tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13713642.post6500292830617134721..comments2024-03-28T11:03:41.050-05:00Comments on Unlocked Wordhoard: Witan Publishing's Sample BookDr. Richard Scott Nokeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01348275071082514870noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13713642.post-62254201070465454852012-03-13T08:16:42.391-05:002012-03-13T08:16:42.391-05:00Nice post! Thanks for sharing!Nice post! Thanks for sharing!customessayshttp://www.facebook.com/pages/Customessays/263409460338958?sk=wallnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13713642.post-55307808340656696072011-03-08T16:25:59.979-06:002011-03-08T16:25:59.979-06:00Scott, thanks for the reply. I think we're jus...Scott, thanks for the reply. I think we're just going to have to agree to disagree. All the reasons you give for charging a fee for your sample book (even a minimal fee) are things I would suggest should have been figured out before the endeavor ever went public in the first place. Of course, I'm totally skeptical of e-books anyway. I like your idea of bringing medieval studies within range of a grad student's budget, but I am not at all convinced that e-books are the right way to do it.Jason Fisherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05809154870762268253noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13713642.post-85105069945930389372011-03-08T10:15:34.989-06:002011-03-08T10:15:34.989-06:00Jason,
We discussed that very issue at length, bu...Jason,<br /><br />We discussed that very issue at length, but in the end there were several reasons we decided to charge the minimal amount: tracking the movement of money, testing the ways in which distributors "nickel & dime" authors, demonstrating to scholars new to e-readers how it works in practice, etc. It's been very effective so far in teaching us ways to protect the work of our scholars so that the authors of our first "real" book can be assured they will be properly compensated for their work.<br /><br />If you'd like to see the sample for free, we'll have a booth at the Congress at Kalamazoo where we'll have it (and perhaps a few of our other books if they're ready) on a variety of e-readers so you can examine how it works.<br /><br />Also, the Unlocked Wordhoard remains free and without advertisement. Although Witan Publishing will be charging, the Wordhoard will be available for all those unable or unwilling to buy an e-book.Dr. Richard Scott Nokeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01348275071082514870noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13713642.post-65312290456926754852011-03-08T09:25:43.509-06:002011-03-08T09:25:43.509-06:00Ack, no, no, no, no! You don't charge people f...Ack, no, no, no, no! You don't charge people for a sample! That runs counter to the very idea of a sample. Would you offer a sample at a deli counter and then say, "that'll be $1, please"?<br /><br />People have questions and you are essentially charging them money for the answers. I know $1 is not a lot of money, but it's made worse by the fact that this is the same cost planned for your "real" books ("generally only a dollar or two"). Perhaps the explanation is that Amazon and B&N don't make it easy for you to set the price for this publication to $0, but if so, that's a problem and not an excuse.<br /><br />I would like to read your thoughts on the philosophy behind the founding of Witan, but I'm not going to pay for it. That's the kind of stuff that should be on the Witan website. Samples are to be given away, end of story. Otherwise, call it what it is: not a sample but your first published "book", and invite people give you their opinions of it on that basis.Jason Fisherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05809154870762268253noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13713642.post-62185770235658969332011-03-07T16:37:27.777-06:002011-03-07T16:37:27.777-06:00Duly 'like'd. :) It looks like a fascinati...Duly 'like'd. :) It looks like a fascinating project, and definitely something I'll keep in mind!Hannah Kilpatrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06750010843246514032noreply@blogger.com