[Libs-Or] HarperCollins-a different approach

[Linda Weight]

There is at least one publisher, Baen Books, that appears to have a
different philosopy about ebooks.  Look at the Baen Books Free Library
page:  http://www.baen.com/library/  to read author Eric Flint's essay
about free access to ebooks.  They have apparently been doing this since
at least 2000, in a very low-key manner.

Many, although not all of the Baen authors have some of their titles
available in the Baen Free Library, including David Weber, Mercedes
Lackey, David Drake, Lois McMaster Bujold, and of course, Eric Flint.  

On the Baen WebSubscriptions site, they also say, "Since 1999, Baen has
published its new books as ebooks each month, in several formats, with
no Digital Rights Management, through WebScriptions
(www.webscriptions.net), for a small fee. Now, this service will be
available at no cost to the disabled, who must apply for this
privilege."

Formats include ePub/Nook/Stanza, Mobi/Kindle/Palm,  Sony LRF,
Rocketbook, RTF and MSReader.   

Of course Baen also sells ebooks, and says that they generally only
make the first few in a series available for free in the hopes that
readers will like the books enough to purchase the rest.  It doesn't
look like this business model has hurt Baen.  

How appropriate that a publisher of science fiction (and fantasy)
should be so forward-thinking.  








Linda Weight
Librarian I
Siuslaw Public Library District
1460 Ninth Street
Florence, Or. 97439
1-541-997-3132
lweight at siuslaw.lib.or.us