Some authors will continue to write for the love of doing it, but in my opinion most, given no expectation of income or even control over their own work, will not.
>2. The small percentage of full time authors, would either have to earn their income through the following ways:
>a) Devicing a way of earning money through derivatives. Either from getting their work spread far and wide enough they get a solid fanbase that wants to:
>Support the author through donation
We've already seen from the authors posting on this forum that donations don't work. Could that change in the future? Maybe, but I doubt it very much. Besides that, who in their right mind is going to want to be dependent on possible handouts from a notoriously fickle fandom for their income? Probably no one.
>Buy original products signed by the author which can't really be duplicated successfully
>Buy luxury editions or memorabiliae which a high production cost which wouldnt make much sense replicating.
I'll group these two together. Such things are already being done. And except for a very few artists at the very top like Rawlings, luxury editions, signed copies, and memorabilia are pretty much worthless. And if it we're worth doing, then someone is certainly going to be able to produce luxury copies for less than the author can. There's always someone willing to make a little less profit to get the sale.
Also, we already have tons of ripoff merchandise for every worthwhile franchise under the sun. This will only explode once it becomes completely legal to do so. If there's money to be made from merchandising there will always be someone there willing to do it cheaper.
At best prestige editions and so be an extremely limited option for most artists.
>Sell cheap low income paperbacks for those wanting a cheap bound copy, where the author wouldnt make much pr. book, maybe a dollar, but it'd appeal to those who enjoy reading an actual book compared to copy paper, and having a physical representation on a shelf, but not being a fan enough to buy an actual luxury edition.
If a book is worth printing that cheaply then someone else will always be willing make them cheaper, especially since there's no law against it. How low, and how cheap will authors have to go to beat out competition (with their own books)?
>b) through having a product with enough value adding that it'd not make sense to copy it.
It could be a Picture book (as we've seen in a previous example was very successfull by taking advantage of pirating), or it could be a book that ties in with an ecosystem. Buying this book entitles you to join chat sessions with the author. Buying this book gives you a free ticket for the authors tour. It could be giving you early access to the book, or giving you discounts on previous works from the authors.
This can be lumped in with prestige editions as well. Yes, there will still be a small market for books as objects. However, if a book is worth copying and reproducing cheaply then someone else will do it. Picture books are more resistant to electronic copying because digital copies don't have the same impact and they aren't viewable object like big coffeetable picture books. But they're easily copied physically if there's money to be made and it's legal to do so.
Regarding your other points. There's no value in book discounts since any previous works are already available free for the taking.
There might be some value in chat or tour invitations, but those things already aren't well attended. I've been too enough author chats to see that, and book tours generally draw extremely small crowds unless you're a top author, and even then it's hit or miss. Plus book tours don't make money, they cost it.
>These are all models that has already proven to be capable of generating income in other markets, or in the book industry itself.
I say you're completely wrong about that. I don't think they've been proven at all. These activities might generate a small amount of money but they're absolutely no replacement for actually selling books.
>Thats how they'd make money, some wont be capable of innovating and they won't make money. But wherever there's a need and you can reach people, you can make money.
You can reach people all you want, but if they're already getting your product for free, or cheaper, from somewhere else, you aren't going to make one red cent.
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