Free books

Lately I've been thinking a lot about free books and what they mean for authors. Specifically, I've been wondering what the lack or presence of DRM (Digital Rights Management) does for e-books, and whether the unregulated sharing of e-books will spell doom to authors.

As a reader, I'm a big fan of e-books. I've moved enough times to appreciate how light they are, and how very easy to store. Obviously, my e-reader is not about to replace my bookshelves full of beloved hardcovers, but I see a real possibility that e-books will replace my collection of mass market books. After all, mass market books are, in my opinion, good in two ways: they're affordable, and they're portable. Electronic books are also affordable and much more portable.

Since I got my e-reader just over a year ago, I have actually purchased more hardcover books with the expectation that clearing my mass markets off of my shelves (and replacing them with digital copies) will leave more space for the books I really love. Now, mind you, I haven't actually gotten rid of a single book in that year+ but one of these days... Well, let's face it, I've always been better at accumulating books than getting rid of them. In my ideal world, hardcover books would come with a free digital copy, in the same way that some Blu-ray discs do... but I digress.

As an author, I worry that ebooks are entirely too easy to pirate, especially without DRM protection. DRM protection is what prevents you from reading a kindle file on your nook, or vice verse, and purports to prevent readers from copying their e-books and distributing them to the world for free.

However, even books with DRM are vulnerable to piracy. After all, there are computer experts around the world who jump at the opportunity to do things other people say they "can't," and who can blame them? The fact is that a sufficiently motivated technology expert will eventually be able to strip DRM from any file, if they can't already.

Which leaves me wondering if the advent of e-books is also the end of authors getting paid for their work. Obviously, I hope it isn't.

Still, there are a couple of authors who have given me hope: Cory Doctorow and Neil Gaiman.

Cory Doctorow, a journalist and sci-fi author, decided back in 2003 to make all of his books available for free as e-books. He releases his books under a Creative Commons license agreement which gives the reader the right to share and adapt the e-book provided he or she do so in a noncommercial fashion, release any adaptations under the same Creative Commons agreement, and give credit where credit is due by attributing the original work to the author.

Doctorow explains his decision in a Forbes article here. Essentially, Doctorow encourages his readers to download and share his e-books, with only one request, that, if they like the book, they, "buy it or donate a copy to a worthy, cash-strapped institution." Since his books have consistently outperformed his publisher's sales expectations, there is reason to believe that, at least in his case, free e-books actually stimulate sales.

Neil Gaiman has not gone to the same extremes, though he has released some of his books for free for a limited period of time. Gaiman, a sci-fi/fantasy author is a patron of the Open Rights Group which is a group in the UK that works to protect digital rights. Last year they interviewed him, and recently a clip from that interview went viral. Gaiman also posted a blog entry on the issue here. In the interview Gaiman made a particularly interesting point. He points out (I'm paraphrasing, watch the video for his exact wording) that if you think about your favorite authors, the ones who have published multiple books, and think about how you got your first book by that author, chances are you got it for free.

And, at least in my case, he's right. I borrowed my first Connie Willis book from my mother-in-law, my first Jasper Fforde from my mother, my first Gwen Bristow from the library (and my second, third, fourth and fifth since her books were out of print and it took me a while to track down good copies to buy.) If you extend the concept of "free books" to used bookstores (from which authors get no royalties), I got my first Jennifer Chiaverini for "free" too. Even my first set of the Chronicles of Narnia was a Christmas gift from my uncle.

And yet, when you look at my shelves full of hardcovers, those are the authors you'll see. In many cases a single free book led me to purchase multiple hardcovers. (In the case of The Chronicles of Narnia I now have two complete hardcover sets since it took me so long to find a set that was numbered in the "right" order.)

Of course, there are exceptions to that trend. I have purchased books on a whim, or on the recommendation of booksellers. I can even think of one that I purchased just based on the Publisher's Weekly review, but perhaps these are the exceptions that prove the rule.

