Free Little Brother for librarians, teachers, etc -- a tipjar alternative for people who loved the free ebook
Every time I put a book online for free, readers ask me how they can "tip" me for the download. The problem is, I'm not actually interested in tips, since these cut my publisher out of the loop, putting us on opposite sides of the free download equation. My publisher is extremely valuable to me, providing editorial and marketing and distribution services that I couldn't possibly provide on my own without spending a lot more of the cover-price of the book than currently goes to my publisher.
For Little Brother, I've come up with a solution that balances out my publishers' interests, my interests, the generosity of my readers, and the needs of educators and libraries.
Here's how it works: if you're a librarian, teacher (or similar -- someone who works in a halfway house, social center, or comparable institution), you can send in a request for a free copy of Little Brother. I'll post these, along with your institution's address, on a public web-page (I'm also vetting these to make sure that they really come from educators and affiliated trades, and not just cheap people who want someone else to buy them a copy of the book).
If you're someone who loved the ebook and wants to "tip" me, you can pay me back by checking out the list of teachers and suchlike in search of donated copies, and buy a copy directly for someone on the list, using Amazon, BN.com, Powell's, or your favorite mail-order house. Send in the email receipt (delete anything private first), and the teacher's entry will be marked as fulfilled.
I'm actually paying someone to manage this whole process, out of my own pocket. Olga Nunes, a friend and awesome web-developer, has agreed to take on the task of updating the page, vetting the entries, and answering your questions. You can reach her at freelittlebrother@gmail.com with your solicitations and/or donations.
So there it is: educators, librarians, social workers and other people who work with kids, send in your solicitations now! Generous ebook readers are waiting to send you free copies of my latest book!
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Please update on how this works out. It could either be a brilliant or a terrible idea; either way it is fascinating.
Applause! I _like_ the concept.
(My girlfriend independently came up with something similar: She uses libraries in reverse. She buys books, reads them, then -- if they're good enough to be worth reading, but not stunning enough that she feels she needs to keep a copy immediately on hand -- donates them to her favorite library. Not quite the same result, since those probably go onto the resale shelf rather than directly into the collections, but it's the same basic concept of "if you liked it, share it.")
My publisher is extremely valuable to me, providing editorial and marketing and distribution services that I couldn't possibly provide on my own without spending a lot more of the cover-price of the book than currently goes to my publisher.
Marketing is free on BoingBoing. I think that there's more to a publisher than just that. Having a relationship with a great editor who works for a great publisher has to be a great thing.
You should do an experiment where you offer a digital story or novella on line and let people pay what they want. I think five dollars is fair. There has to be a point where an author's popularity enables them to cut out the publisher. Not paper, just digital. And it would be a very green thing to promote. This would not be good for the publishing industry. I wonder if you could just have an Editing Industry for E-books? You have to figure paper books are going to be thing of the past before long.
To my fellow Librarians...have any of you cataloged this work and added the bibliographic record to WorldCat yet??
I expect it's possible to bypass the middleman and go entirely digital. The question is, does Cory really want to. Even writers who do start out works entirely digitally (books in series that publishers don't want but fans do) will happily jump at the chance to get those works published by a print publisher if it is offered.
Ebooks are great, and its terrific of Cory to give them away free, but it's still a printbook world and will probably be for some decades to come.
Also, like many legacy industries, there is more to the print industry than the obvious final output. Professional editors are incredibly important to the process of making good works. The industry supports paths for nurturing new writers and spreading information. It provides various ways for people to meet the people they need to.
The music and movie industries have/do serve similar rolls.
It's obvious that a digital transition is going to happen. The trick is going to be making it through while preserving the various necessary institutional processes.
Something like this, an experiment that explores the ideas of voluntary payments and digital works while at the same time trying to remain sensitive to the current industry process is very important.
Way to go Cory :)
Oh, and great book.
I work for SRS (Social and Rehabilitation Services) and though I'm not a social worker, I work in the IT department, I would like to see this in our 'library.' We have a bunch of books we give kids to read while they are here and waiting to be placed in foster care. I say kids but really it's anyone under 18.
A lot of people think I work for the devil, if you think this you're not alone. But these kids are going from a horrid environment to one that is more conducive to not being beaten and raped by family members. Sorry, I'm straying. I think it would be cool to offer this to them to read, if they read it and it provides some kind of comfort or relief to being scared or frustrated or any of the million emotions you get while being placed, it's worth it.
This is a great idea Cory. I guess what I'm wondering is if I qualify for this, since I work in IT and am not a social worker. Also, would it be considered poor ettitquette if I were to have some of the social workers here and at the other offices in our region to submit thier names. Would be cool to have a few copies in case some get stolen.
Also, are there any other authors doing this sort of thing? Would be cool to get more books, we rely on state money to fund SRS and there isn't a lot to go around; so all the books we have are donated from people. A lot of them are romance novels and inappropriate, more for the social workers themselves I think. Would be cool to get more age appropriate book for these kids.
Hellhead, you're just the sort of person I was hoping would sign up -- by all means, send in a request!
Regarding other authors -- no not that I know of. Someone should set up a service, though.
Interesting ideas, Jeff. One thing I like about physical books is the portability. I don't own an e-book reader or iPhone, and I don't necessarily have the time to sit in front of a computer screen and read an entire book. I like the physical act of holding a book and turning the pages, and sticking the thing in my bag and carrying it with me when I need to, and then hauling the thing out to show my friends a particularly good passage. (Plus it doesn't run out of electricity or require batteries, which are also green considerations.)
