The SF author Jeffrey Carver has come to the conclusion that offering his backlist as free ebooks just isn’t working for him.
I’ve been running the free-downloads experiment for more than two years now. Here’s my conclusion: The free downloads have significantly expanded my audience, and enabled me to meet some very nice people electronically. But they haven’t done much in terms of pay. Yes, some people have been generous with Paypal donations, and some who liked the books have gone out and bought my other ebooks—and I thank you all from the bottom of my heart. But the theory that free downloads drive sales of books, which apparently works for some writers, does not seem to have clicked for me. I don’t regret offering the downloads—not a bit—but now it’s time to try something new.
This same model appears to work for Baen Books, so I wonder why it’s not working for Jeffrey?
Actually, let me rephrase that sentence. We know this model worked at one time for Baen Books, but we don’t know that it’s working _now_. Market behavior might have shifted in the 8+ years since Baen first started giving away ebooks. This model might not be working for them anymore, either.
On the other hand, Baen saw an increase in paper books, and Jeffery didn’t mention them in his post. Perhaps that is the difference.
Editor’s Note: A few days ago we posted a which one should I buy article. Rich had a different opinion on how you should choose an ereader.
I’ve been pretty lax recently about writing articles for this blog. I’ve been busy trying to wrap up end-of-the-year work and deal with the holidays. The next week or two will be devoted to getting my holiday thank-you gifts mailed to clients.
However, I have been reading messages and blog posts telling people interested in buying their first ereader device which device to buy. I find most of the advice both wrong and unhelpful, so I thought I would give it a try.
First, let’s separate dedicated from multipurpose devices. If you won’t be satisfied with a dedicated device, then don’t consider a Kindle, Sony, Kobo, or nook or any eInk device. Look at an LCD-screened device such as the iPad and Samsung Galaxy or a laptop computer with an application. Essentially these are regular computers with ebook applications.
Among the dedicated devices — and there are a lot of them — for United States and Canada buyers, four stand out for consideration: nook, Sony, Kindle, and Kobo. Choosing among these four is a safe way to go; the companies are likely to be around for years to come. The real question is how to choose among the four. Each has its pluses and minuses, and contrary to what some bloggers, commentators, geeks, tech reviewers, and posters (hereinafter collectively referred to as bloggers) think, Kindle is not the outstanding or obvious choice. Rather, it all depends on how you will use the device and what is most important to you.
Consequently, the place to begin is by deciding what features are most important to you. Is it price? If price of the device is most important, then none of the Sonys are apt to meet your need because each of the Sonys is more expensive than the nook, Kobo, and Kindle.
Is it wireless connectivity? If yes, then my question is why? Yes, it is nice to be able to download to the device directly from the ebookstore rather than having to download first to your computer and then copy the book from your computer to the device via USB. But how often do you think you will really use this function? I generally buy books once or twice a month, so the wireless on my Sony 950 gets used at most twice a month, which isn’t very often. And even with the wireless, I prefer to first download to my PC because that way I have a copy of the book on my PC as a backup copy; if I download it directly, then the only copy is what exists in the cloud, which means I have to hope that it will always be available for downloading to my device. I haven’t forgotten when Amazon deleted all copies of one edition of 1984 because the copy violated copyright even though customers had paid for it.
Would you prefer touchscreen navigation or arrow navigation? Each of the devices has a dictionary. But how they access the dictionary is different. The Sonys use touchscreen technology, consequently I double-tap on a word and the dictionary definition pops up. On the Kindle, I have to use direction arrows to move to the word I want to lookup, select the word, and then select the dictionary function. For me, the tradeoff between wireless and touchscreen is worthwhile because I access the dictionary regularly, but buy books occasionally.
Some bloggers emphasize that Amazon, on average, has the lowest ebook prices. This is certainly true, but meaningless – just as it is meaningless that B&N’s ebookstore has more than 1 million books (many of which are the free public domain books available from Google) — unless the books you want to read are available at a price you are willing to pay. What does it matter to me if Amazon sells vampire romance novels for $50 less than any other store if I would never buy such a book? If ebook price is the key, then the best thing to do is to check out the pricing at Amazon, B&N, Kobo, and Sony of the last 10 books you read and the next 10 you would like to read. (An easy way to do this is to use Inkmesh, an ebook comparison tool.) In my case, buying the books at Sony would have cost me $3.50 more in total than had I bought them at Amazon, not a significant difference to me. Also, price is not the only factor to consider: regardless of the number of books available at each store, not all books are available at all stores, so you need to make sure that the books that are of interest to you are available.
