Can authors self-publish eBooks from their own website?
Technically yes. In real life, says Josh Tallent, no. ePub is a great open-source format that several firms use. The problem is DRM (copy protection), for which the bookseller pays a sizable fee. So you can sell your own eBook from your website, but you can’t sell a locked-down copy-controlled version of your eBook.
This is part 1 of a 3-part report on a talk eBook experts Josh Tallent and David Rothman made to the Washington Biography Group, May 2, 2011. Some of the details may now be out of date, but the broad explanation may still be helpful. <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/about"target="_blank">Smashwords</a>, for example, boasts of "producing DRM-less ebooks" on its About page.
Should you copy-protect your eBook? That depends.
Writers and Editors (RSS feed)
EBook basics for authors (part 2: DRM, or copy protection)
May 13, 2011
Be the first to comment
eBooks basics for authors (part 3, trends and questions)
May 13, 2011
Tweet
Among the trends David Rothman predicted in his talk to the Washington Biography Group was a subscription series for eBooks that would work something like NetFlix. Those who will benefit most from such a development, says David, will be "small presses and more obscure writers, who will enjoy more exposure for their works — the same as indie film makers do on Netflix. Readers will be more inclined to try what they’re already paying for."
Other trends Read More
Among the trends David Rothman predicted in his talk to the Washington Biography Group was a subscription series for eBooks that would work something like NetFlix. Those who will benefit most from such a development, says David, will be "small presses and more obscure writers, who will enjoy more exposure for their works — the same as indie film makers do on Netflix. Readers will be more inclined to try what they’re already paying for."
Other trends Read More
1 Comments
With Bookish, Publishers Compete with Amazon for Direct Sales
May 10, 2011
Three publishers (Simon & Schuster, Penguin, and Hachette), frustrated that few book buyers visit their company sites, have created Bookish.com, hoping it will become a destination for readers the way Pitchfork.com is for music lovers and IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, and Netflix Read More
How long does copyright last?
April 24, 2011
When someone asks if she can reprint a biography of her long-dead relative first published (probably self-published) in 1960. Among other things, the underlying question is, How long does copyright protection last? One person suggested "life plus fifty years," which used to be true but no longer is
Read MoreThe care and treatment of authors
April 21, 2011
An editor at Storey Books understands how special getting the first copy of her book is to an author. "Editor Gwen Steege made sure this copy got shipped to me as soon as possible, prepared like the treat that it is," writes Deb Robson's in her photo-essay 3 pounds 10 ounces (1.6 kg). Think of the book* as a Read More