The Price of Exclusivity

[Ken Maltby]

Originally Posted by frahse

You are not really addressing my points. I get the same deal either way at the onset, but from your own words, I feel that you like sellers, that because of poor product control, eventually allow the product to be given away. It is that model that pressures me to be only an occasional author and cuts down on my output.

Those kinds of sellers in my eyes aren't of much help to me because after the initial sale, my product is easy to give away.

It is an inherent problem with the electronic market, and you are right to compare it to music. It is destructive.

I would love to be big enough to be able to demand exclusiveness.

There are times when a retailer will "give away" some of their stock to
encourage sales of the rest (loss leaders, is a term I've heard used), but a
retailer who actually has "poor product control" is soon out of business.

I think we have a different view of what prevents a loss of sales for ebooks.

First, a mass pirating of a book is something reserved for the most popular,
in demand properties. DRM in no way prevents that. Nowadays, the pirating
often takes place before any ebooks are released.

DRM is intended to prevent the casual sharing of PURCHASED ebooks. If you
consider this occasional occurrence as a lost sale, rather than exposing another
ebook reader to your work, then so be it. But how often do you think people
who buy books themselves, are interested in supplying others who don't buy
them? I would think the rare "You Gotta Read This!" based give away, to be in
the author's long term interest.

Luck;
Ken

[DiapDealer]

Those kinds of sellers in my eyes aren't of much help to me because after the initial sale, my product is easy to give away.

Don't kid yourself... your product is just as easy to "give away" regardless of who's doing the selling. The various DRM schemes can be simpler or more complicated, but they've all been broken... with the exception of Apple's Fairplay DRM (which I'm sure would change if iBooks were to suddenly become more competitive in the ebook game). So if security to keep your product "safe" from being given away is your number one priority, you'd be better served going exclusively through iBooks. It's just not possible (at the moment) to bypass their DRM. Just remember that obscurity is much more damaging to an author's chances than casual sharing ever could be.

[frahse]

Originally Posted by Ken Maltby

There are times when a retailer will "give away" some of their stock to
encourage sales of the rest (loss leaders, is a term I've heard used), but a
retailer who actually has "poor product control" is soon out of business.

I think we have a different view of what prevents a loss of sales for ebooks.

First, a mass pirating of a book is something reserved for the most popular,
in demand properties. DRM in no way prevents that. Nowadays, the pirating
often takes place before any ebooks are released.

DRM is intended to prevent the casual sharing of PURCHASED ebooks. If you
consider this occasional occurrence as a lost sale, rather than exposing another
ebook reader to your work, then so be it. But how often do you think people
who buy books themselves, are interested in supplying others who don't buy
them? I would think the rare "You Gotta Read This!" based give away, to be in
the author's long term interest.

Luck;
Ken

There is of course no way to actually know exactly what is lost by people giving copies of the digital work away because there is no way to actually know the numbers and of course some people that get a free copy may never have read it otherwise, but don't you think it is rather stressful for an author to constantly hear conversations about how, say, Amazon is so much worse than other sellers because they make it more difficult to do this thing.

Amazon's competence seems to be preying on your mind and of course then your mindset preys on my mind.

[teh603]

Originally Posted by frahse

It is an inherent problem with the electronic market, and you are right to compare it to music. It is destructive.

Have any celebrities lost enough money to make a meaningful impact on their lifestyle? Have any C-level executives had to take a pay cut in the last decade or so?

And would meaningful destruction to some of these big businesses actually be healthier for the market than keeping them propped up and protected?

[djulian]

Originally Posted by RDaneel54

Are they going to stop selling Harry Potter when Pottermore goes up, too?

This right here.

[Ken Maltby]

Originally Posted by frahse

There is of course no way to actually know exactly what is lost by people giving copies of the digital work away because there is no way to actually know the numbers and of course some people that get a free copy may never have read it otherwise, but don't you think it is rather stressful for an author to constantly hear conversations about how, say, Amazon is so much worse than other sellers because they make it more difficult to do this thing.

Amazon's competence seems to be preying on your mind and of course then your mindset preys on my mind.

The point you seem to be missing is that IF Amazon's "competence" were
to be 100% effective and you had an exclusive contract, it would be
imposable for me, or anyone not a Kindle (including the apps) user to buy
or read your ebooks.

Hmm... If an ebook given to a friend or relative were never opened by that
friend or relative, would that be a lost sale? (If it were a physical book it
might.) What if you gave a copy of the file to someone and then never
read your copy? or deleted your copy?

Luck;
Ken

[frahse]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Don't kid yourself... your product is just as easy to "give away" regardless of who's doing the selling. The various DRM schemes can be simpler or more complicated, but they've all been broken... with the exception of Apple's Fairplay DRM (which I'm sure would change if iBooks were to suddenly become more competitive in the ebook game). So if security to keep your product "safe" from being given away is your number one priority, you'd be better served going exclusively through iBooks. It's just not possible (at the moment) to bypass their DRM. Just remember that obscurity is much more damaging to an author's chances than casual sharing ever could be.

I understand the copyright protection systems on many levels. (I won't go any further than that in discussing that subject since the moderators seem very sensitive about it.)

My situation is this. I have a good day job, and I have an interest in writing which potentially could be a better day job. Even an ideal day job.
I have had some small success in it but then I must consider whether my financial obligations can be met that way. I don't know if that is the case. I have gotten a lot of encouragement, but I realize that the people encouraging me are looking at me like a racehorse that might one day be a real winner but I am only one potential winner that they are trying to put in their stables.

