MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Is the e-book threatening the future of our literary culture?

ebookpirate · 09-05-2007, 04:10 PM

DMcCunneyDennis--LIT is "more open" because it has been easily cracked. It certainly wasn't designed as open.

You can crack Mobi, too, and one of the other folks here wrote an app to do it.

Oh, Mobi's been cracked? thanx for telling me. but i don't think i want to add another bloated software on my computer. my computer resources are running out here with adobe's pdf reader software.

The Stones still get out on the road and play.

They go out and play with more frequency NOW!! But as i stated before when i posted "pre-mp3", they'd just laze around in their mansions and limousines cooing as the $$$'s rolled in, while watching their loyal fans get ripped off for $20 or more per album

I know a chap who is doing something like you suggest. His band has a couple of major label and a batch of indie label releases. They have a following, and make their living touring. He'd like you to buy their CDs, but if you rip them and share them with friends, he's cool with that, too: the more people who hear the music, the more will go to see them when they play.

I'm cool with that too. Most of the singers i like earn their money on the road. Ever heard of Melissa Ferrick or Emilie Autumn? Not many people do. But NOW, the "big stars" have to compete for my $$'s with other indie artists that consumers have found and loved outside the usual big 5 music cartel system. Alot more of the big stars ought to be earning their living on their feet, not their backs.

It's turning the industry model upside down. Before MP3s, that album was the product, and you played gigs to promote the album. Now we are seeing the albums promoting the gigs.

Good. As i said in the last paragraph, performers ought to PERFORM for a living; it would challenge them to make better music.

But meanwhile, how does that model translate for an author of books?

I'm not sure the pool of ad dollars is big enough. And if that's doable at all, it will be major publishers who can implement it. Smaller independent and folks self-publishing will be frozen out. They won't be able to attract advertisers. Advertisers place ads where they think the ads will generate sales, and be seen by a sufficient number of viewers interested in whatever it is they advertise.

Consumers want to open and read the books of authors who produce books that will make them turn the page or are useful to them in one way or another. Those authors with the most readers will obviously attract more advertisers whether or not the publisher is large or small. Can anyone say Baen? Obviously i'm not boy genius with all the kinks worked out with exactly which books should get the most advertising, but it IS obvious that ebooks are valuable just as mp3's are. it's just a matter of the proper form of payment exchange to the authors/publishers.

09-05-2007, 04:10 PM	#106
ebookpirate Member Posts: 10 Karma: 184 Join Date: Sep 2007 Device: laptop	DMcCunneyDennis--LIT is "more open" because it has been easily cracked. It certainly wasn't designed as open. You can crack Mobi, too, and one of the other folks here wrote an app to do it. Oh, Mobi's been cracked? thanx for telling me. but i don't think i want to add another bloated software on my computer. my computer resources are running out here with adobe's pdf reader software. The Stones still get out on the road and play. They go out and play with more frequency NOW!! But as i stated before when i posted "pre-mp3", they'd just laze around in their mansions and limousines cooing as the $$$'s rolled in, while watching their loyal fans get ripped off for $20 or more per album I know a chap who is doing something like you suggest. His band has a couple of major label and a batch of indie label releases. They have a following, and make their living touring. He'd like you to buy their CDs, but if you rip them and share them with friends, he's cool with that, too: the more people who hear the music, the more will go to see them when they play. I'm cool with that too. Most of the singers i like earn their money on the road. Ever heard of Melissa Ferrick or Emilie Autumn? Not many people do. But NOW, the "big stars" have to compete for my $$'s with other indie artists that consumers have found and loved outside the usual big 5 music cartel system. Alot more of the big stars ought to be earning their living on their feet, not their backs. It's turning the industry model upside down. Before MP3s, that album was the product, and you played gigs to promote the album. Now we are seeing the albums promoting the gigs. Good. As i said in the last paragraph, performers ought to PERFORM for a living; it would challenge them to make better music. But meanwhile, how does that model translate for an author of books? I'm not sure the pool of ad dollars is big enough. And if that's doable at all, it will be major publishers who can implement it. Smaller independent and folks self-publishing will be frozen out. They won't be able to attract advertisers. Advertisers place ads where they think the ads will generate sales, and be seen by a sufficient number of viewers interested in whatever it is they advertise. Consumers want to open and read the books of authors who produce books that will make them turn the page or are useful to them in one way or another. Those authors with the most readers will obviously attract more advertisers whether or not the publisher is large or small. Can anyone say Baen? Obviously i'm not boy genius with all the kinks worked out with exactly which books should get the most advertising, but it IS obvious that ebooks are valuable just as mp3's are. it's just a matter of the proper form of payment exchange to the authors/publishers.