The idea of most of our authors self-publishing is laughable. And scary.
There is a lot that goes into a textbook and, more importantly, the supplements.
I work on approx. 1 project per year.
You're not friends. You'll never be friends. You'll be in love till it kills you both.
Spike ,'Sleeper'
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megan walker - May 08, 2009 8:48:32 am PDT #9958 of 25501
"What kind of magical sunshine and lollipop world do you live in? Because you need to be medicated."-SFist
NoiseDesign - May 08, 2009 8:51:12 am PDT #9959 of 25501
Our wings are not tired
I have a whole pile of "textbooks" that were bound batches of photocopies sold by one of the textbook stores next to the University. Something like 300 pages of photocopies bound into something that kinda looks like a book, and those would sometimes run as much as $50. I'd much rather get that in PDF format on something like a Kindle.
As it is I'm starting to buy as many of my reference books as possible for my current Kindle. I can actually carry it with me when I get on a plane, the bookshelf full of reference books doesn't do me much good when it is stuck in the office.
omnis_audis - May 08, 2009 8:54:43 am PDT #9960 of 25501
omnis, pursue. That's an order from a shy woman who can use M-16. - Shir
As it is I'm starting to buy as many of my reference books as possible for my current Kindle. I can actually carry it with me when I get on a plane, the bookshelf full of reference books doesn't do me much good when it is stuck in the office.I'm curious what titles you have in pdf! Would be very interested in that too.
Vortex - May 08, 2009 8:57:52 am PDT #9961 of 25501
"Cry havoc and let slip the boobs of war!" -- Miracleman
I have a whole pile of "textbooks" that were bound batches of photocopies sold by one of the textbook stores next to the University. Something like 300 pages of photocopies bound into something that kinda looks like a book, and those would sometimes run as much as $50.
yep, we called those "Kinko's packets". I used them extensively my first two years until Basic Books v. Kinko's ruled that it was copyright infringement.
NoiseDesign - May 08, 2009 9:03:32 am PDT #9962 of 25501
Our wings are not tired
I'm curious what titles you have in pdf! Would be very interested in that too.
The latest one is the 3rd edition of John Huntington's Book Control Systems for Live Entertainment, it's actually available in a Kindle edition. Beyond that it's mostly manuals that I download and keep in a folder on my hard drive, and now working on getting onto my server so I can get to it anywhere I have a net connection.
brenda m - May 08, 2009 10:13:31 am PDT #9963 of 25501
If you're going through hell/keep on going/don't slow down/keep your fear from showing/you might be gone/'fore the devil even knows you're there
yep, we called those "Kinko's packets". I used them extensively my first two years until Basic Books v. Kinko's ruled that it was copyright infringement.
Then you just had to buy them through the bookstore so they could pay rights and charge you $150.
Still more useful than 90% of textbooks.
le nubian - May 08, 2009 11:29:33 am PDT #9964 of 25501
"And to be clear, I am the hell. And the high water."
Then you just had to buy them through the bookstore so they could pay rights and charge you $150.
Which I really object to actually. In one of my classes, the faculty member had us pass around her articles and each of us made 25 copies for the class and they we collated after class.
How is this materially different than buying a course packet at Kinko's? yes, I know they were making a profit and had to completely change their business model as a result, but all it did was shift the behavior to the individual student and it was a pain in the ass.
brenda m - May 08, 2009 11:41:53 am PDT #9965 of 25501
If you're going through hell/keep on going/don't slow down/keep your fear from showing/you might be gone/'fore the devil even knows you're there
Wait, you object to the bookstore paying the authors for rights to their articles? I'm pretty sure that's not what you mean. Maybe I was unclear? The cost went up because the university bookstore was actually obtaining (and paying for) rights to reprint. Which is a good thing, painful as it was at the time.
The scenario you describe only differs from Kinko's in being way more inconvenient.
le nubian - May 08, 2009 11:52:50 am PDT #9966 of 25501
"And to be clear, I am the hell. And the high water."
being at the other end of this, I never have seen any royalties from materials I've written being used in classes. I thought this was a way that publishers hosed students, is what I mean. yes, of course I think authors should be paid, but I'm not sure they are.
I think a lower royalty rate should have been negotiated.
megan walker - May 08, 2009 11:58:14 am PDT #9967 of 25501
"What kind of magical sunshine and lollipop world do you live in? Because you need to be medicated."-SFist
I thought this was a way that publishers hosed students, is what I mean. yes, of course I think authors should be paid, but I'm not sure they are.
I can tell you that getting and paying for permissions is a huge process for us. From photos to art to cartoons to text, it can be quite expensive depending on what we are using.