Screen clarity is another issue. As of this writing, the Kindle and the Sonys have the best screen clarity. Both use the newest version of eInk screen, commonly referred to as the Pearl screen. Eventually nook and Kobo will also adopt this screen. Some bloggers wonder about fingerprints on the Sonys because they are touchscreen and they complain about the visibile fingerprints on the LCD touchscreen of the iPad. My personal experience is that this is not a problem. After a month of constant use (averaging 4 hours every day), I still didn’t observe smudges on my screen except in one corner where I was constantly double-tapping to add a bookmark.
Another issue is device build quality. If this is paramount, then I think there is no choice but to select a Sony. The Sonys are well-built solid devices that do not feel like cheap plastic. This is one of the things I dislike about the nook and the Kindle — both feel cheaply constructed. Note that I said “feel” — I opted to buy a Sony and so have no long-term experience with any of the other devices as regards build quality. The only thing I can say with absolute certainty is that my 3-year-old Sony PRS-505 is still going strong and appears to be brand new; my new Sony PRS-950 is built of the same metal components as the 505 was.
The last issue I’ll mention is local library access. The Sonys allow you to borrow ebooks from your local library (assuming your local library has them to lend). The other devices do not.
There are several other important considerations but not room enough to delve into all of them. Perhaps the most important one left is that of formats. Format is important because the more universal the format, the more bookstores that are available for you to shop at. The nook, Kobo, and Sonys all read ePub format. The nook adds an extra layer of DRM (digital rights management) “protection” to its books so that buying a book at B&N to read on the Kobo or Sony requires an extra step to strip the DRM. However, any book you buy at Sony or Kobo can be read on the Sony, Kobo, or nook device as is; any book bought at B&N can be read on the Sony or Kobo device if the DRM is removed, which is very easy to do, as well as on the nook. Amazon, on the other hand, does not use the ePub format and it is not easy to strip the DRM from an Amazon book. Consequently, for the most part, if you buy a Kindle, you are restricted to the Amazon bookstore and to ebookstores like Smashwords, Feedbooks, and ManyBooks, which provide DRM-free books in formats compatible with all of these devices. Those who are very tech savvy can find ways to strip some of the DRM from Amazon books and convert the books, but not from all of the books that Amazon sells. The widest ebookstore selection is available to devices that read ePub. However, if you only ever plan to buy ebooks from Amazon, then the Kindle is your best bet.
Ultimately, I suggest you look at the information available on MobileRead’s Wiki to learn about each of the devices available. Information about Amazon’s Kindle, Barnes & Noble’s nook, Kobo’s Kobo, and the three Sony devices (PRS-350, PRS-650, and PRS-950) is available by clicking the links. You would also do well to join MobileRead and read what owners of the various devices have to say for and against the devices. But under no circumstance should you simply buy a device without first analyzing your reading habits and getting a device that matches your habits most closely. It is likely that once you buy a dedicated device you will find you are reading more than ever before — this seems to be the one common thread that joins all of the various device owners: ereading devices are so pleasurable to use that the amount of time spent reading for pleasure increases.
Now this is an interesting story for a Monday morning.
The SF author Greg Bear is in the middle of a wrangle with Project Gutenberg (PG) over whether some of his stories are in the public domain. He says no, PG say yes.
This story hinges on SF stories originally published in magazines in the 1950s and early 1960. In a lot of cases the stories didn’t get the required copyright renewal, which would mean that the story is in the public domain. Well, US copyright case law disagrees with that conclusion. You’ll need to read the full statement to find out why.
Do you remember how I told you yesterday that US copyright law was incredibly complicated? Here’s an example.
