Author Topic: Open discussion for authors and users regarding sharing ebooks (Read 22516 times)

Mr. Admin · « **on:** July 27, 2011, 10:27 AM »

Hi all

As you all might be aware that we had a heated discussion between authors and users from STP community regarding sharing of ebooks. So, we are starting this thread to try to find a solution which helps both authors and users.

Our aim: As the name and punchline suggests, our aim is to simply promote sharing among users in our community for mutual benefit. Our focus was never on ebooks but has always been on non-commercial material. We are seeing a huge increase in activity in ebooks section in recent months but that's all natural and organic and not endorsed by us at all.

As a middle ground solution we offer:-

To Authors:
1. A dedicated board for authors where they can engage their audience, promote new books etc.
2. A dedicated section for reviews and ratings, which they can syndicate with their blogs, other sites.
3. Ability to offer discounts and special offers to STP users directly i.e. cutting the middle man out.

And we request our users to:
1. Be polite and respectful to the authors whose hard work we enjoy
2. Buy books using the discount and special offers offered on the site, so that authors also get something back in return for their hard work.
3. Leave reviews and feedback so that authors are able to understand their audience better.

Benefit for Authors:
1. More engagement with their audience.
2. More potential sales and another medium of distributing their books.
3. Reviews and feedback will help in improving future releases.
4. More sales for new books with the already engaged audience.
5. Ability to engage users on a large scale.

Benefit for Users:
1. Ebooks can stay on the site with no legal risks to the site or the user.
2. More ebooks and content will be available to read.
3. Ability to interact with authors and other like-minded readers around the world.

Note:
1. We are not the first ones doing it on the internet but that was never our aim.
2. Any material posted is from users only.
3. It's very easy for us to say "No" to this situation and just continuing the way things are working. Posting-Complaint-Removal cycle, but we would really like to resolve this if possible.

Please post your replies in as concise and as clear manner as possible. Please try to be brief and to the point. No flaming.

jessadia · « **Reply #1 on:** July 27, 2011, 10:45 AM »

I think that this is a good decision on both the user(s) and author(s) ends. I have absolutely no problem at all with buying ebooks from this site- especially if they are offered at a discounted price from the authors. If that were to happen I must say that I would use this site for ALL of my ebook purchases (currently I use Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders and Sony's Adobe Digital Editions). I would also love to leave feedback and reviews on the books I read/buy and think that it would be great to hear what others have to say about books so I know a little bit about them (this would also help increase author sales and get the books recognized). I am totally FOR this idea.

flipflop · « **Reply #2 on:** July 27, 2011, 11:12 AM »

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I think that this is a good decision on both the user(s) and author(s) ends. I have absolutely no problem at all with buying ebooks from this site- especially if they are offered at a discounted price from the authors. If that were to happen I must say that I would use this site for ALL of my ebook purchases (currently I use Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders and Sony's Adobe Digital Editions). I would also love to leave feedback and reviews on the books I read/buy and think that it would be great to hear what others have to say about books so I know a little bit about them (this would also help increase author sales and get the books recognized). I am totally FOR this idea.

I agree 100%

Question... so say, I buy a book from this site... then post the file to share with others, that's ok? Would said author then still get upset b/c lets say it gets 75 downloads, and they are still unhappy it was shared? That's all i am confused on. I would totally rather buy direct from the auhor's or this site.

LivingInBooks · « **Reply #3 on:** July 27, 2011, 11:21 AM »

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I agree 100%

Question... so say, I buy a book from this site... then post the file to share with others, that's ok? Would said author then still get upset b/c lets say it gets 75 downloads, and they are still unhappy it was shared? That's all i am confused on. I would totally rather buy direct from the auhor's or this site.