Cory, I've loved everything of yours that I've read (which, I think, is everything of yours). [Well, with the exception of Eastern Standard Tribe, which was only OK ;-) ]
You seem like a very pro-openness, pro-common sense, pro-privacy kind of guy...
Given that, how can you:
a) Promote the zipidee plug-in thing as a way to buy your book?! They wanted my *gmail PASSWORD* as a part of the sign-up process!! (They wanted it so they could spam everyone in my address book.)
b) Promote Amazon, originators of the one-click patent?
BTW, I started on Little Brother last night, and couldn't stop until I finished. Great stuff!
I think this is a very cool idea, and am interested to see how well it works. I already participate in Bookcrossing, which is similar but way less focused.
I'm curious, though, why it would necessarily follow that a tip jar would put you at odds with your publisher. Surely you could come up with an equitable agreement to split any proceeds from the tip jar, yes?
I'm all about paying for the music, books, etc. that I consume - I'm very aware that there's a lot going on behind the scenes to bring these products to us consumers. So I think it's essential that we all work together to find a fair way to reciprocate when authors and artists produce materials for our consumption. It seems that the current trend is moving away from _direct_ reciprocation, and moving more toward a what-comes-around-goes-around type of thing.
For JJR1971:
The record is up at WorldCat, so far 119 libraries have listed the title.
Free access version of WorldCat record for LB:
http://www.worldcat.org/search?q=ti%3ALittle+Brother+au%3ADoctorow&qt=advanced
We are still waiting for our copies at my system, but I hope to be talking it up to my teens very soon. The Instructables will really help sell this to my non-readers. Thanks for adding that bonus Cory!
Great idea Cory, but this adds to the wuffie issue - now you are not only giving away free e-books, but enabling people to donate physical books to those in need (and in Hellheads proposal, those in crisis). If you keep up this level of philanthropy when the wuffie system finally gets implemented you're gonna end up walking outside the next morning to find that your car or bike has been replaced with a Tesla Roadster (with a solar recharger of course) - because you deserve it :)
w00t! The last month or so, I've been looking for a way to repay you for the eBooks. This is a fantastic idea!
I really enjoyed this book. I'm currently passing it around to all the teens in my life, who don't have sources of income of their own yet. I'm hoping this becomes a series? Or maybe a comic book adaptation? *HINT HINT*
Ignatz, I'm just thinking in terms of the future, which will be here faster than we expect...me thinks. I'm talking out of both sides of my mouth; I want the world to be greener, but I'm not going to be the one to give up my paper book. Besides, publishers validate the product.
We dont have the book at my school library but I hope we will soon. Also however I can't read BB from there b/c it is filtered out for "adult content". :(
I suppose the problem with the "tip jar" is the possibility that the publisher could feel sleighted because the publisher presumably has no contractual means of accepting such donations. Why not focus your efforts on laying the legal groundwork for your publisher to accept such donations. Or simply use a "tip jar" to fund events where you promote your book, which is in your and the publisher's interest.
What a great idea! I'll buy one for some group even though I haven't read the book yet, because I just like the idea.
(And Hellhead, no we don't all think you work for the devil. SRS, CPS, whatever your state calls it provides a sadly necessary service, at the cost of getting blamed both for intervening too soon and too often and for not intervening fast enough or often enough.)
I like the model of free download/donate a copy if you want to repay the gift. I think it's actually a better deal than buying the book for yourself, because not only do you get to read the book, you also get to contribute to spreading ideas that you approve of, for the same price. That's why I think this model would work particularly well for any type of media containing an idea that people would like to popularize.
I have usually read Cory's books online and then bought a physical copy, largely out of a feeling of gratitude, but this model seems like a tastier way to do that.
I really loved the book, and my librarian at school is going to jump on this :D
I'd love to get a copy sent to my Grade school, Middle school, High school, and both colleges I've attended. I'll be saving up to do it, but I know it'll be worth it...
Great use of Economic Stimulus Money, send it to a UK based, Canadian author, who has vested interest in the details of US politics!
Yay, though I think I'll wait till the paperback version comes out to donate (more books for my money, and kids are hard on hard-cover spines).
I may be the first to say it here, but...
This afternoon, our school recieved a copy of Little Brother which was donated by a reader from Ridgefield, CT through this program. The Barnes and Noble desription says:
"I saw your request on Cory's site; I loved the book, I'm glad I could share."
Bless you, benefactor. And Cory, bless you, too. I've been walking around glowing for over an hour, book in hand. When people ask, I tell them that socio-economic networking is the best thing ever. And then we get to talk about stuff that really matters. And we all get a little closer, and a little more knowledgable, and a LOT more excited.
Thanks for making my job work better, for making our school easier and more fun, for connecting us to you and vice versa, for making the world. Thanks to everyone else, too, for everything else. Whee!
Off to find just the right kid and slip the book into her hand -- from there, I'll ask the kids to pass it along virally until the end of the year, and then we'll see where the book, the ideas, and the way it arrived here can take us.
What a great idea! It would be handy to include phone numbers, though, because Amazon wants to know them in case there's a problem shipping. Google came to the rescue for the six copies I donated to the California requests.
As an unexpected bonus, my Amazon Prime (free two-day shipping for a year for one fee) covered all the shipping costs. Sweet!