The Problem isn't Piracy. The Problem is Obscurity

by Cory Doctorow

When it comes to publishing's future, there are two kinds of writers: those who shy away from change and those who embrace and benefit from change.

Among those in the latter group, Young Adult/Sci-Fi author Cory Doctorow is the undisputed king. His take on copyright, giving his writing away and the use of technology in publishing is controversial, provocative and, many would say, visionary.

Cory gives away electronic editions of all of his wonderful books and, so far, it's worked spectacularly in terms of garnering renown, generating a huge following and, yes, earning income. Inside each of his books, he pens essays – manifestos, really – about publishing's future from a writer's perspective. They're often as compelling as the actual story that follows.

Genres: Nonfiction, Writing

54 pages

First published May 11, 2011

About the author

Cory Doctorow is a science fiction author, activist, journalist and blogger — the co-editor of Boing Boing and the author of the YA graphic novel In Real Life, the nonfiction business book Information Doesn’t Want To Be Free, and young adult novels like Homeland, Pirate Cinema, and Little Brother and novels for adults like Rapture Of The Nerds and Makers. He is a Fellow for the Electronic Frontier Foundation and co-founded the UK Open Rights Group. Born in Toronto, Canada, he now lives in Los Angeles.

Reviews

[K.M. Weiland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent treatise, if slightly outdated in the afterglow of the e-revolution. His discussion of Creative Commons copyrights is especially insightful,