Turns out the free market isn’t quite the perfect system of allocation of resources we all… ah, wait, most of us didn’t think that anyway – only right-wing maniacs have been sufficiently deluded to claim that in recent decades. But it doesn’t matter, because it’s driven by big business and our world is built to support and feed our alien overlords – so it’s not really a surprise to anyone that the EU is coming down on the side of Amazon’s monopolistic efforts in the name of crushing a potential cartel.
So let’s not even pretend I’ll ever make a decent living from writing. Other than the handful of authors who sell millions and can still profit from being gouged by the twin obsessions of Amazon’s pricing and internet folks’ desperation to get something for nothing, we’re all screwed. One thing we all know to be true is that, whoever’s been in government, it’s money that has power and the disparity between rich and poor continues to grow. This beloved financial system is responsible for the increasing price of petrol, food, housing… pretty much most things really. Should I be surprised that it’s screwing my future just that little bit more? Not really.
I was thinking that the new business model for art – pretty much any type – is going to be more akin to busking.
You put your stuff out there on the net, virtually protection free, and ask people nicely if they’ll pay for it to keep you making it. When Radiohead stuck up In Rainbows for whatever people would pay, half didn’t pay anything but it still averaged about £4, which (minus costs to host the downloads) can’t be that far off their cut from a CD in the shop. Although of course they were a well established band.
It’s not too bad for musicians, because people will always pay to watch gigs; that’s traditionally how most acts bar the biggest chart-toppers made their money.
For authors, it’s another factor because such live events don’t really work. Stephen King, of course, came a cropper a few years back with an online book. But the hope is that as people increasingly realise what they don’t pay for is likely to not be made, enough will start forking out. And we’ll still be left with artists who can make a living, and others who need to keep a day job.
What I do appreciate publishers for particularly is an element of quality control. You generally know that what you’re reading probably isn’t totally incompetent at worst (although that said…) The last thing as a consumer I really want is to have 500 stories available, none edited, and 496 of which aren’t fit to grace being scribbled on a loo roll.
I’ve tried charging people to watch me work – hell, even write out again stuff I’ve already published in the manner of gigging – and for some reason they’re not interested!
Interesting that some big US author has just turned down a 500k advance in the interests of going solo. Wonder if big thriller writers especially might end up being signed to music company style contracts? So if they make it big and sell loads, the publishers can still profit from the hard work they’ve put in rather than leave the author to go cash in.
I was thinking that the new business model for art – pretty much any type – is going to be more akin to busking.
You put your stuff out there on the net, virtually protection free, and ask people nicely if they’ll pay for it to keep you making it. When Radiohead stuck up In Rainbows for whatever people would pay, half didn’t pay anything but it still averaged about £4, which (minus costs to host the downloads) can’t be that far off their cut from a CD in the shop. Although of course they were a well established band.
It’s not too bad for musicians, because people will always pay to watch gigs; that’s traditionally how most acts bar the biggest chart-toppers made their money.
For authors, it’s another factor because such live events don’t really work. Stephen King, of course, came a cropper a few years back with an online book. But the hope is that as people increasingly realise what they don’t pay for is likely to not be made, enough will start forking out. And we’ll still be left with artists who can make a living, and others who need to keep a day job.
What I do appreciate publishers for particularly is an element of quality control. You generally know that what you’re reading probably isn’t totally incompetent at worst (although that said…) The last thing as a consumer I really want is to have 500 stories available, none edited, and 496 of which aren’t fit to grace being scribbled on a loo roll.
I’ve tried charging people to watch me work – hell, even write out again stuff I’ve already published in the manner of gigging – and for some reason they’re not interested!
Interesting that some big US author has just turned down a 500k advance in the interests of going solo. Wonder if big thriller writers especially might end up being signed to music company style contracts? So if they make it big and sell loads, the publishers can still profit from the hard work they’ve put in rather than leave the author to go cash in.