Here is the statement Mr. Bear released:
The online site Project Gutenberg (PG) is systematically declaring copyrights void in many literary works published in the 1940s, 1950s, and later, with a special focus on stories published in science fiction pulp magazines. Project Gutenberg then makes these works freely available on the internet though their website, where the scanned texts are further disseminated by manybooks.net and other online text outlets.
After conducting legal research on the LEXIS database of legal cases, decisions, and precedents, we have demonstrated conclusively that PG was making incorrect determinations regarding public domain status in many, many works that originally appeared in magazine form. The Poul Anderson estate has been able to get one work, “The Escape”, that PG had firmly declared to be public domain, removed from their site. PG’s original reasoning was that since the magazine it appeared in had never actually filed for copyright, the work was unprotected. “The Escape”, printed in 1953, was the first half of Anderson’s well-known novel BRAINWAVE, which was published and properly copyrighted the following year.
However, even if ‘The Escape” had not been published as a novel, it would have remained under copyright protection until 1981 (28 years) and been eligible for copyright renewal. Authors of that era, and Anderson in particular, were very aware of the need to renew copyrights, and typically meticulously kept their copyright protections up to date. Copyright law for works created more recently is much easier: life plus 70 years. (Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act, 1998).
Why is a work that appeared in a magazine that did not file proper copyright paperwork protected by copyright law? The opinion in a major case in the US 2nd Circuit Court, Goodis v. United Artists Television, explains: ”. . . “We unanimously conclude that where a magazine has purchased the right of first publication under circumstances which show that the author has no intention to donate his work to the public, copyright notice in the magazine’s name is sufficient to obtain a valid copyright on behalf of the beneficial owner, the author or proprietor.” The opinion goes on at length regarding the creation of copyright at the time of publication. The full text of Goodis is available here.
A second major case in copyright law, Abend v. MCA, Inc., Universal Film Exchange, James Stewart, estate of Alfred Hitchcock, et al, in the 9th Circuit, upholds this ruling and references Goodis lavishly. The full text of Abend is available here.
According to an email from Project Gutenberg’s CEO, Dr. Greg Newby, PG has changed their procedures for research of copyright non-renewal following the takedown of the Anderson work, although as of this writing (11/21/10) they have not posted these changes on their website. Dr. Newby says PG has also put a hold on public domain determinations for non-renewals. They do not seem to be reviewing the status of works already posted.
Authors and estates with works that are listed as public domain on PG’s site need to check out the true copyright status of those works, If they are posted on PG in error, PG needs to be notified via a DMCA notice. This is a powerful tool, created by the Digital Millenium Copyright Act. A DMCA notice is a legal document that states the rights of the copyright holder and demands that illegally posted material be taken down. For a summary of the DMCA in general, go here. There are many online forms for the DMCA notices, such as this one.
DMCA notices also need to be filed with other sites such as manybooks.net, demanding removal of the texts from the sites. The DMCAs may not be honored until PG has pulled a title, as PG is considered the “gold standard” of copyright determination – all titles available there are thought (wrongly) to be free and clear for exploitation by anyone. Small, independent publishers are taking advantage of these treasures and making physical copies, usually with print-on-demand technology, and selling them through Amazon and other sites. Estates and authors should search out these publishers and make their rights known. Estates and authors can demand that publication stop immediately, and that all proceeds be turned over to them as the rightful copyright holder. It should be noted that these publishers don’t feel they are pirates, they feel they are merely taking advantage of opportunities that are perfectly legal. They are wrong, and need to be put in the right of it.
In general, Project Gutenberg is doing a tremendous service by making available texts that have truly long since fallen out of copyright, but they are clearly overstepping their original mandate. They are not merely exploiting orphan works, but practicing a wholesale kidnapping of works that are under copyright protection. Authors and estates need to aggressively take back what belongs to them.
I just posted a review of the new Sony Readers. I admit that it’s not a great review. But TBH I was rather underwhelmed by ereaders. They’re basically the same as last year’s models.
For 3 years now, Sony has consistently been a step behind everyone else. In 2008, they released the PRS-700, an ereader that still causes people to wince at the sight of the touchscreen (no Wifi). In 2009 they released the PRS-300 and PRS- 600 (still no Wifi) and then followed it up with the PRS-900 in January (3G but still no Wifi). I think the PRS-900 marked the beginning of the end for Sony. B&N shipped the Nook in November, and in terms of innovation that shifted Sony from 2nd place to 3rd place in the US market.
