Should I DRM my own ebook when selling?

[jocampo]

Hi,

I just finished the design of my own blog and website and now thinking in selling or giving away ebooks.

Now, I don't write or planning to write the same type of ebooks most people do. I will write about databases, most specifically about MS-SQL, which is a Microsoft product and maybe MySQL.

Should I implement some kind of copyright protection? Should I start free or with a very low price like 5 dollars or so? And what format should I use: EPub, MOBI or PDF?

I want to increase my website's traffic and I think an ebook would be a good idea.

Any suggestion will be appreciated.

[avantman42]

Originally Posted by jocampo

Hi,

I just finished the design of my own blog and website and now thinking in selling or giving away ebooks.

Now, I don't write or planning to write the same type of ebooks most people do. I will write about databases, most specifically about MS-SQL, which is a Microsoft product and maybe MySQL.

Should I implement some kind of copyright protection? Should I start free or with a very low price like 5 dollars or so? And what format should I use: EPub, MOBI or PDF?

I want to increase my website's traffic and I think an ebook would be a good idea.

Any suggestion will be appreciated.

I also write non-fiction, and I choose not to use DRM. I wrote a [Promotional link removed - MODRATOR] detailing the reasons why, but what it comes down to is that I don't think DRM offers me any advantages, but could lead to my readers having problems.

Pricing is a very difficult issue, and the best advice I can offer is to look at what similar books charge and go from there. It may be worth experimenting and seeing how changing the price affects sales.

As for format, if you think people will read your books on their e-readers, I'd offer ePub and Mobi. If not, then it may not be worth the effort. I'd definitely offer PDF, though, as I suspect people will want to be able to refer to your books while working on MS SQL and/or MySQL, and for that, they're most likely to want a PDF.

[pdurrant]

Don't use DRM. Ask O'Reilly.

If you want to use it to increase traffic to your site, make it free. But I'd suggest that regular, new, interesting material is the best way to drive site traffic.

Unless you require complex formatting, or also intend to produce a print edition, stick to ePub and Mobi.

[user_none]

It sounds like you're not planning on selling through a store but directly on your website. Most DRM systems are going to be expensive for you to license. They often also require the use of an authentication server. I can't think of a DRM system targeted at individually writers. Typically if you want DRM you would have the store your selling through (Amazon, B&N...) handle the DRM for you.

Here are my thoughts on DRM.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

A lot depends on your content and your audience.

Contrary to the popular opinion here at MR, the majority of ebook consumers who use devices like Kindle, Nook and Sony readers do not know what DRM is, much less why it's important.

Your audiences sound to be more savvy than the average ebook consumer, though. In fact, like much of O'Reilly's audience, they sound like they might use your book at work, on a PC. If there are equations or complex diagrams in the book, you might want to serve the books up as PDF files... they will offer the best methods of displaying the content.

As for DRM: Just because O'Reilly serves up DRM-free books (considering they have a huge print-volume to make their money) doesn't mean the same applies to you. If you're not bothered by the prospect of many of your potential customers copying and sharing your files in their offices, or with fellow database nerds, don't use DRM. If you think the very existence of the ebooks will encourage users to buy the printed books (the O'Reilly strategy), by all means, don't use DRM.

If you have intellectual property you want to protect, DRM is useful as a legal tool. DRM is also useful to limit ebook dissemination, which can also encourage more print and ebook sales by those who cannot easily get ebook copies from others.

Use these as a guide for what's best for you.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by user_none

I can't think of a DRM system targeted at individually writers.

Watermarking or social DRM.

To answer the question, no, don't use a DRM system like ADE or Amazon's.
And I agree, if you want it to drive traffic, then make it free.
But keep in mind, that sets a certain expectation of low quality in some people's minds, which you'll need to offset with, 1, quality, and 2, good marketing and positioning.

[twowheels]

Originally Posted by jocampo

Now, I don't write or planning to write the same type of ebooks most people do. I will write about databases, most specifically about MS-SQL, which is a Microsoft product and maybe MySQL.

