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Also posted this in the comments on the site, thought I'd join the discussion here. I appreciate David's perspective on piracy, but I also embrace and understa

Also posted this in the comments on the site, thought I'd join the discussion here. I appreciate David's perspective on piracy, but I also embrace and understand where Tim O'Reilly is coming from (Far worse to be irrelevant . I think I have the solution. Why not create an entirely new genre of content that offers a greater level of utility than static digital eBooks? Knowledge is getting created faster than it can be certified, and we need early-adopting gurus like you to light the path forward to new technologies. I'm particularly happy to pay for content on its own, particularly if I perceive that the original content creator is taking a lion's share of the profit. I know that may not even cross many author's minds, but if there were messages like "95% of the profits from this eBook will be contributed to the author, so that they will continue producing high value content", I believe more people would be inclined to purchase. Also I won't mention the name of my company here and get flamed for self-promoting, but I will say that I think there's a huge opportunity for publishers, authors, and content creators to disrupt a much larger, adjacent industry, education and its steady "diet" of certifications.

protomyth 15y ago
> I know that may not even cross many author's minds, but if there were messages like "95% of the profits from this eBook will be contributed to the author, so that they will continue producing high value content", I believe more people would be inclined to purchase. I doubt it. If they don't have the character to buy the book normally, an appeal to the authors needs won't help. You do know it takes more than an author to make a quality book (editor, typesetting, etc).
- piguy314 15y ago
  Type setting is trivial with LaTeX, the only real value publishers add is supply chain/distribution for physical media, editors, and promotion. The only part of that an online author really needs is an editor. I wonder if the move towards ebooks will result in skilled editors becoming freelancers who work on contract for authors directly? Does anyone have any evidence this is already happening?
- forensic 15y ago
  People aren't that black and white. Little statements like that definitely make a difference. A lot of pirates do it to avoid buyer's remorse, and finding a message inside appealing to them to support the author is hardly unnoticed.
  - protomyth 15y ago
    I find it very interesting that the pirate would care about the author but not care about the other people who put in the effort to get the book in a clean and readable form.

protomyth 15y ago

> I know that may not even cross many author's minds, but if there were messages like "95% of the profits from this eBook will be contributed to the author, so that they will continue producing high value content", I believe more people would be inclined to purchase. I doubt it. If they don't have the character to buy the book normally, an appeal to the authors needs won't help. You do know it takes more than an author to make a quality book (editor, typesetting, etc).

piguy314 15y ago
Type setting is trivial with LaTeX, the only real value publishers add is supply chain/distribution for physical media, editors, and promotion. The only part of that an online author really needs is an editor. I wonder if the move towards ebooks will result in skilled editors becoming freelancers who work on contract for authors directly? Does anyone have any evidence this is already happening?
forensic 15y ago
People aren't that black and white. Little statements like that definitely make a difference. A lot of pirates do it to avoid buyer's remorse, and finding a message inside appealing to them to support the author is hardly unnoticed.
- protomyth 15y ago
  I find it very interesting that the pirate would care about the author but not care about the other people who put in the effort to get the book in a clean and readable form.