What's the point of Geographic restrictions from a publisher's perspective?

[DawnFalcon]

Originally Posted by alvico

Please don't blame the writers. They really don't have any say in the GR matter.

Yes they do. It's been years since it's been clear that ebooks distribution would be important, but authors are still signing over regional ebook rights. More, authors are rolling over when publishers make illegal grabs at the backlist's ebook rights.

It's no coincidence, once again, that Baen only take non-exclusive, worldwide, ebook rights.

[sabredog]

Originally Posted by alvico

Please don't blame the writers. They really don't have any say in the GR matter. Parallel importation restrictions are another issue altogether.

Actually I am not, not entirely.

I had a recent email conversation with an SF author regarding GR. He agrees there are issues and that it does encourage "other means" to obtain a book they wanted to buy.

He is going to pass the word about how disgruntled readers are.

There were GR restrictions on an SF book written by an Aussie author based in Melbourne, I believe. I had to go through hoops to obtain the book fair and square. Why cannot I buy a book in Australia written by an Australian author as it defies logic I cannot.

[alvico]

Originally Posted by DawnFalcon

Yes they do. It's been years since it's been clear that ebooks distribution would be important, but authors are still signing over regional ebook rights. More, authors are rolling over when publishers make illegal grabs at the backlist's ebook rights.

It's no coincidence, once again, that Baen only take non-exclusive, worldwide, ebook rights.

Maybe established writers who have the weight to throw around. However, believe me, when it comes to debut authors, they're not going to start making waves if it means the difference between getting a publishing contract or not.

[alvico]

Originally Posted by sabredog

Actually I am not, not entirely.

I had a recent email conversation with an SF author regarding GR. He agrees there are issues and that it does encourage "other means" to obtain a book they wanted to buy.

He is going to pass the word about how disgruntled readers are.

There were GR restrictions on an SF book written by an Aussie author based in Melbourne, I believe. I had to go through hoops to obtain the book fair and square. Why cannot I buy a book in Australia written by an Australian author as it defies logic I cannot.

I agree: it stinks. But is it really the Aussie SF writer's fault? He's the little man in all this.

[DawnFalcon]

Originally Posted by alvico

Maybe established writers who have the weight to throw around. However, believe me, when it comes to debut authors, they're not going to start making waves if it means the difference between getting a publishing contract or not.

It's still their choice, and I don't feel bad for buying their books second hand rather than jumping through hoops if they don't want to sell to me. I have no interest in artificially propping up the companies still stuck in the 1890's.

Edit: This is why I follow so many Baen authors even when I might otherwise prefer some authors working for other companies - I KNOW I can get the ebooks of the sequels in that series!

[alvico]

Originally Posted by DawnFalcon

It's still their choice, and I don't feel bad for buying their books second hand rather than jumping through hoops if they don't want to sell to me. I have no interest in artificially propping up the companies still stuck in the 1890's.

No argument from me there at all, Dawn. I won't jump through hoops either.

[sabredog]

Originally Posted by alvico

I agree: it stinks. But is it really the Aussie SF writer's fault? He's the little man in all this.

Definitely not blaming him either as it was his publisher, Random House's fault. GR sucks in every form and is simply another form of rapid protectionism that has no place within a global economy and market.

A friend of mine is on the verge of publishing his first two books. He wants everyone to have access to his books. Read them both and reckon they are superb

[RobbieClarken]

Originally Posted by alvico

Maybe established writers who have the weight to throw around. However, believe me, when it comes to debut authors, they're not going to start making waves if it means the difference between getting a publishing contract or not.

Sure any individual author couldn't convince a publisher but if most authors want something enough then the publishers are going to take notice and start including that as an enticement to publish with them (providing it doesn't cost them too much). If authors had no bargaining power at all then they wouldn't be getting paid.

I think the fact is that most authors* don't care at all about things like geographic restrictions and DRM. I can understand why: authors* just want their royalty check and don't want anything to do with the publishing side of things (at least I wouldn't if I were an author). They rationally assume (and I think they are right) that publishers will usually maximise profit and this benefits authors - unfortunately, it can come at the expense of some consumers (especially when publishers lobby for regulations to restrict competition).

So I agree you can't blame any individual author but authors as an industry would surely get their way if they cared about these issues.

* Talking in general - as always there are exceptions and authors that contribute to MobileRead are likely to be amongst them.

[alvico]

Originally Posted by RobbieClarken

They rationally assume (and I think they are right) that publishers will usually maximise profit and this benefits authors...]

Correct. But geographically restrictions and DRM do not maximise profits. And I guess that's the whole point. It's a lose-lose situation for both writer and reader.

[ficbot]

Originally Posted by alvico

I agree: it stinks. But is it really the Aussie SF writer's fault? He's the little man in all this.

The customer is the even littler man. IMHO. The author at last has had audience with the publisher at minimum one time in his life.

[alvico]

Originally Posted by ficbot

The customer is the even littler man. IMHO. The author at last has had audience with the publisher at minimum one time in his life.

Very true.

[Pardoz]

Originally Posted by Crusader

Why can't they change their rules/regulations (or whatever they call them) to view ebooks the same as printed books as far as the point of sale goes. If the point of sale is viewed as the location of the shop and not the buyer's PC they wouldn't have to negotiate any extra contracts for worldwide distribution.

Because they've just gone to the effort to change their regulations to redefine the point of sale as the location of the buyer, rather than the seller. It would be wasteful to throw out all that work now.

[roger the rabbit]

Originally Posted by theducks

Has anyone thought of replacing Geo rights, with "Language Rights" (for e-books)?
As pointed out. ex-patriots live all over the world.
A publisher gets to publish by (regional variant) of the contracted Language (varient)

This would allow for en-us, en-uk ...

I agree totally with this. I can understand US publishers objecting to UK publishers selling to US customers and vice versa but why then do both block English speaking customers from other countries?

Surely a better and fairer system would be the language rights as the ducks said, or the US just block sales to UK customers and vice versa as that seems to be the major problem. This would allow expats to purchase in their native language which at the moment for the most part they can not.

[Iqy]

Iqy here again,
This territory problem is easily solved, but it will take time. The solution is for writers to employ a good editor, then edit edit edit until their book is as perfect as it will ever be, then self publish on an ebook site that is DRM free, global, and writer friendly, not controlled by publishers. You should have a potential market of at least 3 billion people! That eliminates the printer, the agent, the distributor, the wholesaler, the transporter, and who knows who else in the food chain I don't even know about, Oh yes, the RETAILER, who doubles the price from a cost of about $15 to $30! He of course has to pay the greedy landlord!
You'll hate me for this if you work for an old publlisher, but in time you'll be out of a job anyway. If the reader is happy, $3 to $5 a book, and the writer is getting more than from an old publisher, and the editors are paid, thats it for me! The others are just hangers on for mine, what do they add? Old publishing has been around for over 200 years, its an out of date business model.

No more do we need to hear, "thank you for your manuscript, but we are not publishing your genre at the moment. Don't call us we'll call you."

How many great writers have they condemned to the scrap heap, its time for writers to let readers be the judge!

Iqy

[ShellShock]

Originally Posted by Iqy

You'll hate me for this if you work for an old publlisher, but in time you'll be out of a job anyway.

I agree with you, but can't help thinking of all those people who work for publishers, distributors, book sellers etc, who will also be out of a job. They're just trying to earn a living like the rest of us! It can be a hard world out there...