And in 2010 it has only gotten worse. Pocketbook released the Wifi equipped PB-302 ereader in February, It wasn’t a great ereader, but it still did something no Sony Reader could do. And then the Kobo Wifi got Sony kicked out of Wal-mart (5th place now).
You might not think connectivity is important, but apparently everyone else disagrees. Heck, Pandigital managed to field a Wifi equipped ereader, and they just entered the industry in _May_. Think about that for a second. Sony is being out innovated by a digital picture frame company.
Let’s take it one step further. Who is working on a Mirasol ereader? Pocketbook. Who just showed off a color E-ink ereader? Hanvon. They’re coming up with new stuff while Sony incrementally improved last year’s stuff. Now do you see why I think the Sony Reader is doomed?
Do you want to know an even bigger FacePalm moment? The recent Sony Readers could have been released with the ability to buy ebooks from B&N. (Trust me, I am quite certain that I have my facts correct.) Sony deliberately crippled the new gadgets. WTH, Sony?
Sony announced this pair of ereader in September 2010, and at long last I am posting my review. The Touch Edition and Pocket Edition are updates to Sony’s existing 5″ and 6″. Their design is an evolutionary improvement, and not revolutionary. (I really wish they’d get ahead of their competition, and I’ll get into that later in the post.)
You can click on all the pictures to view larger versions.
I’ve decided to post a combined review of these 2 ereaders. For the most part, they are the same device. I feel that there are only 3 differences: screen size, expansion slots, price, and PDF support. I assume that you know the Pocket Edition has a 5″ screen and the Touch Edition has a 6″ screen, and of course the Touch Edition costs more.
Let me explain PDFs a little. PDFs might influence which of these 2 devices you buy, but it wouldn’t affect me. Since the 6″ screen is larger it should do a better job with PDFs. I don’t think it does. I’m not happy with PDFs on any 6″ screen, and long ago I stopped trying to use anything other than my PC (or a large screen tablet) to read them.
I really do like these ereaders, and aside from the price I can’t find much to criticize. (On the other hand, I wasn’t wowed by them, either.) So rather than dissect them (like I’ve done in the past), I’m going to discuss 2 of the better features, and then I’ll briefly discuss why I wouldn’t
Touchscreen
The new Sony Readers use a touchscreen developed by Neonode. The tech is based on IR sensors, which means there’s no sensor layer on top of the E-ink screen to reduce screen quality and there’s no Wacom sensor under the screen cutting into battery life. Basically the touchscreen isn’t there.
It took me several days to get used to the screen, which is understandable. It is different screen tech from what I’ve used before so of course it would feel different. But once I did, I really began to appreciate the clarity.
I liked how almost everything inside an ebook could be done on the screen. Sony added all sorts of shortcuts, so there’s little reason for you to press the buttons. You swipe to turn the page, but that’s just the beginning. Highlight? Double tap and drag. Definition? double tap a word. There are a bunch more, and you really should read the manual to get the full appreciation.
Annotation
This is the one thing that Sony does better than their competitors. You can highlight and bookmark, of course, but with the Sony Readers you can also add text and scribbled notes. Until the Pocketbook 603 comes out, Sony are the only major ereader manufacturer with this ability.
You can also export the notes, but this function isn’t really all that useful. DRM breaks this for titles emcumbered by it, and even when it works you have to use the Sony Ebook Library app (I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy). And the output is an RTF file which is poorly formatted and doesn’t print well.
Why I won’t buy one
It’s actually pretty simply. I want page turn buttons. I don’t like having to swipe to turn the page. This is a personal preference that’s not shared by everyone, but it is a deciding factor for me. Okay, they do have page turn buttons, yes, but I don’t like the placement. They’re on the bottom left corner, and they feel like they were added as little more than an after thought. I can’t hold the ereaders in one hand and keep a finger over the page turn buttons, so they’re useless to me.
But since Sony have gone all in on touchscreen ereaders, there’s a good chance that I’m a minority.
My contact with Bluefire (makers of the Bluefire Reader) just tipped me to Books-a-Million’s new reading app for iOS, the BAM Reader.
