03-25-2013, 03:59 PM | #106 | |||
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03-25-2013, 04:01 PM | #107 |
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Even in the US, the "small fry", overall, outsells B&N. I've seen no credible account of market shares in the UK, but I'd be very surprised if it were as unbalanced as 90%.
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03-25-2013, 04:07 PM | #108 | ||
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And music sales have been climing steadily since then, after years of declines. Quote:
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03-25-2013, 04:09 PM | #109 | |
Maria Schneider
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One of the big problems for authors is the "single income stream" nature of books. We can sell audio, print or ebook, but we can't play local pubs. We can't get an opening act. When we are on the radio, we're generally delivering a rather quick pitch about our book--whereas a musician can actually play, sing, or offer a sample of music played on either side of an interview. The dynamics are quite different and as such, I think the whole DRM idea is different as well. I'm not saying DRM is good or bad, but many readers read once and are done. Sure there are also many readers who keep a library and take it everywhere. But the income streams are quite different for an author when comparing income possibilities of a musician. The delivery may not be all that different when comparing an ebook to an MP3 song/album, but many other pieces of the equation are quite different. Thank you for bringing that up. It often gets lost in the comparison and while it may not be important to readers, it is very important to authors. |
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03-25-2013, 04:35 PM | #110 | ||
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The question is whether or not the removal of DRM would lead to consumers abandoning the paid downloads for illegal downloads. If one assumes that music is more disposable than novels, it would seem likely that music seekers would be more likely to seek the illegal sources than readers would. Are readers more profligate criminals than music listeners are? If the removal of DRM from music didn't lead to collapse, why would it do so for books? |
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03-25-2013, 04:42 PM | #111 | |
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Not taking a position pro or con, just trying to clarify the argument. |
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03-25-2013, 04:56 PM | #112 | |
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I know you didn't say it would. I didn't suggest you had. As it happens, I suspect you're right. Personally, I suspect removing DRM would have very little effect on sales, up or down. I'd still like to see more evidence though, for either side. |
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03-25-2013, 05:01 PM | #113 | |
Maria Schneider
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I'm not saying more people steal Mp3s versus novels--and in fact, stealing isn't the biggest threat--casual sharing is the threat. I respect the hard work of musicians just as much as a novelists, but musicians do have opportunity for other revenue streams. Many of them can play locally--for that matter, they can play at weddings, high schools, and local pubs. They can, in some ways, work in their chosen field. Writers don't have that opportunity and the revenue stream is more critical for everyone involved in the chain. (It should be noted that we writers can attempt to work in journalism, write paid-for articles, but there is not a huge demand for that sort of thing and the pay is lousy. Many of us do that sort of thing on the side, just as musicians might do various side jobs that involve music.) But to get back to casual sharing--when I've had this discussion with readers on other forums or read through conversations, they tend to start with "How do I mail this book to my x?" The initial poster doesn't even know it shouldn't be done. In longer conversations, it turns out that many people assume, "if I can mail it, it must be allowed, right?" I've seen people post "If they don't want us doing it, they'd take steps..." and that sort of thing. The bottom line is that most people aren't trying to rip-off artists/authors, but if it's as easy as attaching a file, they don't even stop to THINK about it. I recently had a conversation with someone who sold all her CDs because she was moving. I said, "But you copied them first, right?" Her response, "Well sure." When I pointed out this was illegal, she said, "I never thought about it one way or the other!" When I worked in the library, we had to constantly tell people not to copy the movies or the music CDs. "But why?" I'm not kidding you. People don't think twice about it. If they don't get a chance to read the audio, watch the movie or listen to the CD (or they like it a lot) they copy it. If they accidentally put the COPY back in the library case, we have to fine them or take away their library cards (this is only for repeat offenders). |
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03-25-2013, 05:04 PM | #114 | |
Maria Schneider
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Why do I bring it up? Because DRM on one of my books is probably vastly different than DRM on a John Grisham book. Just as lending of that book would be. |
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03-25-2013, 05:18 PM | #115 | |
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Also most authors write essays and reviews and articles and so on. So they have other income. |
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03-25-2013, 05:24 PM | #116 |
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You're disagreeing with the person who persented the data, and doing so with a copule of sentences from a news article by someone who probably didn't understand what they were writing to begin with, rather than all of the data like the guy you're disagreeing with.
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03-25-2013, 05:26 PM | #117 |
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And, in fact, most professional fiction writers don't make anywhere near enough to live on. I believe less than 10% do. The average income from writing is less than $5k per year.
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03-25-2013, 05:36 PM | #118 | |
Maria Schneider
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Yes, we can work. And so do most musicians. That doesn't change the fact that they have more opportunities to make money in their chosen field. And I'm not saying it's easy for them, just that there are other opportunities to show their skills and gain an audience for their work. Me writing an essay (paid or not) isn't necessarily a good showcase for my urban fantasy. Sure, we can swizzle some articles, but most readers I talk to don't even agree that a short story is a good way to "sample" an author. An essay is removed even further from a book, while a musician can play the exact songs he sells whenever given the opportunity. And hearing a live song may make you want to hear it again. Hearing a story told aloud...once you know the ending...well, it's different. Some people won't care if they ever "read" it again. Last edited by BearMountainBooks; 03-25-2013 at 05:44 PM. |
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03-25-2013, 05:41 PM | #119 | |
Maria Schneider
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BUT, our pay shouldn't be the topic here and I apologize for leading the discussion astray. The point was that DRM for a writer may play a different and possibly more significant role than it does for music. From a reader standpoint, those who don't like DRM can work around it. From a writer standpoint we're caught between a rock and a hard place as far as making decisions on what to offer and when. |
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03-25-2013, 05:54 PM | #120 | |
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