[books, music, copyright] Science Fiction & Attention Economy

[bridgetester]

Science Fiction is the Only Literature People Care Enough About to Steal on the Internet.
Cory Doctorowhttp://www.locusmag.com/2006/Issues/07DoctorowCommentary.htmlRead more... )

Comments

[zesty_pinto]

As odd as a phenomena as that second comment is, I know it happens. People that are popular enough can convince their fans to pay for something for them, among other things.

As for the first comment, I can only wonder if this means becoming an online-exclusive writer can still become a good venture.

[bridgetester]

Well, the fans of popular music stars will pay for their concerts, and fans of authors will pay for books... So this seems to be an extension of that popularity to other things. Cam Girls, for instance.

Hmm... as for online-exclusive writers, that depends on what the author expects to gain. Exposure & Publicity (assuming good quality), yes. Money, not always.

[zesty_pinto]

With respect to the Exposure/popularity, though, I can see that leading to the money in the end. Or at least a better chance of it. Hmm, maybe it's good to blog writing after all.

[bridgetester]

If people never hear about something, they're unlikely to buy it.

[majes]

I found the first article particularly thought provoking. I'm a writer and a game designer (for table-top RPGs); for years, I've been pondering whether putting my stuff up on the internet for free was the certain path to assuring that I would never make money at it or not. *ponder*ponder*

[bridgetester]

Stuff up meaning a system, scenarios, short stories?

You'll get exposure if you put it up, which might lead to a paper publishing contract or you could put it up as "donationware" (aka, send the author money if you, as the reader, like it)

[majes]

Stuff up meaning a system, scenarios, short stories?

Yes. All the above.

One of my thoughts about my system is putting it up in a wiki. That way other folks could contribute to the editing effort. The problem I have now is I am the only one working on it, but its become so large that it take me months to distribute any notable rule change through the documentation. Plus, I would like to get more play testers on the system, and that isn't going to happen if I am the only person GMing using this system.

[bridgetester]

A wiki would be cool. Plus it would let other players figure out how to exploit experiment with the system...