|
I explored what was available on the darknets when I first got a reader, because the selection that was easy to access for sale was so poor. Then I made a significant effort to be able to format shift etc., so that I could buy books. A lot of people won't be able to do this even if they want to, so the industry is forcing many to use the darknets or do without.
Recently, I had trouble format-shifting a book that I'd bought, even after trying 3 different programs to do it, so I'm now reading a darknet copy despite having purchased the book.
It seems to me that there is still a (rapidly closing) window of opportunity for the publishers to get this right. If they standardised on matching the paper price for a properly proofed non-DRM book without geo restrictions, I think that the market would take off, and especially with the addition of their back-catalogues, they could make more money. I suspect that they won't do this, and that many are doomed as a result.
|