If you are hoping that DRM will prevent piracy and increase sales, I'd suggest that you reconsider it. Your audience would be a tech savy group who could easily remove the DRM and would know quite well where/how to find copies that have already had the DRM removed "for free". You would only be penalizing those who actually purchased your product, giving them a crippled experience that is worse than that of those who didn't pay you.

[user_none]

Originally Posted by ApK

Watermarking or social DRM.

Both of those types do not require an authentication server but I still don't know of a company that sells DRM that is not intended for use as part of a larger store. Can you name a company selling either type to individual authors for them to sell themselves and not through a store front? Due to the popularity of people asking about this I'm still surprised there aren't any well known products for do it yourself DRM.

[twowheels]

Originally Posted by user_none

Both of those types do not require an authentication server but I still don't know of a company that sells DRM that is not intended for use as part of a larger store. Can you name a company selling either type to individual authors for them to sell themselves and not through a store front? Due to the popularity of people asking about this I'm still surprised there aren't any well known products for do it yourself DRM.

If this author is savvy enough to write a book about SQL, (s)he should also be capable of creating their own watermarking scripts on the website for each copy downloaded.

ePub is merely a zipped collection of html files. They could easily write something that would insert a comment into each HTML file with the purchaser's information, or in the zip file comments field, or even somewhere on the title page. If they wanted to be more secret about it they could generate a hash for each buyer and insert that somewhere (somewhere that would survive any Calibre conversion) so that they could identify which buyer was distributing the work. This script could then generate the .epub (.zip) file on the fly just before offering it for download.

[ApK]

I was thinking along the same lines as twowheels...he could roll his own. But I'm sure that there must be digital watermarking software out there aimed at various classes of individual artists.

[user_none]

Watermarking should be easy enough but not what people typically think about when speaking about DRM. Apple's DRM free music is all watermarked for instance. Watermarking will not prevent someone from illegally distributing a work. It only tells who first purchased the file to make it easier to determine who to sue.

Now, again my point is the main DRM systems are designed to be used with a commercial store not by individual authors.

[jocampo]

Wow!

Thanks lot!

I've been really busy at work and came here and saw so many useful advice, thanks!

I think I will go for non DRM and PDF.

Now the main question is, should I wait and write a coherent and useful book, after compiling several scripts and topics? or should I use mere and regular posts? Of course, posts are faster to write but very common among other DBAs and websites. I wanted to innovate.

The main idea is increasing website traffic while promoting my resume. I'm not planning to make thousands of dollars with ebook sales, not the main goal at least. But I am not so sure if mere posts catch more people's attention than freebies. I don't really have the time to write a decent SQL or MySQL book very frequently. But I would like to write my own book, it has always been my dream.

[user_none]

Originally Posted by jocampo

Now the main question is, should I wait and write a coherent and useful book, after compiling several scripts and topics? or should I use mere and regular posts? Of course, posts are faster to write but very common among other DBAs and websites. I wanted to innovate.

I recommend you use your blog posts as rough drafts for topics / sections of your book. It will give you practice, allow you to formulate your thoughts in a rough manner, and hopefully you will get feed back from readers. Once you have a decent amount of posts expand them into chapters (or sections) and look at them critically to see how you can improve. Often coming back and looking at something you'll notice information you left out thinking it was obvious when it really isn't.

[=X=]

Originally Posted by jocampo

Should I implement some kind of copyright protection? Should I start free or with a very low price like 5 dollars or so? And what format should I use: EPub, MOBI or PDF?

Well we know that all DRM is crackable. And the audience you are writing for most likey can run a Python script. So all DRM is going to do is cost you money and make your customers mad.

I say you keep your book cost down $5 and go DRM liberated.

As for formats go support all three. It's not much work for you to maintain ePUB, MOBI, PDF but the convenience you give your customer will be appreciated.


=X=

[twowheels]

Originally Posted by user_none

I recommend you use your blog posts as rough drafts for topics / sections of your book. It will give you practice, allow you to formulate your thoughts in a rough manner, and hopefully you will get feed back from readers. Once you have a decent amount of posts expand them into chapters (or sections) and look at them critically to see how you can improve. Often coming back and looking at something you'll notice information you left out thinking it was obvious when it really isn't.

Which seems to be the model followed by "Joel on Software", "Bike Snob NYC", and probably many others...