Problems with PUBLISHED AND SAMPLE CHAPTERS - Writers Forum

tan · 03-10-2007, 08:49 AM

Hi all

I am new here and have signed up to get some ideas. I have written a student textbook and it has recently been published. However, the publishers, who at present will remain nameless, have decided to put up chapters of the as samples for viewing. the book itself is around 15 chapters.
initially the said publishers put up a single complete chapter consisting of around 20 pages. If you downloaded the file, and then changed the number from xxxxx01.pdf to xxxxx02.pdf etc you could download the entire book at no cost as a pdf file. I informed them immediately when i discovered this and it was changed to random files around 1/12 ago.

Recently, i went to their site and downloaded the sample chapter which was 20 pages. Then suddenly a few days later they changed the chapter to another complete chapter consisting of 30 odd pages. I recently checked again, and now another chapter has been uploaded consisting of 100 odd pages! Naturally i was shocked and contacted the publishers who said it was normal for publishing companies to upload differnet chapters onto the web and rotate between the chpaters of the entire book every 2 weeks - so tehroretically one can download the enitre book in just over 6 months.

If you type in my surname into google, you are able to access the previously uploaded files and consequently around 50% of hte book is available to download. I also was trying to do some personal advertising of the boko to students, and a few have replied that they dont need to buy the book as the most important chapters are already available to downlaod free.

I spoke to the publishers who deny causing any harm - rather allege that this will help boost sales - and allege that this is common practise as practised by google and others. Please can someone advise me. The contract DOES NOT state anything of the like.

Many Thanks

Tan

Umogrim · 03-10-2007, 12:48 PM

I know nothing about being published, but common sense tells me that is completly wrong, because it is indeed like getting the book for free.

Rob · 03-10-2007, 01:50 PM

Sounds like you need legal advice. I'm not qualified to give it.

Cheers,
Omni

Mike C · 03-10-2007, 05:57 PM

Who is your publisher?

tan · 03-11-2007, 03:00 AM

Hi all

Thanks for the advise. However, i cannot name the publisher yet becuase when i decide to take legal action i am sure this will bias the case. I'll keep you all informed.

Cheers

Mike C · 03-11-2007, 03:49 AM

Don't be stupid. Naming the publisher - when we don't know who you or your book are - won't prejudice anything. I suspect what your publisher is doing is quite legitimate and will increase sales, but without knowing who they are or how they operate generally...

If you're too paranoid to mention it here, PM me. Or not.

aspiring · 03-11-2007, 05:15 AM

I would read your contract very carefully. I assume you don't have an agent. Where are you? Here in the UK we have a Society of Authors who will advise you on these matters for free (you pay a membership fee but it's not much). Otherwise you need to speak to someone who deals with publishing law.

I would be extremely annoyed about this, but non-fiction is increasingly being made available online and so I am not very surprised.

If your contract does not say anything about e-rights or online rights, then you should definitely speak to a lawyer - even if it does, you should check that they are operating according to what the contract says.

Mike C · 03-11-2007, 06:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aspiring

I would be extremely annoyed about this, but non-fiction is increasingly being made available online and so I am not very surprised.

I'm not sure I'd be annoyed. Trials (in fiction) by Baen and Tor show that making the whole text of a novel available online increases sales of the paper version. It's increased sales of some of their back catalogue, and it certainly hasn't harmed the likes of Cory Doctorow.

Authors naturally get ruffled at the thought of giving their work away for free, but try to remember that your publisher isn't a charity either - they exist to make money. If they are giving something away for nothing, you can be pretty sure they have a reason that's not wholly altruistic. Why not discuss it with their marketing department?

Jaala · 03-11-2007, 11:55 AM

Go through your contract and see if what they're doing is allowed. Your publishers don't make money unless they sell that book, so it's in their best interest to not give it away for free. Perhaps they're doing it as a promotional stunt of some sort.

Mike C · 03-11-2007, 01:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaala

Your publishers don't make money unless they sell that book, so it's in their best interest to not give it away for free.

I assume you didn't bother reading my post?

aspiring · 03-11-2007, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike C

I'm not sure I'd be annoyed.

I would be annoyed that they hadn't made this clear to me when I signed the contract, not in the issue itself.

Jaala · 03-12-2007, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike C

I assume you didn't bother reading my post?

I did, actually. I was giving my own two cents to the starter of the thread. I'm sorry if it seemed to run parallel to your own.

Mike C · 03-12-2007, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaala

I did, actually. I was giving my own two cents to the starter of the thread. I'm sorry if it seemed to run parallel to your own.

Contrary, not parallel. And therefore incorrect.

Jaala · 03-12-2007, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike C

Contrary, not parallel. And therefore incorrect.

Because any statement contrary to yours is incorrect?

I don't want to get into a snipping war with you. It seems we have the same general advice to the person in that the publisher wouldn't be doing something that would end up losing them money and to contact their publisher to see if there's a promotional reason behind it.