[stylist] BookShare and libraries

Sat Dec 29 23:05:35 UTC 2012

Donna,

I mean training a guide dog from scratch.  I hadn't thought of checking 
out options for publishing it in Braille.  That is an excellent idea!  
Thank you!

also I didn't mean that you had given up.  You have thought through your 
goals for the book and have formulated a plan.  I've read about some 
authors who give their books away for various reasons.  I don't think 
that's giving up either.  It's doing what is right for you.  I don't 
think success means making a boatload of money.  We all define success a 
little bit differently.  Whatever your goals for success are, I wish you 
all the best.

On 12/29/2012 4:44 PM, Donna Hill wrote:
> 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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