Nathan Bransford - The Forums

Is it possible for authors to refuse to allow their work to be published as e-books?
Would it be professional suicide?
What if e-books were only sold in stores via some kind of flash-drive type device?

My thinking is that no matter how many safeguards - firewalls - whatever the h you call them - are put around downloads people are going to find ways around them. That's what they do.

Hmmph and here all this time we've been thinking computers were going to make life better for good people.

Sommer Leigh wrote:I think there is a misconception that people are "sticking it to the man" by downloading illegally. The publishing company isn't the one being hurt by it though, it's the author. The company might lose out on some sales, but the author is the one who won't be able to earn out her advance and get picked up to write another book.

Yes, that's true. But ordinary people usually don't think for that. They're seeing the company who is representing the author. This is why I said a page earlier, when you're talking about piracy, anykind of piracy, speak about three sides, not just two.

#1: Audience (In general)
#2: The author / the content creator / the development company (In general)
#3: The major company, a.k.a. publisher (In general. This is what many used to forget.).

Unfortunately #3 used to ruin things in many cases and #1 and #2 sees it's result, while #3 is washing it's hands. If piracy is appeared in novels, people, in our case writers should look after the source of this problem (Also I'm really curious what would that be, because just as we discussed with Margo and just as you mentioned, novels are a bit different then the other digital products, such as games and movies.). But if it's appeared, it's appeared with a reason.

Guardian wrote:Really? Have you ever worked as a company? Or have you ever did marketing? What marketing is all about? To grab the audience with anything to sell the product. Along with advertisement the lies are appearing, because you want to present that your product is actually better then the other one. The customers are used to be naive and they used to fall into this trap. Then the domino effect comes. Most of the companies are aimed to rip off their customers. What do you think?

I think it's ridiculous to say that people are helpless in the face of advertising. Except for the people who run the companies. They're not helpless, just everyone else.

Guardian wrote:How is it possible that a CD Drive what was made in 1997 is still working, yet the one that I've bought last year is already over? Because companies are aimed to sell more and more. If it's lack of quality, who cares?

You're talking about the Wal-Mart shopper, who never wants to pay what quality is worth and demands prices so low that quality isn't possible... leading to an inability to manufacture items domestically in most countries and resulting in massive unemployment in the manufacturing sector. So, yes, blame the companies, but save some blame for the people who didn't want to have to save up for a big screen TV. Gotta have it now now now. Well China gave it to you now now now, but it's crap and now you have no job.

Watcher55 wrote:Is it possible for authors to refuse to allow their work to be published as e-books?

As someone pointed out somewhere along the way, paper books have been scanned for download, so they will be stolen as well.

Margo wrote:You're talking about the Wal-Mart shopper, who never wants to pay what quality is worth and demands prices so low that quality isn't possible...

No, actually it's in general. I always buy quality, but nowadays even I can see the difference between the quality of a product; the one which was made 10+ years ago is still working properly and the one which was made a litte more then a year ago is already out of order (From the very same quality company.). That Wal-Mart shopper stuff is also a good example... companies are saying the people are demanding lower prices (It's in the advertisements). That's also not true, but it sounds good, because it sounds "We, the company are lowering the prices for you.". Really? No. In the reality check where those products are from, the same products what American people are used to grow or make in the U.S... but they're also exported to other countries, instead of sell it in the U.S. i.e. in my country these Wall-Mart companies are importing the matches from somewhere the middle east or from middle of Africa (Very cheap countries), while my country is invented the matches in the first place. So do you believe they're selling those no-name cheap matches because we want cheap prices? No, they're selling it, because our quality matches are a bit more expensive, then the one what they're importing from somewhere else.

Guardian wrote:So do you believe they're selling that match because we want cheap prices?

You don't want cheap prices?

So maybe we should all start stealing from Wal-Mart. They're an evil company. Even I think they're an evil company. For a long time I just refused to shop there, but if I just start stealing everything from them instead I can have a bunch of free stuff...um...while I'm sticking it to an evil company, yeah, that's it. Of course, they won't be able to pay their suppliers, but the suppliers shouldn't be doing business with an evil company like Wal-Mart.

Just like Saundra Mitchell shouldn't have put her book out through an evil publishing company.

[Edit: I didnt' mean to say steal, I meant we should defend ourselves from Wal-Mart...by taking their stuff. Sounds much more proletariet, no? :) ]

Margo wrote:

Watcher55 wrote:Is it possible for authors to refuse to allow their work to be published as e-books?