As you can probably guess, it’s based on the Bluefire Reader. If you’re not familiar with Bluefire, it’s the app that has replaced Stanza as the touchstone reading app on iOS.
It doesn’t have quite as many formatting options, but it makes up for that by supporting Adobe DE DRM. You can buy an ebook from any ebookstore (including B&N) and read it on the Bluefire Reader.
The NPR show Science Friday pulled one an old show from their archive this week. It dates from 1993, and the topic is the Internet. Normally a show this old wouldn’t be all that interesting, but this is NPR’s first podcast. Also, one of the participants was using VOIP (more likely a pre-VOIP protocol). How cool is that?
FLATOW: Now let’s make it clear to everyone who’s listening that you’re not on the telephone, are you?
TOM: No, I’m sitting in front of a workstation, and I have a microphone and a speaker. And I can see a list of the people who are getting ready to talk. And I can hear your voice.
FLATOW: Hmm. Is this something that only someone with a big computer can do?
TOM: The computer I’ve got is about the size of a phonebook. It’s a UNIX workstation. It’s about an $8,000 investment. And while I’m doing this, I’m also reading electronic mail and doing a little programming, waiting for my turn.
Leaving aside the expensive computer, he just described mine and many other people’s daily life.
In most of the world 1 January is the day that copyrights expire and previously monopolized content enters the public domain. The one exception is the USA, becuase every time it looks a copyright might expire Congress is bribed into adding more years.
So when was the last Public Domain Day here in the USA? I’m not sure, but I beleive it was in 1992. You see, anything created in 1964 or after will be under copyright for quite some time, and anything published before 1964 would only be in the public domain if someone forgot to file for an extension to the original 28 year term.
Pardon me for focusing on the USA, but for most of the world it’s just another holiday. For Americans it’s a reminder that we got screwed by Big Media.
How do you plan to celebrate the day?I haven’t decided yet, myself.
Hangman showed up in the Kindle Store 3 days ago, and no one seems to have noticed. Nah, I think it more likely that no one cares. They’re not really news anymore.
So this is Hangman, and you play it just like any other version of the game. For those who don’t know, you try to figure out a word by guessing the letters. You only have so many wrong guesses before you lose the round.
BTW, the picture at right is from Hangman 4 Kids
. Note the Snowman. Apparently they didn’t want to scar children for life by showing them a hanging stick figure.
I wasn’t planning to do another BFS post, but one of my readers pointed out that B&N are selling refurbished Nook Wifi ereaders for $79. You can find them on Ebay, and they come with the standard 1 year warranty.
I think I’m seeing a pattern here.
The Nook shows up in a Best Buy advert for $99. Amazon responded by offering refurbished K2 ereaders (tomorrow) for $89. B&N shoots back with the $79 Nook Wifi (they only started selling it 3 hours ago).
I was about to call this as the best Black Friday sale, but now I would bet dollars to donuts that Amazon will announce a better sale some time today.
I’m still looking for the original press release on this, but Bloomberg are reporting that:
Sony Corp. will resume sales of its electronic-book readers in Japan for the first time since 2007 amid the growing popularity of digital publications.
The ereader will be available in local stores starting Dec. 10, Sony said in a statement distributed in Tokyo today.
I don’t know for sure which models Sony will sell in Japan, but I suspect it will be the PRS-350 and PRS-650. The Daily Edition s only available in the US, and I expect Sony to continue that trend. BTW, Sony will also be opening a Japanese ebookstore to support their ereaders.
Update: Here is the press release, and it confirms what I pretty much already knew. And here is the product page.
It all began with first popular e-reading devices in 2006/07. E-books started to move from a desktop phase to a mobile phase.
Mobile means convenience. Convenience of a printed book – and much beyond. It’s a matter of time when we skip using the word “mobile”. It becomes obvious, that everybody prefers a lightweight, portable device to handle reading of electronic books.
In a presentation you’ll find what are the advantages and take-aways of mobile reading, as well as key factors to success and trends to watch.
The next great addition to the Kindle Store is a new matching game from Mobigoo. It’s selling for $2.99.
