Comments on: No Free Lunch Department: U.K. novelist Richard Herley takes shareware book site down http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/05/20/no-free-lunch-department-richard-herley-takes-shareware-book-site-down/ News & views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:17:25 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Garson O'Toole http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/05/20/no-free-lunch-department-richard-herley-takes-shareware-book-site-down/#comment-807563 Garson O'Toole Thu, 22 May 2008 09:43:42 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/05/20/no-free-lunch-department-richard-herley-takes-shareware-book-site-down/#comment-807563 In a comment above Vladimir Haritonov mentions a bidding model for releasing e-books. Ars Technica has a recent article titled <a HREF="http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080521-musopen-puts-classical-recordings-scores-in-public-domain.html" rel="nofollow">Musopen puts classical recordings, scores in public domain</A> that discusses another website that is collecting money to move items into digital form.<blockquote>One of the site's innovative features is its bidding system, in which users can pledge contributions toward specific pieces. When the necessary amount is raised, a professional musician is hired to perform, say, Bach's Goldberg Variations (currently the top request). Most of the money used to fund the Beethoven Sonatas was also raised from users in small increments, with a $5 average contribution. While individuals can spend that same money purchasing their own copies of such works, a donation to Musopen helps fund a musical commons that makes the pieces available worldwide and for any application. </blockquote> In a comment above Vladimir Haritonov mentions a bidding model for releasing e-books. Ars Technica has a recent article titled Musopen puts classical recordings, scores in public domain that discusses another website that is collecting money to move items into digital form.
One of the site’s innovative features is its bidding system, in which users can pledge contributions toward specific pieces. When the necessary amount is raised, a professional musician is hired to perform, say, Bach’s Goldberg Variations (currently the top request). Most of the money used to fund the Beethoven Sonatas was also raised from users in small increments, with a $5 average contribution. While individuals can spend that same money purchasing their own copies of such works, a donation to Musopen helps fund a musical commons that makes the pieces available worldwide and for any application.

]]> By: David Rothman http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/05/20/no-free-lunch-department-richard-herley-takes-shareware-book-site-down/#comment-805559 David Rothman Tue, 20 May 2008 19:28:22 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/05/20/no-free-lunch-department-richard-herley-takes-shareware-book-site-down/#comment-805559 Vladimir: Not sure if I'd like that model for copyrighted works, but for pub domain works, yes, it's very intriguing. Thanks for sharing the <a href="(logos.com/communitypricing" rel="nofollow">link</a>. David Vladimir: Not sure if I’d like that model for copyrighted works, but for pub domain works, yes, it’s very intriguing. Thanks for sharing the link. David

]]> By: Nate the great http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/05/20/no-free-lunch-department-richard-herley-takes-shareware-book-site-down/#comment-805396 Nate the great Tue, 20 May 2008 16:31:31 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/05/20/no-free-lunch-department-richard-herley-takes-shareware-book-site-down/#comment-805396 The DRM free ebooks on Amazon seem to be limited to ebooks uploaded by individuals, not publishers. A good rule of thumb is the filename. If the file name is numbers, then the file has no DRM and is a Mobipocket ebook. If the file has a semirecognizable name, then it probably has DRM. The DRM free ebooks on Amazon seem to be limited to ebooks uploaded by individuals, not publishers.

A good rule of thumb is the filename. If the file name is numbers, then the file has no DRM and is a Mobipocket ebook. If the file has a semirecognizable name, then it probably has DRM.

]]> By: David Rothman http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/05/20/no-free-lunch-department-richard-herley-takes-shareware-book-site-down/#comment-805327 David Rothman Tue, 20 May 2008 15:03:25 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/05/20/no-free-lunch-department-richard-herley-takes-shareware-book-site-down/#comment-805327 Hi, Igorsk. Thanks for the Baen info. I don't know if Richard's work, however good, would be what Baen is after right now. As for DRMless books at Amazon, do you have more details? URLs. If Amazon offer a DRMless option for publishers, I'd like to give 'em credit. Minus DRM, wouldn't we really be taking about Mobi files? Thanks, David Hi, Igorsk. Thanks for the Baen info. I don’t know if Richard’s work, however good, would be what Baen is after right now.

As for DRMless books at Amazon, do you have more details? URLs. If Amazon offer a DRMless option for publishers, I’d like to give ‘em credit. Minus DRM, wouldn’t we really be taking about Mobi files?

Thanks,
David

]]> By: igorsk http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/05/20/no-free-lunch-department-richard-herley-takes-shareware-book-site-down/#comment-805283 igorsk Tue, 20 May 2008 14:08:07 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/05/20/no-free-lunch-department-richard-herley-takes-shareware-book-site-down/#comment-805283 How about Baen? If your stuff is good, they could definitely buy it and sell on Webscriptions. Alternatevely, there is E-Reads, which recently also started selling some of their books on Webscriptions. Re Amazon, some people mentioned they saw books without DRM sold. So maybe you don't have to accept their DRM if you don't want it. (Though they still don't offer their books to people without a Kindle.) How about Baen? If your stuff is good, they could definitely buy it and sell on Webscriptions. Alternatevely, there is E-Reads, which recently also started selling some of their books on Webscriptions.
Re Amazon, some people mentioned they saw books without DRM sold. So maybe you don’t have to accept their DRM if you don’t want it. (Though they still don’t offer their books to people without a Kindle.)

]]> By: Vladimir Haritonov http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/05/20/no-free-lunch-department-richard-herley-takes-shareware-book-site-down/#comment-805270 Vladimir Haritonov Tue, 20 May 2008 13:54:47 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/05/20/no-free-lunch-department-richard-herley-takes-shareware-book-site-down/#comment-805270 What do you think about Community Pricing model by Logos Bible Software (logos.com/communitypricing). To my mind it's very useful model for niche publications. What do you think about Community Pricing model by Logos Bible Software (logos.com/communitypricing). To my mind it’s very useful model for niche publications.

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