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, in Kindle (e-book) I’ve already looked into this in the past and there’s several reasons why I haven’t done it yet and don’t plan to do it any time soon.First, I really don’t trust the format. It has already been cracked and it presents a number of problems. Anyone can just crack the file, edit and basically steal your work. I’ve already seen some of my posts under other people’s name, my first long essay, “Thoughts on Urban Survival” was found under the name of Diego something elsewhere. I really don’t want that to happen with my book.
Second, it’s a manual, something I made specifically to be used for reference, write on it, make your own notes and observations as time goes by. If you bought the book a year ago and you reread it this year you know what I mean: Unfortunately there’s more and more coincidences and more tips and pieces of information becoming relevant due to the economic crisis in USA when maybe a year ago it didn’t matter much.
Finally, I think its much easier to read anyway. I also think that some books (specially manuals) are worth having in paper, and I’m sure this is the case. A survival manual that can’t be accessed without electric power and a delicate technological gadget kind of goes against its own SHTF ready principles. :-)
FerFAL
8 comments:
On paper,... reminds me of the story about the Russians looking for something to take up into space to write with that could work upside down, when wet, was repairable, and cheap. After spending millions of Rubles searching for a solution, they came up with a pencil.
I try not to mention your work online specifically, just use links or tell them to buy the book like I had to, but it's not easy. You are all over the internet, proof that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery? Usually? But in this case you pay for it somewhat.
Lifestyles of the rich and famous.
I love Kindle and even invested in Amazon after buying one for my wife. It is a great product, a potential game changer for the publishing industry, and will "flatten" the publishing business. However, FerFAL's concerns are all relevant from both an Author's standpoint, and from why the book was created. Reference books in hard copy just make sense. Survival reference books should be on the most indestructible paper available.
Back in the 1990s the US military was trying to computerize communications and messages out to the battlefield. Someone put out a cartoon showing two soldiers --one of whom was holding a laptop computer with a hole shot in it.
The cartoon caption said: "A map with a bullet through it is still a map. A computer with a bullet through it is a brick".
A digital download product has many advantages for a person running a blog.
The blog users already have internet and would be able to download easily.
This will boost sales and it might help increase the earning per book because no need to print or ship anything.
!FerFal deserves to be paid for it work!
The drawbacks are mainly copyright problems.
This could be waved to some extend with frequent updates to the book - not much work if it is an electronic download - and so even those who get their hands on an "old" pirated copy might pay for the latest up-to-date version.
Not going to happen in south america but in the US and EU many people are like that.
Finaly the important pages can be printed out and kept save, even if the book is an electronic download.
So even if i DO respect the choice FerFal has made, I believe it is a missed business opportunity.
"missed business opportunity."
It's like watching a leaf fall.
Going to catch it? Gottta act fast?
Look, there's another one.
I read where Stephen King tried to put the first half of a story out for free and offered the second for a fee. I don't think it worked well but with a manual rather than a story people might?
I own the book and despite having a Kindle would have bought it in paper anyway. I share the thinking that I want my manuals in paper form; for example, I'm not going to take my Kindle out and use it while working on my greasy old motorcycle. Also, the idea of a survival manual that you might most need when the lights go out only on a Kindle is questionable. Despite the Kindle having great battery life, it's too easy to do something that breaks it.
as far as information products, books are the low end and go for the lowest price. people have a preconceived idea of what a BOOK costs. BUT, if you make this an actual MANUAL, where it is in a 3 ring binder, from you local copy shop, and then add in some other extra bonus that has value, and you can double your price. Its easy for me to say this, and it would be scary for you to double your price, but i would bet that you could do this. you are the only one selling this valuable info and if you double the price, you only have to sell HALF the amount that you did before. But I would bet you would sell nearly the same amount.
something to consider
Speaking as a fellow author, if people want to rip your work off, they'll do it however you publish (even going to the extent of scanning a physical book in and making a crappy PDF out of it). Think of it as a compliment on how good your work is if they do that - you can't stop them.
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