In Gaiman's case, he found that when he gave away a digital copy of one book, it led to increased sales of all of his books... and when the promotion ended, sales returned to normal.

Of course, in the case of a prolific author like Gaiman, giving away a single book may be like giving away a single potato chip... it's a gift that will make the recipient come back for more. For those of us with fewer titles to our name, giving away one book might be akin to giving away the entire bag.

There is so much more to this issue, not the least of which is the impact e-books are having on bookstores. It's a complicated issue, and one that I doubt we will fully understand for a few years. In the meantime, all I can do is hope that the future holds a sustainable market for authors, and that readers continue to support the writers they enjoy.

I know I will.

What about you? How do you feel about e-books, DRM, and the potential of piracy? Who are your favorite authors, and how did you first encounter their work?

Short blog for the long weekend

Remember that feeling on the last day of school? Remember stepping off of the school bus and knowing you didn't have to worry about classes for three whole blissful months? Remember the weight lifting from your shoulders as you absorbed the fact that your grades were in and there was nothing left for you to do about them?

Just savor that memory for a moment, soak it in. Pretty nice, isn't it?

Well, let me tell you, if you like that feeling, do not become a writer.

When your career is built around taking things out of your brain and putting them on paper, it's literally impossible to get away. Even if you take a day, or a week, "off" from work, your writing is there, pestering you in the back of your mind. "Does that plot twist make sense?" "Do I introduce that character too early?" "How should I wrap up that chapter?" It goes with you everywhere. Forget homework, writing is everywherework.

Not that I'm complaining. There are lots of jobs that are just as all encompassing, and I can't imagine one that's better than writing. Still, sometimes I miss that feeling.

My husband has the other kind of job--the kind that you literally can't bring home with you. Sure, he doesn't get that same carefree summer vacation feeling that we got as kids, but at least when he gets a long weekend, like this weekend, he actually gets time away from work.

I'll take some time off this weekend too, of course, but every moment that I'm not working, I'll know that I should be.

Our long weekend plans include a trip to (sniff sniff) Borders. This will definitely be a bittersweet visit because our Borders is one of the hundreds of stores that will soon close. Now, since it is up in Whitehall, Borders was never someplace we visited regularly (that area is far too congested for my taste), but it's always sad to see a bookstore close, regardless of size and/or location.

This Borders was good enough to host the Bethlehem Writers Group for two book signing events--one in 2009, one in 2010--and, alas, I was unable to attend either one. (One of the benefits, and curses, of having multiple authors in a book is the fact that there are often concurrent signings at different locations.)

Looks like my opportunity to sign at Borders, at least the one in Whitehall, has passed, and I'm sorry for it. Still, we'll drop by sometime this weekend to say farewell.

And then I'll go back to writing.

Happy long weekend, everyone!

New love

Ah, new love. That blissful getting-to-know-you haze of a new relationship. That time when your relationship is nothing but potential, when you wonder if you've truly found "the one." Okay, I just celebrated my 11th Valentine's Day with my husband (for most of them we were not yet married), but that doesn't mean I don't remember that feeling... and I'm pretty sure that's what the BWG is feeling right now for Reeves Library.

Reeves, like many crushes, probably doesn't return our feelings, but Reeves treats us well, which is just what we need after the brutal dumping we received from the dreaded ex. We just had our second date... er... meeting at Reeves, and so far we're very, very happy. Reeves offers all sorts of amenities that our ex did not... tables... plentiful chairs... lots and lots of electric outlets... I mean, it might be a bit early to pronounce Reeves as "perfect" but perhaps we should talk about bringing it home to meet our parents.

Of course, as is the case with any break-up, we had to make some new friends to fill the void left by mutual acquaintances who chose "Team Ex." In the case of this particular new relationship, those "friends" are obviously of a more corporate nature. For example, looking around the table (a table, can you believe it?) I noticed the logos on the coffee cups have changed, but change is good, especially when that change means leaving an ex who never really loved you in the first place.