As someone pointed out somewhere along the way, paper books have been scanned for download, so they will be stolen as well.

By the thousands?

Where is law enforcement? Where are the punitive law-suits? where are the ass-whippings?
The way I see it there are two ways to prevent crime
1. ENFORCE the frikken law.
2. SURRENDER and quit calling it a crime.

I understand the need to at least make the attempt to convince people not to do something simply because it's wrong except that for too many people that's just an invitation. People suck.

Watcher55 wrote:People suck.

Yes, Foamy the Squirrel thinks so.

Watcher55 wrote:People suck.

Yep. But not all of them. :)

As someone pointed out somewhere along the way, paper books have been scanned for download, so they will be stolen as well.

Whoever want something for free, that one is always going to find a method to make it for free. I also meditated on this a long time and you can't do anything for it. But I also do know if you're stepping up against these people, they'll turn against you, as you can't understand their point of view, and that may cause much greater harm, then ever before.

You don't want cheap prices?

Nope. I always was a "quality instead of quantity" guy. My itsy-bitsy laptop is a good example for it. :)

Just like Saundra Mitchell shouldn't have put her book out through an evil publishing company.

I never said that every company is evil. There are exceptions. I also named a few. But companies are not that white and black as many imagine. Piracy is also not black and white as you imagine and that's what I tried to explain. To understand one, you must understand the other one.

If it happens to me there's only one thing I have to understand. This person stole from me and they can't turn against me because they already have. I will do everything I can to make that person pay and pay then dare someone else to do the same thing. I don't give a crap if criminals don't like me.

Point of view or no point of view - it's WRONG. Psychopaths think their actions are justified by their point of view.

Margo wrote:I think you have met the wrong people, Sierra, and I hope you meet other people, some people different from the only thing you think exists.

Interesting. 30 years on this Earth and I've only met the one.

To case it for you, there's some 'protecting' going on in a company. There's also software being used that shouldn't be. I spoke against both and was told that I had an attitude problem. I tried to talk about it at home and was told, by my preacher dad, that sometimes in life we just have to turn a blind eye and try not to change things. That my problem is that I'm too honorable and truthful, and that it gets me in trouble. I can't change the world, so I should just accept and ignore it.

And so people are selfish and greedy. Everyone of them. I thought they were friends, but it turns out, it was only so long as I was 'buddy buddy break the rules'.

People are dishonest, they lie, they steal, and they like it. Because they want to, because they're taught to, and because it's out there. If you want to stop it, you're going to get stopped, Margo. So why even bother?

Watcher55 wrote:This person stole from me and they can't turn against me because they already have. I will do everything I can to make that person pay and pay then dare someone else to do the same thing. I don't give a crap if criminals don't like me.

Who is a digital criminal nowadays? If a 10 years old kiddo would download your novel and / or would make a torrent about it, just because he / she loves your world, your novel and he would want to share it with someone, a friend via an open torrent, what would you do with it? Sue the kid? Come on. Most of the people whose are making torrents from novels are kids, most of them are not even reached their 16 years of age.

Guardian wrote:

Watcher55 wrote:This person stole from me and they can't turn against me because they already have. I will do everything I can to make that person pay and pay then dare someone else to do the same thing. I don't give a crap if criminals don't like me.

Who is a digital criminal nowadays? If a 10 years old kiddo would download your novel and / or would make a torrent about it, just because he / she loves your world, your novel and he would want to share it with someone, a friend via an open torrent, what would you do with it? Sue the kid? Come on. Most of the people whose are actually making torrents from novels are kids, most of them are not even reached 16 years of age.

Ten year olds have parents and they will get a call from a law enforcement and at least one lawyer. The courts can issue an order to keep the kid off the net until the age of majority - so yes I will.

Watcher55 wrote:Ten year olds have parents and they will get a call from a law enforcement and at least one lawyer. The courts can issue an order to keep the kid off the net until the age of majority - so yes I will.

Well, two different worlds we're living it. In my world, people used to find this ridiculous. You would charge a 10 years old, who doesn't even know what is the true difference between good and bad (Even with good parents), yet you would sue for why? For money. For pride. For greed. Great...

Actually you should be glad that a 10 years old is still reading and not any other novel, but your work.

At that point I wouldn't give a hoot in hell for the money. It's the principle. "This, young one, is what happens when you cross the line." The more people, whoever they are, are held accountable the more people will think twice about trying the same thing. That's why we have laws and penalties for breaking them.