One thing I am doing now is working on two (maybe three) screenplays. They are easier to protect in a sense, and you can figuratively keep them in your back pocket and tailor them for clients. I seem to have at least one good prospect, but I am a cautious skeptical guy and won't believe it until they announce a casting list and a shooting schedule.

And while I ponder all the various possibilities, I am learning the writing trade and here on this and other forums learning about the readers as well.

[RDaneel54]

Originally Posted by frahse

I am learning the writing trade and here on this and other forums learning about the readers as well.

Ah, I knew it! I'm nothing but a tool in your hands.

[frahse]

Originally Posted by teh603

Have any celebrities lost enough money to make a meaningful impact on their lifestyle? Have any C-level executives had to take a pay cut in the last decade or so?

And would meaningful destruction to some of these big businesses actually be healthier for the market than keeping them propped up and protected?

All you say might be true, but I am not a celebrity, not a C-level executive, not a big business protected or otherwise.

I do know that I can write, and that there are people that will publish it and there are people that will read my work, so then I start to wonder can I "make it" at this writing game. Can I make a decent living at it? I know I can make a decent living doing what I normally do, so then it becomes a matter of choosing and so my own method of dealing with that kind of issue is to go out and look at all aspects of the matter.

Including forums of readers. Their likes, dislikes, and attitudes.

[frahse]

Originally Posted by RDaneel54

Ah, I knew it! I'm nothing but a tool in your hands.

You have my word, you will never be allowed to rust or be put up dulled.

[frahse]

Originally Posted by Ken Maltby

The point you seem to be missing is that IF Amazon's "competence" were
to be 100% effective and you had an exclusive contract, it would be
imposable for me, or anyone not a Kindle (including the apps) user to buy
or read your ebooks.

Hmm... If an ebook given to a friend or relative were never opened by that
friend or relative, would that be a lost sale? (If it were a physical book it
might.) What if you gave a copy of the file to someone and then never
read your copy? or deleted your copy?

Luck;
Ken

I think the Kindle Apps are free so that shouldn't be a problem and besides the e-books, you can always do what I commonly do and wait for the paper back or even the used book. I love buying books for .01USD and 3.99USD shipping. In fact I prefer the used paperback for all my background, reference and study texts because I can put multiple bookmarks in them and have them laying about ready to pick up and use as needed.

As for your second point, I think you are starting to wax philosophical along the lines of the tree falling in the forest with no one there to hear it, or maybe even a cat in a box or something.

I will throw my own at you that would fit in the forest scenario. "Lets not bark up that tree."

As for the cat, I would never risk a cat like that. I like cats, though I prefer my neighbors cats because I don't have to feed them, and yet they perform their pest catching chores on my property as well as my neighbors.

[Abtacha]

Originally Posted by rhadin

No, the problem is not books published by Amazon; the problem is books that are exclusively sold by Amazon for a period of time. B&N is trying to tell publishers that if you give Amazon exclusive rights to a book, B&N will not stock at its B&M stores your titles.

Yes, I gathered that much. My comment referred to the indie bookstores not selling books of Amazons own imprint. Or are those under some kind of exclusive contract too?

[xg4bx]

Originally Posted by JeremyR

Do comic book fans even buy comics from B&N? Every time I go in there, there's always a few reading them, but I've never see one actually buy them.

That's the trouble with a medium that can be read in 15 minutes

i had the same reaction when borders decided to fill their shelves with manga, entire rows of it. i NEVER saw anybody buy it. kids would sprawl in the aisle, read it then put it back.

[wyndslash]

Originally Posted by teh603

Its a cultural thing. Selling this month's comics in bags is really gauche, and will actually make you lose customers. You aren't really supposed to bag them until they get folded into the big box o' back issues.

interesting. here, i'd rather the books be bagged or i won't buy them because they're already dirty :P and here, usually we only have one copy that's open (we call it a browsing copy), and the rest are in plastic.

[xg4bx]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I don't care if they go beg for money on the street instead of write books. If they want to make exclusive deals that are not good for the customer, they don't deserve to sell. Anyone who signs an exclusive deal is not doing so for the good of customers. Amazon is the worst one for this. If B&N is also doing it, then that's just as bad. But really, when is exclusive good for everyone who reads? It's not. Not ever.

i don't know why exclusivity is such a dirty word, it has existed in some form since the inception of exchanging money for goods.

i'm a consumer, i'm fine with amazon. i shop there because they have good prices and an amazing selection. personally i wouldn't spit on B&N if they were on fire, i think their selection, both instore and online, frankly sucks. its useless to me. amazon is a much more valuable brand.

i hate to paint with a broad brush but what i'm picking up is a sense of entitlement from amazon haters. youre simply not entitled to buy whatever you want from wherever you want. thats not how business works. amazon is a business, they need to do the right thing for their stockholders, increase the perceived value of the brand and make a profit in order to bring in more goods, and so on and so forth. its called competition. if everybody had the same stuff at the same prices, why would anyone else bother getting in the game? instead of 1 company being great they'd all be flat and boring with no incentive to do better or provide more valuable goods.

i don't know what else to say other than simply go without.

it seems hating amazon has become the hating walmart of the literatti lol. everybody needs a "bad guy" and i guess i just dont understand it.