The objective of the game is to clear all the pieces off the game board. Game pieces disappear when they are matched with, and touch, other game pieces with the same symbol. Your job is to move the game pieces around the game board to make this happen. Clearing the board allows you to move the next level.
Now this is a game that cries out for a touchcreen. This won’t be much fun with the keyboard and icky joystick on the Kindle
.
Do you remember how back in August I told you Pocketbook was working on an ereader with a Mirasol screen? They’re finally ready to confirm it.
Pocketbook put out a press release today. They’re going to have their newest ereader on display at CES 2011, and yes it will have a Mirasol screen. I’m a little surprised that they announced it this early.
Update: I just heard back from one of my sources with Pocketbook, and he gave me a few technical details (but no pictures, sorry). Their prototype can currently do 12 frames per second (video is usually 30 fps), and a Mirasol screen costs about one and a half times the cost of an E-ink screen. My source also said that it should hit the market in Q3 2011.
Second Update: Okay it turns out they’re not ready to confirm it. This was an accidental release.
From the press release:
PocketBook USA, the North American division of PocketBook International, will display their entire line of ereader products at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, January 6-9.
One of the world’s top five producers of electronic reading devices, PocketBook sells more than 50,000 ereaders each month through offices in the USA, Germany, Russia, China and the Middle East with a distribution network covering more than 20 countries worldwide.
The company will showcase six different product models — PocketBook Pro 602, Pro 902 – standard models, PocketBook Pro 603, Pro 903 – premium class models, PocketBook IQ701, and Mirasol – PocketBook’s newest model.
…
The IQ701 offers a number of different features including a seven-inch color TFT touch screen with WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity. Functioning on the Android 2.0 operating system, this model is best suited for customers seeking entertainment in an ereader. The newest PocketBook model, Mirasol, features Qualcomm’s full-color Mirasol display which is based on a reflective technology.
Hi, I kinda wish you had told me before TeleRead. Can you send me a copy of t…
12:37 PM (43 minutes ago)
Georges Huberty
I wish I could’ve. NDA was broken by the other side.
12:53 PM (27 minutes ago)
Nathaniel Hoffelder
Who leaked it? I can’t find any sign of it. Nate
12:57 PM (24 minutes ago)
Georges Huberty
Other side means PocketBook Usa. We agreed with NDA to keep it under lid till…
1:05 PM (16 minutes ago)
Nathaniel Hoffelder
Hi, Thanks. I didn’t realize they were a distinct company. I thought they wer…
1:12 PM (8 minutes ago)
Reply
|
Georges Huberty
to me
show details1:20 PM (1 minute ago)
I just can tell you that it’s really fast 12fps, really energy saving, but still depending on the viewing angle for sharp reading experience. Screen should cost about 1.5X b/w eink screen. no pic, sorry
– Show quoted text –
On Nov 23, 2010, at 7:12 PM, Nathaniel Hoffelder wrote:
Hi,
Thanks. I didn’t realize they were a distinct company. I thought they were just a local division.
Now that it’s out, do you have any pictures you can send me? Whatever is on your computer would be fine.
Nate
On Tue, Nov 23, 2010 at 1:05 PM, Georges Huberty <[email protected]>wrote:
Other side means PocketBook Usa. We agreed with NDA to keep it under lid till after Xmas, but our american heroes decided otherwise.
On Nov 23, 2010, at 6:57 PM, Nathaniel Hoffelder wrote:
Who leaked it? I can’t find any sign of it.
Nate
On Tue, Nov 23, 2010 at 12:53 PM, Georges Huberty <[email protected]>wrote:
I wish I could’ve. NDA was broken by the other side.
On Nov 23, 2010, at 6:37 PM, Nathaniel Hoffelder wrote:
Hi,
I kinda wish you had told me before TeleRead. Can you send me a copy of the press release?
I’ve been pretty lax recently about writing articles for this blog. I’ve been busy trying to wrap up end-of-the-year work and deal with the holidays. The next week or two will be devoted to getting my holiday thank-you gifts mailed to clients.
responded by offering refurbished K2 ereaders (tomorrow) for $89. B&N shoots back with the $79 Nook Wifi (they only started selling it 3 hours ago).