Yep...I've got the same question. Can I buy and share in this site? Considering authors are not very happy about sharing (which was the whole point), I don't imagine them being happy about it.

zanne · « **Reply #4 on:** July 27, 2011, 01:02 PM »

honestly? i don't mean to be a Debbie downer but i dont think the authors are interested in any sort of 'compromise' they just want people to pay / not share their books, they have had all of the feedback interaction they need pre publishing

and im unsure how many authors would use our site for it to be successful on any great scale
is sharing to stop completley, are we not to post our ebooks or ask for ebooks?

i love that the admins took the time out to try and find a solution, muchos kudos, thats why i love it round here
x

intuition · « **Reply #5 on:** July 27, 2011, 01:13 PM »

I'd actually LOVE a dedicated board for reviewing and promoting authors. I've thought about messaging the admins about it regardless, since a lot of non YA books, I really only like reading them based on recommendations. I do feel this board would have to be heavily moderated, as with 2 boards people don't post correctly there. I've seen book requests in random parts of this site too. so i'm sure they'd leak on over to that.

I don't know that we'll find a middle ground. But it should be said that not all authors are against sharing, but i'd say the majority are. I do like the idea of giving them, basically free advertising. I have no qualms whats so ever with honoring my favorite writers that way, and I'd hope with all the downloading going on here no one else would either.

If nothing else comes from this thread I'd like to at least see a review/promote board. I'd also go as far as to not allow downloads on that thread, again so it stays true to the point ( if that's possible), as just reviews promotion. and to help keep the requesters out. I'd say links to the page on the forum where the book may be would be okay.

parkjessica · « **Reply #6 on:** July 27, 2011, 01:15 PM »

This is truly wonderful that you've gone to such lengths to set up a new board for authors and readers. I appreciate that you've taken the discussion and tried to do something very positive with it. For myself, I'm not sure that I'd be comfortable regularly engaging on a site that's major purpose is illegal file distribution and plagiarism... But I love that you've set up a place for people to talk books! Message boards and things like Yahoo Groups are great places for readers and authors to connect. It may have more success engaging authors if it were hosted at a place other than "sharetermpapers," but you may get some authors who feel differently than I do.

splant135 · « **Reply #7 on:** July 27, 2011, 02:06 PM »

Am i correct in the understanding that we can no longer share for free any ebook on this site? Or like the others have asked, can we buy and then share the book?

irenehollimon · « **Reply #8 on:** July 27, 2011, 03:33 PM »

I must say this whole discussion has been extremely interesting.
I have already identified myself as an unrepentant file sharer.
I've been sharing files since Napster was free and all the latest rage so I've had some time to reflect on my viewpoint. Ah yes I have all the usual mental baggage and it's probably all my mother's fault because she set me on the toilet seat backwards.

One thing I can't get really is this idea that what's on my computer isn't really mine. You can explain the law. You can talk about morals- whatever - but as I sit here, alone in the privacy of my house, in my birthday suit, there is an absolute belief that if it is on my computer, IT'S MINE!!!

If you don't want me to have it, don't put it on my computer. My creditors may disagree with me especially because I haven't paid my credit card bills this month but I really believe I own everything in my house. Common English language supports that. We call it my car. We do not Security Service Federal Credit Union's car- same goes for my house- it's mine not Wells Fargo's

My computer and all the files on it - mine

I don't understand why someone would allow something to be in my house and not expect me to make the best possible use of that item.
It's like they're parking thier car in my bedroom and leaving the keys in it and they don't expect me to drive it? How naive is that?

jessadia · « **Reply #9 on:** July 27, 2011, 07:19 PM »

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I'd actually LOVE a dedicated board for reviewing and promoting authors. I've thought about messaging the admins about it regardless, since a lot of non YA books, I really only like reading them based on recommendations. I do feel this board would have to be heavily moderated, as with 2 boards people don't post correctly there. I've seen book requests in random parts of this site too. so i'm sure they'd leak on over to that.

I don't know that we'll find a middle ground. But it should be said that not all authors are against sharing, but i'd say the majority are. I do like the idea of giving them, basically free advertising. I have no qualms whats so ever with honoring my favorite writers that way, and I'd hope with all the downloading going on here no one else would either.

If nothing else comes from this thread I'd like to at least see a review/promote board. I'd also go as far as to not allow downloads on that thread, again so it stays true to the point ( if that's possible), as just reviews promotion. and to help keep the requesters out. I'd say links to the page on the forum where the book may be would be okay.

