i'm totally on this

i've just read making sense of ebooks, after trying unsuccessfully to find a copy of a book already purchased by our lecturer. i'm now clued up regarding fair use, so i know that legally that's not okay... but i can't purchase an electronic version for my kindle because i don't have an american credit card, and i don't want to purchase the google books version because that entails installing various bits of software on different platforms (i'm not sure my netbook could handle that), and i won't be able to read it on my kindle.

so what's the solution? some day, we're all going to look back at this period of history and laaauuuugh. this morning i had a chat with aeroplane, who i've been discussing producing a graphic novel with: we have agreed on a general plan of action:

publishing houses pay producers upfront for works that they think will sell. much like chicken-and-egg record labels, not only is this gambling but it gives them major influence over what exists and what gets into people's faces through pushy promotions.

with the world moving to digital, and physical bookstores beginning to look like archaic labyrinthian temples to tree-killer worship, the costs of reproducing has dropped dramatically (to zero) and the only real cost that remains is the production itself. fortunately, there's an app for that.

most creative endeavours are commercial ones, and the bottom line for any artist is whether or not their work will be appreciated enough to make them, if not fabulously wealthy and famous, enough cash to settle their bills and get on with the next project. publishing houses used to be the barrier to that upfront cash, but now there are other sources.

as aeroplane repeated: "artists can't eat pencils". if we can't convince enough people to cover our expenses before we've begun, and we don't have personal capital to shed, then we probably shouldn't be producing this until we are wealthy enough that we can "for art's sake".

and when it is produced, as much as we hope to see a continuous stream of cash, there'll be no point in withholding goods that cost nothing to show. if it's a work of art, it carries a Great Message. the Great Message will be free, try-before-you-buy, and donations will be accepted. the work will immediately be placed in the public domain.

DRM is so pathetically last-century. as is copyright. we can only beat this from the ground up. artists: UNTIE!

[edit: so i figured, after all this ranting, that i'd try buying the google ebook anyway. and they don't allow middle-eastern purchases either! don't be evil, google!]