As a big fan and user of Netflix, I got to thinking about what the new Kindle Owner's Lending Library means for readers. Will a similar program as the unlimited streaming be coming down the pipeline, only with e-books instead of video?
I read this great blog post by author David Gaughran today, which addresses mainly this topic. I'm of two minds about the whole thing, really.
As a reader, I'm excited.
I love Netflix because I get free access to movies I wouldn't have otherwise purchased. That's basically what I use it for--experimenting and finding new, cool things to watch without commiting myself to buying a new Blu Ray or, God forbid, coughing up for a movie ticket.
If I find something I truly love, OR (more likely), Netflix doesn't have it available for free streaming, then I'll buy it or rent it if I've heard it's awesome. I still have a blu ray collection that I add to every year, so Netflix isn't cutting into my purchasing decisions just because it's free.
As a writer, I'm worried.
In the blog post I linked above, David closes with an excellent point about how we as authors want to get paid. If everything goes subscription-based, then we're basically agreeing to a flat rate, set by the retailer and can never hope to make more than that. Right now, I get to set my own prices, and the only things determining my earning cap are a) how hard I want to work to produce more content and b) reader interest.
There is no limit to how much I'm "allowed" to make! If I keep churning out great stories that people want to read, the potential is there to make a nice living.
However, if my only choice is to be locked into a flat payout (or even worse, some mystery payout like Kindle Select offers), then that will seriously suck.
I like being in control of my own destiny, and I especially like being paid properly for my hard work.
So, here's my question to you:
Would you use a subscription site as a reader, and if so, how do you think it would influence your book-purchasing habits?
This is a fascinating time to be alive :). Only time will tell how this all shakes out.
I read this great blog post by author David Gaughran today, which addresses mainly this topic. I'm of two minds about the whole thing, really.
As a reader, I'm excited.
I love Netflix because I get free access to movies I wouldn't have otherwise purchased. That's basically what I use it for--experimenting and finding new, cool things to watch without commiting myself to buying a new Blu Ray or, God forbid, coughing up for a movie ticket.
If I find something I truly love, OR (more likely), Netflix doesn't have it available for free streaming, then I'll buy it or rent it if I've heard it's awesome. I still have a blu ray collection that I add to every year, so Netflix isn't cutting into my purchasing decisions just because it's free.
As a writer, I'm worried.
In the blog post I linked above, David closes with an excellent point about how we as authors want to get paid. If everything goes subscription-based, then we're basically agreeing to a flat rate, set by the retailer and can never hope to make more than that. Right now, I get to set my own prices, and the only things determining my earning cap are a) how hard I want to work to produce more content and b) reader interest.
There is no limit to how much I'm "allowed" to make! If I keep churning out great stories that people want to read, the potential is there to make a nice living.
However, if my only choice is to be locked into a flat payout (or even worse, some mystery payout like Kindle Select offers), then that will seriously suck.
I like being in control of my own destiny, and I especially like being paid properly for my hard work.
So, here's my question to you:
Would you use a subscription site as a reader, and if so, how do you think it would influence your book-purchasing habits?
This is a fascinating time to be alive :). Only time will tell how this all shakes out.
It's definitely an interesting avenue to watch and see how it all plays out. I give Amazon credit, though, for trying new ideas and taking reading to new places ...
ReplyDeleteJust read about your success on Newbies blog, fantastic.
ReplyDeleteI am going down that route with my book which is based on true events. Lets hope I have the same results.
I am following your blog, please follow mine....
http://thewrongplaceatthewrongtime.blogspot.com/
Continued success Rebecca..
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