tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484180326012950400.post8374018700095601529..comments2024-03-27T23:55:17.673-07:00Comments on Flogging Babel: If You Give a Robot a Gun . . .Michael Swanwickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18389836784776252022noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484180326012950400.post-26441419985433190432012-06-11T07:29:14.932-07:002012-06-11T07:29:14.932-07:00Mostly, the publishers are panicking. The problem...Mostly, the publishers are panicking. The problem is that in the decade before e-books became practical, almost all the publishing houses were bought up by gigantic media conglomerates, which then imposed upon them business models that don't really work for publishing. So they were in pretty bad shape even before e-theft became a major problem.<br /><br />My agent is currently working on the e-books situation. So I should have some good news on that front relatively soon.Michael Swanwickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18389836784776252022noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484180326012950400.post-979905317505576152012-06-10T11:17:31.719-07:002012-06-10T11:17:31.719-07:00Just out of interest: In your experience, how are ...Just out of interest: In your experience, how are the publishers dealing with the situation? A few years ago the music industry pretty much missed the boat on online piracy by doing all the wrong things. Until iTunes came along to save what was left of their business. <br /><br />As somebody who owns almost all of your books I was rather surprised to see that so few of them are available in digital format. Available to purchase, that is. <br />And this is the point I don't quite get: the books are out there now already. What keeps the publishers from offering all of your books through existing channels like iTunes or Amazon or other online bookstores? A digital edition is not the sort of investment a new print edition is. Or are there some legal questions involved that I am not aware of?<br /><br />Best regards,<br /><br />Someone who would love to have a digital Swanwick-Library (especially your collections of short stories)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09318818896342000976noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484180326012950400.post-4099917880030254222012-06-09T13:50:27.069-07:002012-06-09T13:50:27.069-07:00Hopefully the fact that we'd be able to "...Hopefully the fact that we'd be able to "kill" robots with a clean conscience (and presumably no serious legal consequences) would stave off huge waves of robot crime. Assuming bots aren't cheap, we could probably make it less than cost-effective to send them out to do dirty work.David Stonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09983230505509685792noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484180326012950400.post-32036011898711331732012-06-09T08:21:07.161-07:002012-06-09T08:21:07.161-07:00I do have to wonder how How I Lost It actually ear...I do have to wonder how How I Lost It actually earns a living. <br /><br />Hey pal, surf over to Mr. Swanwick's website and read his short-short 'Pirates'. It's free, which should appeal to your sense of entitlement.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484180326012950400.post-31034589886528619922012-06-09T06:37:55.767-07:002012-06-09T06:37:55.767-07:00Duplicating cash would cause inflation, making all...Duplicating cash would cause inflation, making all money worth less and thus hurting everyone who owned money. Intentions matter less than actual results.<br /><br />The argument that digital theft doesn't hurt anybody took a hard hit with me when I was offered less money for my new novel than I got for the last one, which had "earned out," as we say -- made enough money that the publisher owed me more. Pretty much every writer I know is in the same situation.<br /><br />Hey! And there's a new justification. "If it weren't for digital theft, I wouldn't NEED the robot."Michael Swanwickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18389836784776252022noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484180326012950400.post-75547703102649808442012-06-08T13:12:18.087-07:002012-06-08T13:12:18.087-07:00Aha but what if all the robot did was duplicate ca...Aha but what if all the robot did was duplicate cash rather than STEAL it Now don't get me wrong I buy a lot of digital book but no anything over $10 that's where I believe gouging starts.How I Lost Ithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16812802070195699196noreply@blogger.com