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elfsCharlie Stross, Cory Doctorow, and the late Jim Baen must be giggling with glee today, and the poor sods over at SFWA are wringing their hands in sheer terror as the bulldozer of history approaches their cardboard clubhouse.
The Man Booker Prize is a literary prize awarded each year for the best original full-length novel, written in the English language, by a citizen of either the Commonwealth of Nations or the Republic of Ireland. I've actually never read a Booker prize winner, although I have read books by Banville, Atwood, Ishiguro, and Amis, so I suppose I have some casual interest in who has won. The prize has attracted criticism in recent years for nominating "dark and unreadable" books to the prize.
To counter that charge, the Booker Prize Foundation is now negotiating with the nominees to put all its shortlist nominees online, free for download.
The article says, "The downloads will not impact on sales, it is thought. If readers like a novel tasted on the internet, they may just be inspired to buy the actual book." One publisher poohs the idea, saying that an excerpt would be better and that this is just an experiment along the lines of Radiohead's "any price you want" album release last month.
The Man Booker Prize is a literary prize awarded each year for the best original full-length novel, written in the English language, by a citizen of either the Commonwealth of Nations or the Republic of Ireland. I've actually never read a Booker prize winner, although I have read books by Banville, Atwood, Ishiguro, and Amis, so I suppose I have some casual interest in who has won. The prize has attracted criticism in recent years for nominating "dark and unreadable" books to the prize.
To counter that charge, the Booker Prize Foundation is now negotiating with the nominees to put all its shortlist nominees online, free for download.
The article says, "The downloads will not impact on sales, it is thought. If readers like a novel tasted on the internet, they may just be inspired to buy the actual book." One publisher poohs the idea, saying that an excerpt would be better and that this is just an experiment along the lines of Radiohead's "any price you want" album release last month.
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Re: "Free" is a great alternative to "unknown"
Date: 2007-10-20 05:31 am (UTC)I put more stock in my (and Elf's) crystal ball than yours. ;)
These are new times, with new distribution channels, new marketing models, and a population with changing expectations as to how media will get from producers to consumers.
The flailing about by the **AAs of the world is one sign of this change... and announcements like this are another.
A drop of water is nothing... but put enough of them together, and you have a tidal wave.
You seem very proud of your crystal balls
Date: 2007-10-20 05:50 am (UTC)In the meantime, some ball polishing might be in order.
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I guess this is the part...
Date: 2007-10-20 07:27 am (UTC)