Comments on: Crown Books Gets a FAIL from Cory Doctorow http://mymediamusings.com/2008/03/27/crown-books-gets-a-fail-from-cory-doctorow/ Just another WordPress weblog Thu, 18 Feb 2010 03:51:28 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: mymediamusings http://mymediamusings.com/2008/03/27/crown-books-gets-a-fail-from-cory-doctorow/comment-page-1/#comment-114 mymediamusings Fri, 28 Mar 2008 01:33:33 +0000 http://mymediamusings.wordpress.com/?p=347#comment-114 Thanks for leaving the comment. It's so interesting to see how the big fish are struggling to figure out how to behave in the digital age. I honestly don't think there is any voodoo for Cory. A free pdf is still a very different thing than a real book and I do think both can actually survive and thrive simultaneously. I would be shocked if keeping your pdf available would do anything but continue to boost your hard copy sales. I know it is hard to believe and maybe over time this won't be true (like when ebooks become more prevelant) but for the time being I think there is a lot to be gained with free digital copies. I'm still curious what the sort of legal issues are now that, say, I've downloaded the free pdf. Could I send that to a friend to read legally or would that be a copyright violation? I agree with you that it is cool that they've even done this much of a digital release and it is certainly a start. It's also because of their offer (and it being pointed out by Cory last week?) that I not only downloaded the book but went to podiobooks and got Earthcore. Just got to the big massacre at the mining camp. Good stuff! Thanks for leaving the comment. It’s so interesting to see how the big fish are struggling to figure out how to behave in the digital age. I honestly don’t think there is any voodoo for Cory. A free pdf is still a very different thing than a real book and I do think both can actually survive and thrive simultaneously. I would be shocked if keeping your pdf available would do anything but continue to boost your hard copy sales. I know it is hard to believe and maybe over time this won’t be true (like when ebooks become more prevelant) but for the time being I think there is a lot to be gained with free digital copies.

I’m still curious what the sort of legal issues are now that, say, I’ve downloaded the free pdf. Could I send that to a friend to read legally or would that be a copyright violation?

I agree with you that it is cool that they’ve even done this much of a digital release and it is certainly a start. It’s also because of their offer (and it being pointed out by Cory last week?) that I not only downloaded the book but went to podiobooks and got Earthcore. Just got to the big massacre at the mining camp. Good stuff!

]]> By: Scott Sigler http://mymediamusings.com/2008/03/27/crown-books-gets-a-fail-from-cory-doctorow/comment-page-1/#comment-115 Scott Sigler Thu, 27 Mar 2008 22:56:14 +0000 http://mymediamusings.wordpress.com/?p=347#comment-115 The problem is Crown wants to use this as a marketing tool, but selling eBooks is still a line item in their budget projections. It's not a BIG line item, but it's there. So if they just give it away in perpetuity, they can't sell it, and pandemonium reigns. It was a lot of prodding to even get the four days. I truly wish they would just give in and keep the thing free - that works for Cory, and he's the only one who flat-out gives away full versions of all his books. And he's not doing it after the book has been out for a few years, like Neil Gaiman's "American Gods," he does it from square one. And it works. His books sell. They keep selling, even though people can get them for free in PDF form. It's like a secret voodoo magic. So I give Crown credit for trying something new, for experimenting with a new strategy, Cory does have some very salient points. The problem is Crown wants to use this as a marketing tool, but selling eBooks is still a line item in their budget projections. It’s not a BIG line item, but it’s there. So if they just give it away in perpetuity, they can’t sell it, and pandemonium reigns. It was a lot of prodding to even get the four days. I truly wish they would just give in and keep the thing free – that works for Cory, and he’s the only one who flat-out gives away full versions of all his books. And he’s not doing it after the book has been out for a few years, like Neil Gaiman’s “American Gods,” he does it from square one. And it works. His books sell. They keep selling, even though people can get them for free in PDF form. It’s like a secret voodoo magic.

So I give Crown credit for trying something new, for experimenting with a new strategy, Cory does have some very salient points.

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