Quote:
Originally Posted by DMcCunney
You are an ebook author, selling your wares online. Do you spend more time and effort promoting your books so potential readers are aware you exist, and striving to provide books they will feel are well crafted and worth buying? Or do you spend more time worring about how to prevent people from pirating your work?
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I realize others see this as two completely separate choices. I see them both as vital parts of a single business plan, neither of which can be ignored to emphasize the other. Limiting piracy is a prudent step that, like any theft-loss policy, would not be sensible to ignore altogether. They are both part of the same business plan... balancing customer experience against the inconvenience of store security (and perceived loss of profit) is part of the process of promoting the product and the store. It's pointless to promote product that people can get from someone else.
When I first began to create SteveJordanBooks.com, I worked on both issues in equal measure: I wanted to create a quality product, and I wanted to sell them in such a way as to satisfy customers, which would (in theory) limit piracy, as a satisfied customer rarely tries to steal from a vendor they like. At the time, I felt that if I could not do both, there was no reason to sell e-books. So I worked until I found a way to satisfy both aspects.
Today, I can concentrate on promotion and providing quality content, as my secure payment system is already in place and needs no further work at this time. IOW, I don't need to worry about loss mitigation right now... I did my homework. I've got it right where I want it.
This doesn't mean I don't think it is important to mitigate loss. Just like a craftsman who built tables, did not lock his store, and found most of his inventory gone the next morning, you keep working, but you also have to know when it's prudent to put a lock on the door, and to check it periodically to make sure it is working.