In all seriousness, there is something so right about a writers group meeting at a library. It's wonderful to be able to read our stories without worrying about customers trying to get to the shelves behind us, or randomly stopping to listen to our unpolished drafts. And, in the current "Indie vs. Big Box Store" climate, it's much more politically correct to meet in Switzerland. As writers, we want to be able to promote ALL bookstores, and it's a lot easier to do so when we don't call one "home."

Of course, the BWG's relationship with Reeves is a college relationship, and it will be interesting to see what summer brings. When the library's hours change, will we be able to maintain a long distance relationship through those hot months?

But, right now, who cares? There's snow on the ground, and yesterday's roses are still bright and fragrant. Why spoil the early days of a relationship by worrying about The Future.

So, if you'll excuse me, I think I'm going to go write Reeves name in my notebook a few times.

What's in a name?

When I was young, I was lucky enough to get to see Billy Joel when he toured college campuses for "An Evening of Questions, Answers...and a Little Music." During this--do I call it a performance?-- audience members had the opportunity to go to a microphone and ask Billy Joel one question. I, being a rather shy child, didn't dare go up to the microphone, but I loved listening to the questions people asked... and, of course, the music.

There was one question that stuck with me in particular, and it wasn't "Will You Marry Me." (Incidentally, in answer to that question, Billy Joel took out a pair of binoculars to see who it was that asked, but then made some comment about being "over" his supermodel phase.) Instead, the question that stuck with me was when someone asked him which he wrote first, the music, or the lyrics. Turns out he writes the music first because, as he put it, when he writes the lyrics first the music turns out like this: and he played a few bars of "We Didn't Start the Fire."

This moment was playing over in my head today as I try to affix a title to my work in progress. Often I have a title in mind when I begin a story, but sometimes, as is the case here, I write the story without a title. This poses a problem for me because I am really bad at naming things. Whether it be stories, characters, or cats, I agonize over names for far longer than should be necessary. (Xander was nameless for several days when we first adopted him).

In this case, I have spent the afternoon going through dozens of titles, trying to find the right one for this project. I still haven't settled on the answer. Sigh.

On another note, one project of mine that does have a title, my recent short story Felicity and Fortune. is available to read for free here. I would say this was my Valentine's Day gift to you, but you might think otherwise when I ask you to vote for said story here. Top prize in the contest is inclusion in the anthology Jane Austen Made Me Do It so this is a contest I'd really like to win. In order for my story to reach the editors, it must survive the first test in the competition, public opinion. Voting will be open until February 28th, and only the top ten stories will go on to the next phase and the chance to be included in the anthology.

Felicity and Fortune is the story of young Laura Charles who must decide whether to marry the highly unsuitable Mr. George Bingley, or please her parents by marrying nobility. Those familiar with Jane Austen's work will surely know by the story's end exactly how these characters are related to some whom we both love and despise. I hope you enjoy it!

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

What to do after the All Clear

I know, I've been away for a while. You can blame Connie Willis. I just finished All Clear, but for the last week any moment that I haven't been reading, I've had that wistful "I wish I were reading that book right now" feeling that you get when you're really invested in a story. This isn't to say that I've been reading all week-- I'm a slow reader but the book's not that long-- rather, when I found myself debating whether to blog or just curl up and read, reading won out. My apologies.

But, I finished All Clear last night, and that leaves me with the sad, nostalgic feeling you get when you finish one of those great books that haunt you in the hours you're not reading them. It's a feeling like the end of vacation when you say goodbye to all your new friends and know you'll never have quite the same relationship with them again. Of course, I'll reread All Clear-- Connie Willis' books are so intricate that they're well worth rereading-- but it just won't be the same as the first time I take their journey with them, not knowing the outcome.

This feeling leaves me in a bit of a quandary, however. What should I read next? I have a wealth of books "to read" (as you can tell from my Goodreads shelf), but the choice of which to select is not obvious. I want something that's good-- obviously-- but something sufficiently different from the book I just finished. I will not, for example, pick up either of the "new-to-me" Connie Willis books I have waiting on my shelf, because I would hate for them to get mixed up in my mind with All Clear. Each of Connie Willis' stories deserves its own distinct place in my brain, and until I've gotten over the mourning process of having finished All Clear, I won't pick up more Willis.

