tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12158536.post6582937459730392979..comments2024-03-17T03:17:43.229-04:00Comments on David Anthony Durham: Ah, So Amazon Has "Capitulated"David Anthony Durhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13885922955551669016noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12158536.post-11128870419815852592010-02-04T17:12:58.076-05:002010-02-04T17:12:58.076-05:00Well, Nate, I can't say that ebooks suck. I...Well, Nate, I can't say that ebooks suck. I'm a regular book guy myself. After that, it's audio books I'm into. But still, if ebooks work for people as a way to access fiction I'm not against it.<br /><br />You've got a great point about the profit motive, though, and how it's different than making music. I have friends that are musicians, and my wife sings in a band herself. She was a classically trained singer and music - whether accompanying herself on the piano or singing backup reggae - is so much about the joy in the moment. I can certainly see that musicians can/should be completely serious about their craft, even if they're not making money at it.<br /><br />Now with writing... Well, storytelling would always have a place in my life, and I can see writing stories and publishing them without really needing to get paid. But writing 235k-word novels for free? I wouldn't do it. That's a strange thing for me to admit, because a novelist is what I feel I was born to be. It's the job named for myself in eight grade, and it's the only one that's ever felt like a complete fit. <br /><br />But... writing a novel - especially a big one - is too much work, time, emotional stress, etc to be worth doing it for free. I don't just mean that in terms of profit. I mean it in terms of taking care of my family. It would be neglectful for me to spend as much time writing as I do if it wasn't also putting food on the table. I simply couldn't do it, and I'd probably slip toward other ways of writing narrative that can still function as a job. Screenplays anyone? Risky, but I might take a crack at it...<br /><br />Luckily, I don't have to. Not yet. Nor do I really think that's coming. All this stuff that's playing out just has to. It'll settle down.<br /><br />As for the "books should be free" folks... I'm sure some people would offer their books for free. I encourage those people to go seek those out. Maybe after reading a few, they'd be willing to pay again...David Anthony Durhamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13885922955551669016noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12158536.post-36107705560823499112010-02-03T15:21:55.320-05:002010-02-03T15:21:55.320-05:00I wonder how much of the papermarket is actually b...I wonder how much of the papermarket is actually being transitioned to electronic books? Me, I'm an avid reader and yet I hate ebooks. I also am so worried that the bookstore/book reading will fade away that I spend more money than I should buying hardbacks when first released. <br /><br />I worry about ebook pirating/sharing. I think music and literature cannot be compared so easily here. The music industry has much larger profit margins, and concerts rake in the money over and above CD sales. Also, I think it's fairly intuitive that there will always be incentives for people to produce music, even if not compensated, whereas if you took the profit margin out of writing fiction, I'd expect a sharp decline in the quality and quantity of fiction being produced. <br /><br />Blah, ebooks suck.Natenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12158536.post-21584259483435602412010-02-02T15:50:03.274-05:002010-02-02T15:50:03.274-05:00Ah, peanut butter...Ah, peanut butter...David Anthony Durhamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13885922955551669016noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12158536.post-78448183238577751892010-02-02T08:41:51.790-05:002010-02-02T08:41:51.790-05:00Seen from far, far away (OK, it's old, old Eur...Seen from far, far away (OK, it's old, old Europe, and especially from that very old f... country called France - f... being for "funny", of course -, all this stuff seems quite strange.<br /><br />So Amazon thinks a book is no more than a peanutbutter can ? Sell the goods, make money, f... the client ? - f... being for "fawn upon", of course -<br /><br />Here in France, ebooks are doomed to the same as Google Worlwide Library. If you a looking for an excerpt of a book - for your studies, a quote, whatever -, OK, you will look there. No need to pay for a whole book when all you need is a one of its sentence, alright ? But if you want the real pleasure of reading, especially fiction, you'll want the pleasure of paper under your fingers. <br /><br />Reading is not like eating peanutbutter.<br /><br /> WARNING !!!<br /><br />Eating peanutbutter while reading can make you fat and grease paper !Ethan Ikthonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12158536.post-72132003593994421312010-02-01T18:18:09.050-05:002010-02-01T18:18:09.050-05:00Sorry I was a bit curt in my first comment there. ...Sorry I was a bit curt in my first comment there. Was typing on my mobile phone.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08169008132642213854noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12158536.post-43772307042261848622010-02-01T16:06:16.350-05:002010-02-01T16:06:16.350-05:00King Rat,
Hi. I read your post. I hear you about ...King Rat,<br /><br />Hi. I read your post. I hear you about working out that distinction. I have to admit it all makes my head hurt a bit, but that's not always a bad thing. Thanks for mentioning Stross post, too. I think I'll link to that.<br /><br />Casual Brewery,<br /><br />Yep. Only thing is that I think there's more at stake here than with those traditional models. The Charles Stross post that I'll link to in a second reminded me of some of that. The old model is already broken in some significant ways. This is about staking out the terms of the new arrangements.David Anthony Durhamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13885922955551669016noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12158536.post-91128563845349900242010-02-01T14:05:25.540-05:002010-02-01T14:05:25.540-05:00Aren't DVDs and Music priced similar? When the...Aren't DVDs and Music priced similar? When they are 1st released, they are priced higher. Over time and & as popularity wanes, the price drops. Really see no difference between ebooks & this.Casual Breweryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17735513839726118810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12158536.post-67743387865956081932010-02-01T12:30:16.061-05:002010-02-01T12:30:16.061-05:00That's not what defines agency pricing. Agenc...That's not what defines agency pricing. Agency is all about taking a commission vs. owning your own inventory.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08169008132642213854noreply@blogger.com