Scribd.com, which has
sometimes been associated with inadvertently hosting pirated material, now is
becoming a publisher itself. You can upload your book or other work and set a
price for it. Buyers will be able to access the file and print out a copy on
their own printer or read it on their computers. The site will take a 20%
commission, you get the rest. It’s up to you whether you choose to use security
software that prevents your material from being downloaded or copied.
This makes Scribd a competitor to Amazon’s publishing program, which has dominated the scene for a while.
Here’s a video of a bunch of authors who talk about the service and the books they’re putting on it. There’s a hilarious section in the middle where each one describes his book and they’re all intercut. Hmmm, that mash-up sounds more interesting than any of the books individually…
PS: Browsing on the main Scribd site, where people upload stuff for free, I found a bootleg copy of a comedy writing book published by Writer’s Digest. I notified the publisher and they’ve told Scribd to take it down.
Just out of curiosity I checked whether they have a bootleg of Chris Vogler’s book, “The Writer’s Journey,” and they do—but it looks like someone who isn’t a very good typist has been at work. The table of contents includes the “gall to adventure” and “the road rack” (that should be call and back). However, the rest of the book seems to be correct. I'll have to let Chris know. More on this topic in the next post: "Whose Side are They On?"
