Talli Ruksas
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
I own most of your books in ebook and eaudio format but get most of the rest of my e-reading/listening from the library. Did you know publishers charge libraries crazy amounts for their ebooks? The example of a current popular book my library gave was $55 for a $15 ebook and $95 for a $40 audio. Then they have to rebuy in either 2 years or a certain number of checkouts. I realize publishers are in it for money but..
Lois McMaster Bujold
Authors are in it for the money, too, or else they have to stop writing and get another job. Or become destitute in their old age, not uncommon, or medically destitute at any time. (Not me -- I've planned ahead, and also been very, very lucky.)
The thing about e-books is that they don't wear out, so placing one in a library without restrictions is tantamount to giving it away for free forever. The money has to come from somewhere, or everyone goes out of business. In the US, libraries are supported by property taxes in their respective communities, and you know how much everyone loves to pay taxes.
I personally would be in favor of a charge-per-e-checkout model, but the complexities of getting such in place are large, especially in the US with its diverse and independent libraries and publishers.
Ta, L.
(If you do the arithmetic in your example, $55 barely replaces 4 lost e-book sales. A popular title may have dozens or even hundreds of checkouts. How does this compare with libraries buying 4 paper copies of a hot title, and then discarding 3 of them when the demand wears off or the books wear out? These problems are more complex than they appear at first glance.)
Authors are in it for the money, too, or else they have to stop writing and get another job. Or become destitute in their old age, not uncommon, or medically destitute at any time. (Not me -- I've planned ahead, and also been very, very lucky.)
The thing about e-books is that they don't wear out, so placing one in a library without restrictions is tantamount to giving it away for free forever. The money has to come from somewhere, or everyone goes out of business. In the US, libraries are supported by property taxes in their respective communities, and you know how much everyone loves to pay taxes.
I personally would be in favor of a charge-per-e-checkout model, but the complexities of getting such in place are large, especially in the US with its diverse and independent libraries and publishers.
Ta, L.
(If you do the arithmetic in your example, $55 barely replaces 4 lost e-book sales. A popular title may have dozens or even hundreds of checkouts. How does this compare with libraries buying 4 paper copies of a hot title, and then discarding 3 of them when the demand wears off or the books wear out? These problems are more complex than they appear at first glance.)
More Answered Questions
Carro
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
I remember you making recommendations on writing help blogs. Am I correct in remembering that it is the Creative Penn you recommend? There doesn't seem to be a search function on already answered questions or I wouldn't have bothered you. Also like to say, love all your work, re-read and recommend regularly.
Rupert Morrish
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
I don't know if you keep a file of "things Lois predicted", but this looks like it belongs in there: http://www.sciencealert.com/a-five-dimensional-black-hole-could-break-general-relativity-say-physicists Five-space math and faster than light travel? Who'd have thought.
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