On the other end of the spectrum, I have a couple of books by Sophie Kinsella that I've been looking forward to. Anyone who has read both Willis and Kinsella will understand that they are very different authors. Each lady writes delightful and enjoyable fiction, but I turn to Kinsella when I want to give my brain a break, and to Willis when I want to give my brain a work out. It's like the difference between potato chips and red wine-- both are delicious, but they're very very different from each other.

My first experience reading Kinsella was when I picked up Shopaholic Ties the Knot while I was planning my wedding. It was the perfect escapist read for that moment in my life-- if you're planning a wedding and you haven't read it, I insist you run out to your nearest bookstore and get a copy. These days, I love reading Kinsella when I go to the beach. I tend to collect her books during the year and keep them reserved for vacation. Every time I see them, it reminds me of sitting by the ocean, listening to the waves, and enjoying the time off. Ahhh, isn't that nice?

But, I doubt that Sleeping Arrangements or Can You Keep a Secret are quite the right tone for the middle of February... especially when I have so much work to do during the day. No, I'll save those for the carefree days of summer.

I could pick up Jasper Fforde's The Last Dragonslayer, or The Fourth Bear which are calling to me from my bookshelf, but I fear that they might be a bit too similar to All Clear. Certainly, the three books must be very different in content, but I feel that both Fforde and Willis tend to plunge the reader into a new and complicated world, and leave them to sink or learn the rules. It's a wonderful experience, and one I don't want in any way diminished by reading two books like that in a row.

I'm certainly not going to read Gwen Bristow's Tomorrow is Forever just yet. I think it might be my last "new" Bristow book, so I'm saving it for a special occasion.

I guess I'm leaning toward Jennifer Chiaverini's The Quilter's Kitchen. It has a few things going for it. First, the world of the Elm Creek Quilters is well established in my mind, so it's not going to have the same feel as picking up another Willis or Fforde. Second, it's a hardcover book, which means I won't read it at the beach. Third, Chiaverini is still writing in this series, so I don't have to worry about squandering one of her books. Fourth, I've already "read" the book that comes before it, and the book that comes after it in the series on audio, so reading this one will mean I'm no longer missing any pieces of the puzzle. Finally, I think it might just be the perfect balm for my melancholy All Clear mourning.

What about you? What are you reading these days? What do you do when you finish a book you loved so much it became a preoccupation?

In case you're interested, here's a link to my Goodreads review of All Clear... it should come as no surprise to you that I give it five stars:

All Clear by Connie Willis

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

View all my reviews

Writing and Knitting

I just read an enjoyable interview of author Jessie Crockett found here in which she compares writing to knitting. As a writer and knitter, I love the comparison! I'm sure I'm not alone. Many writers are knitters, and vice verse.

Both knitting and writing are creative processes that people can do strictly for themselves. Many people knit or write for their own amusement, not worrying about how the end product will look to other people. However, both are far more fulfilling when you do them for others.

When you bring other people into the equation, suddenly you have to be a lot more attentive to the process of creation. If I'm just knitting to keep my hands busy, a dropped stitch here, or a loose end there, doesn't really matter. If, however, I'm knitting a scarf for my grandmother a dropped stitch means I have to get out the crochet hook and fix the problem before it gets worse.

Writing is exactly the same. When I'm writing an early draft (especially in November) I know no one else is going to see what I write... at least not in its current form. I drop stitches all over, write notes to myself, use words I know aren't perfect... in short, it's a mess. But then, when it comes time to revise, I have to go back and edit my writing, tuck in the loose ends, and pick up all those dropped stitches.

Sure, it's more work to write or knit for others, but in the end, I get to enjoy both the process of creation, and the knowledge that someone else will enjoy what I created.