[stylist] BookShare and libraries
Donna Hill
penatwork at epix.net
Sat Dec 29 22:44:44 UTC 2012
Julie,
We all have to do what feels right. You are correct about most of the
published authors not making any real money either, and I can see how
people might think of doing what I'm doing as giving up before you really
give it a try. I was still planning to promote it for sale to blind readers,
and I'm glad to hear there's an app to read Kindle on Apple products.
Perhaps, I'll just wait a little longer than I had anticipated before
getting it in the libraries.
BTW, when you say "owner training" your guide dog, do you mean the training
after you get a dog from a foundation, or do you mean training a dog to be a
guide dog completely from scratch? In either case, have you considered
contacting the National Braille Press to see about having them publish a
Braille version? They sell the books, though I don't know how it works for
authors.
Donna
-----Original Message-----
From: stylist [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Julie J.
Sent: Saturday, December 29, 2012 3:39 PM
To: Writer's Division Mailing List
Subject: Re: [stylist] BookShare and libraries
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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