Comments on: More thoughts on libraries and ebook lending

By: Penguin expands library ebook lending with Baker & Taylor — paidContent

Mon, 19 Nov 2012 21:21:37 +0000

[...] audiobooks available to libraries with Recorded Books’ OneClickdigital. Recorded Books is separately working on its own library ebook lending program, which will allow publishers a great deal of flexibility in how they make their ebooks available to [...]

By: Reading about eReading this week 11/12/2012 « Allegany County Library System Director's Notes

Mon, 12 Nov 2012 20:19:08 +0000

[...] More thoughts on libraries and ebook lending, (and a teaser on the new Recorded Books model) [...]

By: Industry News-November 11 » RWA-WF

Industry News-November 11 » RWA-WF — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 17:36:28 +0000

[...] shown reluctance to sell e-books (license e-book usage) to libraries. E-book expert Mike Shatzkin looks into publishers’ wariness and reveals a model he thinks serves the interests of publishers and [...]

By: Mike Shatzkin

Mike Shatzkin — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 14:01:00 +0000

Sorry, John. I’m a book guy. You’ve asked a question outside my knowledge zone.

Mike

By: John Andrews

John Andrews — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 05:49:00 +0000

I agree!
Can you tell me whether magazines which rely on illustrations (fashion, home decor, travel, gardening etc) are flourising as electronic publications?

By: Mike Shatzkin

Mike Shatzkin — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 20:23:00 +0000

This is not going to be an option open to most authors. And it will hardly be open at all to authors who want a real advance from a general trade publisher.

Nice deal if you can get it!

Mike

By: John Andrews

John Andrews — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 19:24:00 +0000

If they can do it, my advice to authors is to sell the print rights to publishers and retain the digital rights, as JK Rowling did. This is also what I have done for the past 10 years. So far, I have not done anything with the digital rights, because they are illustrated (technical) books. But I live and dream. Meanwhile, the publishers (on the list of the world’s top 50 publishing groups) seem to have forgotten the details of the contracts and are selling a few digital copies. They do this with the same cover price and the same author royalty as the print editions. I can’t see that this is right from any point of view but watch with interest.

By: Mike Shatzkin

Mike Shatzkin — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 13:36:00 +0000

John, this is just not supported by the facts so far. Publishers are signing just about all the authors they want to sign. Very few are walking away from publishers to go on their own. What you’re talking about may well happen some day. But it isn’t happening now.

In fact, I believe there are more instances the other way around: authors who achieved some success self-publishing but then moved over to working the old-fashioned way.

Mike

By: Mike Shatzkin

Mike Shatzkin — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 13:36:00 +0000

I really think this is marginal activity. The pool of successful self-published titles isn’t large enough to satisfy much demand, except perhaps in the romance genre.

Mike

By: Michael Starks

Michael Starks — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 11:43:00 +0000

Public libraries are happy to buy ebooks directly from authors. The Douglas County (CO) Public Library System, among others, is doing that today on a fairly large scale. The issue isn’t who’s the supplier but what’s the price. See http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/features/05232012/navigating-ebook-revolution.