Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Jordan
But when you say "fair and (un?)encumbered," is that to mean fair to you? Or am I included? Because, frankly, you have no idea how insulted I am by this thread...
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It means that I am not willing to pay if they are going to tell me I can read only on a Kindle and not a Sony, or only in the USA and not in Canada, or only two times or three times or not on cell phones or whatever. If I own it, I own it. If they want to sell it in a way where I do NOT own it, they need to price it accordingly at a rental price and then that's fair. But they don't do that. They charge price for books we can do LESS with.
I don't 'pirate' books in cases like these because I do believe in paying authors. But I *do* vote with my wallet and just read other things and buy from other authors. There are definitely authors who have lost otherwise sure sales from me for this reason.
Rather than focusing their efforts on the people who aren't going to be a sale---non-readers, and the tiny percentage that 'pirate' who nothing you do will stop them, it seems to me publishers would be better served focusing their efforts on making it as easy as possible for those who may actually be a customer to BE a customer. Offer the books for sale in print, in ebook, however people want them. Offer them unencumbered by DRM so that people can enjoy them on the device of their choosing. Make them affordable for the average reader and make them as easy to get and use as possible. THAT is the way to save the publishing industry.
iTunes has sold a billion downloads. People WILL pay for books, Steve. But overly protectionist authors who are so scared of the mythical 'pirate' that they don't even offer the books (see: JK Rowling) have no right to complain that nobody is buying. You have to start by giving the customers a sensible, reasonable option.