Quote:
Originally Posted by howyoudoin
Competent authors should welcome such a system. Hit and run artists would not.
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Many a "competent" author (some pretty big names) are now adding content to the front of KU matter that was not there before--TOC, quotes from other authors, quotes period, preface material so that the reader has incentive to read past 10 percent. They are also taking what was a single book and breaking them into MORE books--especially non-fiction. When an author used to make 5 dollars for a book and is suddenly making 1.35 per borrow, it can be a huge problem. I'm not advocating stuffing material in the front, but it's happening. I'm not advocating "serials" where books are split into 3 and 4 pieces to maximize payouts, but it's happening too. I won't name names, but some of the authors are traditionally published and self-published. They are midlist or above with some of their trad books. But their income has changed/been threatened so they must change with the times.
As a reader, I'm not onboard with having to read multiple volumes. I have hated serials (where part of a book is published and then a second half) but I've even seen at least one major publisher do it--for "early" readers, they made the first half of a book available for a nominal price. Then they put out the rest of the book as one volume later. It apparently worked for some people because they wanted the early bits. I avoided the book and it was normally something I'd have at least sampled, but I don't like the practice and don't want to support it. (I should note that at least one reader accused me of putting out a "Teaser" short story, but that wasn't my intent. I viewed the short as a full story and did not intend to write more. That changed, but my intent was not to tease anyone into buying anything and it was presented as a short story when I sold it. There was no follow on to trick anyone into buying).
When a person's livelihood is threatened, the models are going to change. Again, I am not saying authors should do this, but they are doing it--and it may or may not work out for them.