The debate on DRM is escalating

Thank goodness the debate on DRM (digital rights management) is escalating now that more designers, developers and consultants become more vocal regarding what has been often been described as ‘the big stand-off’.

Kat Meyer recently spoke with Neelan Choksi who is the COO of Lexcyle (they created the Stanza eReader software compatible with iPhones and Touches) and responsible for the company’s strategic and business development and marketing.

Read the full interview here>

Not only does the article touch on some of the issues relating to the resistence of some publishers to forge forward with a strategy for embracing ebooks and other digital publishing options, but mentions fair and square that more designers, developers and consultants need to advise publishers to ’start cutting or adjusting deals with authors and agents to go DRM-free’.

In the interview, Neelan says, “Every time I ask about DRM, the publisher usually points to authors and agents as the culprits who want DRM and the authors and agents point to the publisher.”

However, it really is about getting the balance right. Author’s don’t want to feel like they are being ‘ripped off’ by having their material freely distributed — without being paid for — and readers don’t want to be treated like ‘criminals’.

The hardest part I find, is when a client (author) has prepared their material and their very next question is, “Well, how am I going to protect it?” How do you formulate a response that they are going to understand; that the whole publishing industry is at odds regarding DRM. In one camp there are some published authors [out there] who have convinced their publishers to ‘give away’ their electronic/digital ebook of the same title for publicity and promotional purposes; to generate more awareness of them as an author prior to further releases, and in the other camp there are those that have their own ereader software that locks and ties the material tightly to their company only and is not widely compatible on other devices.

In the end, I tell them, it comes down to a personal decision. With the market moving at a high speed with consumers wanting to be able to not only download to their computers, but also transfer over material to their mobile iPhones and Touches,  consumers, I believe, will shy away from products which just appear too inaccessible to them.

And, realistically, it has been argued that it is the print-book industry which has an equal level of perceived impropriety when it comes to actually buying a book. How many books are loaned repetitively or photocopied or circulated in the second-hand market? The debate continues.

ePub is the new internationally accepted format by the IDPF (International Digital Publishing Forum) which provides for reflowable digital books and publications.

Does DRM make a difference to where and what formats you buy in? Please feel free to comment …

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Question regarding manuscript assessors and literary agents …

From time to time, I am asked by clients to research certain elements of an industry which will go on to contribute to their business development and stratgic operational plans I write for their business. I am also asked to collate and collect an assortment of associated information on their behalf.

I find it extremely helpful and beneficial to plug into the wealth of information ‘out there’ and consequently like to open up some projects for comments, suggestions and submissions. I sincerely value the contributions other writers, researchers and business colleagues make in this regard.

The current question at hand relates to the realm of manuscript assessors and literary agents …

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You may or may not know, that every now and then, a manuscript assessor or literary agent will come across a piece of work they believe is not only well written, but holds potential commercial value as well. The print publishing industry is contracting and has been for some time. There are only ever a lucky few who manage to have their efforts rewarded by actually getting published by a reputable publishing company. What happens to this terrific piece of writing?

The question to be answered is:

Will manuscript assessors and literary agents pass on and/or contract to an electronic publisher as they currently do for a print publisher?

To open this question up further …

• will literary agents be eligible for their 10-12% fees for electronic sales?
• what happens to the digital publishing rights if these have already been assigned to the electronic publisher, will a print publisher still consider taking them on?
• what do authors want, what would they be happy with?
• given that some ePublishers provide up to 50% royalties, will an author be ‘bothered’ with 3-5% from print?

If you’re a manuscript assessor or literary agent, I’d love to hear what you think …

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Comic Book Collecting In The Digital Age

Frederick Wright asks, ‘How can 575 comic books weigh less than an ounce?: Comic book collecting in the digital age.’ This is a very interesting paper for anyone interested in serious collection of comic books and explores the possible consequences for the comic book collecting hobby and the comics industry as a subculture traditionally based in printbegins to mutate in the digital age.

Seen in The Journal of Electronic Publishing (JEP)

The Scholarly Electronic Publishing Bibliography (SEPB)

Frederick Wright, Ph.D., has long been interested in how electronic publishing affects aspects of popular culture previously based in print. His doctoral dissertation, From Zines to Ezines: Electronic Publishing and the Literary Underground (available online at http://zinebook.com/resource/wrightdissertation.pdf), explored how zine publishers dealt with the rise of the World Wide Web at the turn of the century. Currently an assistant professor of English and the Pre-Law Program Coordinator at Ursuline College in Pepper Pike, Ohio, Wright, like most comic book superheroes, also has a secret identity, as the novelist Wred Fright. His most recent novel published on paper is The Pornographic Flabbergasted Emus (ULA Press, 2006), chronicling the misadventures of a garage rock band in a college town, and his most recent novel published electronically is Blog Love Omega Glee (currently being serialized on Wredfright.com), concerning two bloggers who fall in love while the world falls apart. Wright earned his Ph.D. and M.A. from Kent State University, and his B.A. from Bowling Green State University. He can be contacted at either fwright@ursuline.edu or wredfright@yahoo.com.

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e-Marketing ComTel Style – Ad-Subsidised Mobile Plans

Last year, ComTel released the first Australian advertising-subsidised mobile phone plan through it’s subsidiary, SMSPup.

How it works is, customers who agree to receive five advertisements a day, can save $19 off a $29 monthly phone plan. Additionally, customers who choose to ‘opt-in’ to the advertising component will also receive reward points that can be redeemed for a range of benefits including movie passes, travel discounts and used in auctions for devices such as handsets.

According to David Sweet,  ComTel’s CEO, the power of SMS advertising is the ability to convert advertisements into sales.

“To get a direct call to action via email can be quite hard,” he says. “But because people have their phone with them all day every day, you’ve actually got a much stronger call to action response.”

Ref: SmartCompany

Help With Your Online Marketing Plan

This is a terrific resource provided through SmartCompany. Before you start preparing your online marketing plan, get the best online marketing tips from Australia’s top entrepreneurs – for free!

Twenty entrepreneurs share real life online marketing tips and it’s well worth a read. It’s just one of the free resources available to you when you sign up for their regular free email alerts.  I personally have been receiving them – practically since they started as a company, and find them an invaluable resource for people in businesss.

You will need to go here to get it started>

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When You Get An Email That Makes You Angry

Email communication can be, at times, a most dubious tool …

It can be so difficult to gauge a person’s intention, their attitude or tone – particularly if they are rather ’short’ with their emails or not a good writer at all!

I have myself, periodically, received such an email; the kind that you ‘really just don’t know what they mean’ or you end up muttering to yourself indignantly, ‘how dare they!’

Well it’s at times like these, I apply the ’special rule’ in order to keep my sanity – and my job.

And that is, if you ever receive an email that makes you angry – apply the 5/8/24 rule!

Wait 5 minutes,

sleep on it for 8 hours,

then only reply after 24 hours – if you still want to.

And besides, it’s always better in the morning!

Happy emailing.

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