Quote:
Originally Posted by nekokami
No, I meant "What I'm saying is that handing over a copy of a digital file you have is essentially the same as giving a pbook...." It doesn't seem the same to me, and it also seems to me that saying that it is the same runs counter to the rest of your argument. I'm not sure what you mean by it.
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For the recipient, and the seller, it's the same. When somebody hands you a book that you like, these are the possibilities:
1. You like it without being crazy about it. That means that if it's a pbook, you'll give it back at some point in time, but it's very unlikely you'll buy your own. If it's an ebook, you keep the file. You won't buy another copy, but that isn't different from the situation I just described. Important point though, you liked that author and are more likely to buy one of their books at some point in time - whether as a pbook or a ebook is irrelevant.
2. You
are crazy about that book, and everything else that may exist from the same author. In that case it's very likely you'll want your own
nice copy of it (them). The ebook file you have stored wherever just doesn't cut it, you need a pbook, preferably a hardcover version.
This is the way I see it. If I'm right, the effect of sharing are at worst nil, and may actually be an asset for the authors.
Side note: While I was writing down the second point, I realised something: Steve, I know you sell ebooks primarily, but have you considered setting up somekind of print-on-demand offer to catter to the people who
really want a hardcopy of your work?