[stylist] BookShare and libraries

Julie J. julielj at neb.rr.com
Sat Dec 29 20:38:38 UTC 2012


Donna,

I appreciate your thoughts.  I understand wanting to get your book out 
to as many people as possible and being comfortable with sacrificing 
payment in order to do that.

I guess I'm not quite in that same place.  Yes, I'd like people to read 
my book, that's a huge reason I wrote it.  I'm not willing to sacrifice 
the potential to earn something from the sale of the book though.

I'm supportive of programs like libraries and BookShare.  I use both NLS 
and my local library, although I have not used BookShare.  I think they 
are an important resource to all people.  However I do also purchase 
books.  I have purchased many ebooks, many more audio books and when I 
can't find a book in any other format I will purchase the print and scan 
it.  I think the main factor for me is whether or not I am willing to 
wait for the library to get the book I want.  For example the final 
Wheel of Time volume is coming out on the 8th.  I expect the library 
will make it available, they have all the other books in the series.  
However I want to read it along with the other fans when it is first 
released.  I intend to purchase the Audible book.  I see it as a way to 
support my favorite authors and to get the books I want when they are 
released.

I am aware of the issues with the Kindle hand held book reader.  However 
it is possible to read Kindle books on a nonKindle device.  There is a 
free ap for the Apple i devices which allows a person to play Kindle 
books on an iPad, iPhone or other similar device.  I don't think that 
I'm excluding blind people from reading by making my book available 
through Kindle, especially since it will also be available in other formats.

You are correct that most self published authors make nothing from their 
books.  I don't see that as a reason to give up before I've even tried 
though.  I'd also venture a guess that most authors that go the 
traditional publisher route also fail.  Most people who submit 
manuscripts for publication will get nowhere.  That doesn't stop them 
from continueing to try.  I think self publishing is the same way.  You 
have to keep trying and trying and trying until it works.  I think many 
writers fail to make money from their books because they give up too soon.

And I have to say thank you again.  Your comments helped me more than I 
realized to clarify my own thoughts on this topic.  I thought I was a 
lot more undecided, but reading back through what I wrote, I think I've 
sorted out where I'm at with this issue and how I want to proceed.

Julie



On 12/29/2012 1:02 PM, Donna Hill wrote:
> Hi Julie,
> First of all, congratulations on completing your book! As a fellow writer, I
> have also had to ponder this thorny issue. My novel is essentially done
> (except some formatting). My working premise has been that, since I spent a
> couple of decades  working on the book  and since the facts show that very
> few self-published writers even make $100 on their books, the idea of making
> money from sales of the book itself seems rather unrealistic. For that
> reason, and because my novel  has a blind teenage heroin, something in short
> supply for blind girls, I intend to make my book available on Bookshare, as
> well as Learning Ally, as soon as possible after it comes out in print.
>
> Also, I feel that I have personally benefited from NLS, for instance, when I
> could have purchased audio copies of books, which is a loss to the writers.
> Accepting the reality of my own loss as a writer with regard to sales to
> blind people seems fitting to me. I also have had the impression that some
> blind writers who marketed their work to fellow blind people ended up
> disappointed in their sales, either because they expected more support than
> their sales indicated or because they didn't accurately assess the market.
> Nonetheless, I'm sure that some blind people wish to purchase their books
> and will choose to purchase rather than borrow books written by fellow blind
> people. I'm not trying to suggest that you change your mind, just sharing a
> different perspective.
>
> I'm using Amazon's Create Space, and most  of their print on demand options
> also make it available for the Kindle. As for Kindle being accessible ...
> You're correct about the writer having the option to shut off the
> text-to-speech option, but that isn't the only issue. Amazon recently came
> up with yet another attempt to make the Kindle more accessible in response
> to the NFB's protest of their efforts (the Whispercast program) to get
> Kindle books into public schools. If you aren't aware of this issue, any
> organization like schools and libraries, receiving federal funding must not
> employ new technology which is inaccessible to blind students. According to
> the last press release from the NFB that I read on this issue, which was
> earlier this month, the latest incarnation of Kindle still has serious
> navigation issues. The ways you can navigate in a book (by page, paragraph,
> sentence, word, letter etc.) are still rather limited. If memory serves, you
> can't go by anything less than a sentence, which prohibits students from
> checking spelling. Also, I don't think it allows place markers. I'm not sure
> if they fixed the flaws which involve downloading the books or not, but for
> many years, a blind person needed help getting the books, navigating to the
> book  and activating the text-to-speech Option. All of this was way after
> the technology already existed to put blind readers on an even footing with
> their sighted peers.
>
> Apple and Google books do a much better job . One of my friends uses some
> sort of Apple e-book reader and loves it.
>
> That said, there are other options for getting e-books published, such as
> Book Tango, which claims to optimize their e-books for all of the major
> e-book readers. I can't recommend it yet, because I am just starting to
> investigate it. There is also Blio, which is supposed to be accessible,
> which I also have to look into.
>
> As I understand it, any Bookshare member can scan any book, for which they
> receive credits toward their subscription fee.  I don't believe it's
> necessary for the books to have reached a certain level of popularity.
> HTH,
> Donna
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: stylist [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Julie J.
> Sent: Friday, December 28, 2012 6:40 PM
> To: Writer's Division Mailing List
> Subject: [stylist] BookShare and libraries
>
> Hello all!
>
> I'm just about finished writing my book.  It's been two and a half years and
> finally the end is in sight.  I'll have to have a party or something!LOL
>
> Anyway I was planning on self publishing it through Kindle, SmashWords, i
> Books and other similar ebook vendors.  I was corresponding with a blind
> friend who is interested in reading the book.  she asked if it would be
> available through BookShare, because Kindle isn't accessible.
> Firstly, my understanding is that Kindle books are accessible through the
> Kindle for PC software or the ap for i devices as long as the author has
> made the book text to speech  enabled.  Is this correct?
>
> Secondly do you think services like BookShare are a disadvantage to authors?
> I'm very torn on this.  On the one hand I want blind people to have access
> to my books, but on the other hand I'd like to make some
> money from the sale of my book.    The topic of the book is the process
> of owner training my current guide dog.  I'm anticipating that a large
> portion of my readers will be blind.  If most of my readers get their copy
> through BookShare it will have a huge impact on my sales.  The price of the
> book will be less than $10, so should be affordable to most.
>
> I'd love to hear thoughts on this topic.  I'm still deciding how to proceed
> and I'd love your input.
> Julie
>
>
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