I got a notification today that Grave Distractions Publications can begin to upload our titles to the new Barnes and Noble Pubit system. After working on an ad for the Southern Festival of Books program and Nashville Scene, I dutifully began the process of signing up for an account. With any new distribution deal, I spend the eyeball bleeding process of reading the "terms and conditions" section before signing on the dotted line. Something jumped out at me in the TOS section that many of you might miss if you don't read carefully. This is taken directly from the Pubit TOS:
"Barnes & Noble shall have the right to institute a program whereby customers of any eBook Store can loan eBooks to others. A customer who has purchased an eBook may loan such eBook to one (1) lendee during a lending period. No more than one (1) copy of any one (1) eBook can be on loan from an eBook lendor at any given time. The lending period is for up to fourteen (14) days. By submitting your eBook for distribution using the Service you agree to allow your eBook to be distributed through Barnes & Noble's lending program pursuant to the terms listed in this Section IV.H. and as may be modified from time to time by Barnes & Noble, in its sole discretion."
I'm not sure what I think of this caveat to the Pubit agreement. I think I'll have a cup of coffee and mull this one over. I suggest that you do the same before checking the "I agree to the TOS" box.
As a nook owner I have to say that the lending feature is a wonderful benefit to readers. You can only lend once and there are folks who only buy "lend me" books.
ReplyDeleteI think that most publishers are thinking about this wrong. Instead of "Lending a book translates into a lost sale" they should think "lending a book will introduce the author to a new reader".
http://www.ManOfLaBook.com
Thanks for the comment. I'm at the crossroads of exactly that line of thinking now.
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