Can e-Publishing Overcome Copyright Concerns?

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by nekokami

It's already being done. See Feedbooks.

Actually I wouldn't call them a publisher. Munsey does it also and some other web sites but they are not publishers either. And the Munsey stuff doesn't always turn out so well. They often look better in one format than in another and in some cases you get a zero length file from Munsey.

Dale

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by nekokami

It's already being done. See Feedbooks.

<blink>

You're right. I'd forgotten about them.

Perhaps Hadrien can chime in at some point with some details on how their process is set up and works.
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Dennis

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by DaleDe

Actually I wouldn't call them a publisher.

What makes someone a publisher? FeedBooks implements the process we are discussing. If you define a publisher as selling books, agreed, they don't qualify.

Munsey does it also and some other web sites but they are not publishers either. And the Munsey stuff doesn't always turn out so well. They often look better in one format than in another and in some cases you get a zero length file from Munseys.

Munseys and Manybooks are at the mercy of their source material. In Munsey's case, it's PG texts and old pulps the proprietor scans and converts. With Manybooks, it's PG and Creative Commons releases. And their conversion process isn't perfect.

Munsey's proprietor is dipping his toes into illustrated works, with a volume of comics for the Sony Reader just up. I'd asked for illustrations back when the site was still Blackmask, but he hadn't found a good scripted way to do it. Part of his problem now is that PG is inconsistent in things like where the illo files for a book are kept, whether they are re-named, whether they are thumbnailed, page numbering... doable, but getting the script to handle the variables takes doing.

Manybooks is somewhat more scripted, I believe.

But in both cases, the sites are sidelines. Manybooks proprietor is a web admin by trade, and does Manybooks as a hobby. Munsey's proprietor makes his living from other aspects of electronic publishing. Neither one can take the time to do the sort of hand crafting on individual titles uploaders to MR practice, and maintain the sites, and keep the desired number of new additions to the site on a daily basis.

In the case we're discussing, the input is a professionally copy edited and proofread manuscript, marked up and converted to ePub, which makes output conversion much easier and far more likely to be of decent quality. (Another output of the process will be the files fed to image setters to create plates to print from.) The publisher wants to sell you the book, and wants it to be as good as possible given the available technology.
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Dennis

[DaleDe]

Yea, I know. It is just SMOP (a Small matter of programming). I am just saying it is not a slam dunk and as easy as you seem to think. It is probably doable and should be done as ePUB rolls out as a standard. ePUB supports some pretty complicated constructs that may make it a little tougher to do the slam dunk.

Dale

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by DaleDe

Yea, I know. It is just SMOP (a Small matter of programming). I am just saying it is not a slam dunk and as easy as you seem to think. It is probably doable and should be done as ePUB rolls out as a standard. ePUB supports some pretty complicated constructs that may make it a little tougher to do the slam dunk.

I never said it was easy or a slam dunk. I do think it's possible, and increasingly necessary, for any publisher making a living selling books that wants to offer electronic editions.

The initial up front investment will be repaid longer term by reduced production costs. If a computer can handle the conversions automatically, it should. The human beings' time should be spent on acquiring, editing, and producing the marked up edition.
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Dennis