I second this. I would love to see a dedicated board for reviewing and promoting authors, as well as not allowing downloads on that/those threads. I think this is a great idea and I also agree with FireWings that if not for me using this site there are TONS of books that I would never have read and/or even known about (and yes, I did actually $purchase$ a lot of them). I think that this website already does a good amount of promoting books and if there was a dedicated review thread I would probably check it every day.

I also wonder if the sharing is to stop? Do the authors that decide to participate get a say in if we do/do not have the ability to share their books? (Which, I can already guess, most of them will say "NO")

Aquakrystal · « **Reply #10 on:** July 27, 2011, 08:41 PM »

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To Authors:
1. A dedicated board for authors where they can engage their audience, promote new books etc.
2. A dedicated section for reviews and ratings, which they can syndicate with their blogs, other sites.
3. Ability to offer discounts and special offers to STP users directly i.e. cutting the middle man out.

And we request our users to:
1. Be polite and respectful to the authors whose hard work we enjoy
2. Buy books using the discount and special offers offered on the site, so that authors also get something back in return for their hard work.
3. Leave reviews and feedback so that authors are able to understand their audience better.

First I love the idea of having a forum so that I as a user can share my love of books and thoughts with the authors. As well I understand that that downloading books for free is illegal and can hurt authors but I would hate for this site to stop having the ability to do that.

So just to understand...your going to encourage users to pay money for books or make it mandatory?

As well an idea I was going to suggest was perhaps have authors have a thread with a list of paypal accounts that people could donate perhaps 1 or 2 dollars to so that they are not completely ripped off.

sazzy123 · « **Reply #11 on:** July 28, 2011, 05:47 AM »

I think that the site should remain the same but also have somewhere that the users can donate if they choose to so that the authors can be appreciated too

japanenthusiast · « **Reply #12 on:** July 28, 2011, 06:40 AM »

Frankly if sharing stops here I've a feeling e-books will still be easily copied and uploaded elsewhere or a new site.
Authors also seem to be fustrated that as people we are uploading e-books and sharing which equals less money for them.
There was a post here where an author said that their e-books cost $5. Not so, most authors also have the same price for e-books compared to print books. It's a little wrong when as an e-book you don't get the same experience. A author and reader difference exists, I feel. All authors should lower their e-book prices and then people can buy more without sharing--my solution. But authors themselves need to gather together and decide in this matter. Or I feel readers will continue to upload e-books and share.

Oh, sazzy123's idea to donate is sort of a good idea, I just noticed.

minez1234 · « **Reply #13 on:** July 28, 2011, 07:10 AM »

i agree wholeheartedly that if this site was offering discounts and promotions i would be all over it!

atish · « **Reply #14 on:** July 28, 2011, 11:46 AM »

I'm sorry but I have a point
Some of users (like me) don't live in US or Canada or...
For example me

I live in Iran and you all know that amazon or any other sites that sell books doesn't work in iran
Now I have a question for authors

Hello all authors I really appreciate for your hard work
But please give me an answer
How in the world I can have English books??when in Iran all the English books is dictionary??I know maybe I'm not lucky that I live in Iran but it's my country and I love it like all if you.please think that you live in Iran and really like to read english books what would you do??when I find sharetermpapers I was so happy that I could find a site that have direct download and you dont have to go to 4shared or...(because in Iran they all filter)and now authors are angry that some(kind) people who buy ther book now share ther book. I think in every country when people buy something they own it and they can do whatever they want to do with it.when users have a book and other people need that book is there something wrong about share it? I THINK NOT THEY OWN IT

So thank you all and I'm sorry that my English write is so sucks sorry sorry

Mr. Admin · « **Reply #15 on:** July 29, 2011, 03:14 AM »

Hi all

We agree with most of the comments but looks like we still haven't reached a consensus yet. We need input from authors which is missing because for every author post we get tons of replies from users which becomes hard for them to address without heating up the discussion.

So, to resolve this I am creating 2 separate threads, 1 for users and 1 for authors. It will still be an open discussion but we will be the voice of users to authors and vice-versa.

Discussion for authors: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login
Discussion for users: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

Hope we are able to find a win-win situation.

Regards
STP Admin

Open discussion for authors and users regarding sharing ebooks