Date: 2009-11-04 12:19 Subject: Cory Doctorow's experiment - Part III Security: Public Location: In my chair Tags: cory doctorow, publishing

I've already written twice on this subject, but it's time to add some additional commentary.  Part of this comes from wondering just what Doctorow is trying to prove - after all, I said in my very first post, if he's trying to provide a proof-of-concept that free online marketing works, he's a few years too late.  Publishers picked up on that ages ago.  If there is an original development in his experiment, it's providing free audio books, which should help as well - after all, the audio book segment of the market is quite small, and can act as a gateway to the printed book market for new customers just as well as an e-book can.

But, for all of the ways that Doctorow is getting his online marketing right, he seems to be doing everything he can to shoot himself in the foot on other levels.  And now I've learned a new one.

Let me explain - having written two pieces already, I couldn't, in good conscience, let him go forward without at least trying to warn him about the pitfalls he might be facing.  So, I left a comment or two on his blog.  This started a small discussion, which ended with a recommendation from me that he cut out the middleman, deal directly with the printer, and limit his revisions to one every two or three months...and a comment from him stating "Good thing I'm not doing wholesale deals, then. As the article states, fulfilment is via Lulu."

Uh oh.

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