Un nouveau texte de Cory Doctorow

[jerome]

Cory Doctorow est remonté au créneau pour défendre le livre numérique.

Voici un article en anglais intitulé : Why free ebooks should be part of the plot for writers

Voici le début : "
You might know that I'm a science fiction novelist and that I release all my books online for free (using the excellent, free and simple Creative Commons licences) simultaneously with their print publication by mainstream publishers (HarperCollins in the UK, Tor in the US).

I've explained at length elsewhere exactly why I do this, so I won't go into detail here, except to summarise by saying I don't think we can stop others from copying – it's a lost cause. Copying is actually wonderful, and I have copied my head off since I first snuck into the photocopy room at my dad's office in 1980. My problem isn't piracy, it's obscurity, and free ebooks generate more sales than they displace.

With that out of the way, let's get down to cases.

First, why do we need publishers if we can just release ebooks and make the print available through one of the many excellent print-on-demand houses such as lulu.com? Well, a traditional publisher does a lot for you that is unrelated to printing books, from preparing the manuscript to ensuring that the book connects with an audience by wooing reviewers to talk the book up, booksellers to put it in the path of readers, librarians to put it on the shelf and, of course, by paying for a certain amount of marketing in the speciality and general press.

Releasing a book as a free download isn't newsworthy in and of itself. It was, once upon a time, especially when that book had the backing of a major publisher. Publishers are often characterised as being conservative about the net, so it was surprising when it happened. These days, many writers have convinced their publishers to dip their toes in the water on this, and it's simply not notable when it happens again."

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