Neil Gaiman keeps a regular blog. It’s great reading for his legions of fans and for authors who wonder about the value of the web. His blog celebrated its 7th birthday yesterday.

In that time, he posted more than 1 million words. Although that is a big time commitment, I would speculate the effort helped his writing as much as it slowed him down.

Now for the interesting part. To quote:

One thing we’ve decided to do, as a small celebratory birthday thing is, initially for a month, make a book of mine available online, free, gratis and for nothing.

Which book, though…? Ah, that’s up to you.

He is running a poll this week. The winning book with be “out there, online, for free.” I’ll post the link when the free book is available.

A free book is quite an offer. He’ll gain hundreds of new RSS subscribers as a consequence. He consistently recruits an audience who feels connected to him because of his blog and who are much more likely to purchase the new book, movie, or comic simply because of that connection.

Direct Creative Blog had a post today about the above YouTube video. I loved the video. First, credit to Direct Creative.

Harlan Ellison gets very angry. He uses several bad words. It’s a great interview. Some money quotes:

“Everybody else may be an asshole, but I’m not. I said, “By what right would you call me and ask me to work for nothing? Do you get a paycheck?”

then,

Harlan Ellison: “How dare you call me and want me to work for nothing?”
PR Hack: “Well it would be good publicity.”
Harlan Ellison: “Lady, tell that to someone a little older than you who has just fallen off the turnip truck.”

then,

“They always want you to work for nothing.”

I know that my clients have an easier time paying for 2,000 words of worthless drivel than 200 words of tight prose that says more, says it better, and is actually worth the going rate.

I think Harlan Ellison knows that, too.

I was talking with a friend who is a Spider Robinson fan and an aspiring SF Writer. He tipped me to the information at the end of Spider Robinson’s latest podcast.

Spider Robinson, with 25 books in print, has a long-standing, well-established fan base. He solicited donations for his podcasts. According to his calculations, direct donations provide $2 per hour of compensation.

Undiscussed is the conflict between entitlement and reciprocity.

If I buy a book, the author gets his share (not a fair share, but that is another discussion). He wrote, I bought and read. Transaction closed. I might be a fan now, but I am not entitled to a second book.

What if I listen to Spider’s podcast, and decide to buy Variable Star, a book he co-authored with the deceased Robert A. Heinlein, a real life testament to the power of SF? Again, Spider wrote, I bought and read. Transaction closed.

But what about his gift of a free podcast. Was buying another Spider Robinson book appropriate compensation? Perhaps. But if the podcast provided value, shouldn’t I honor it the same way I am compelled to honor the effort he takes to write a book. The difference is I can freeload.

I believe I have the responsibility to pay for the podcast even if I buy a second book. Two separate transaction.

Also, I try to buy books from the author’s web page so that they earn an affiliate royalty which often is larger than the payment for writing the book.

—
My friend’s usual lament is, “I know I can be better than Cory Doctorow.” He won’t show me much of his writing, so I cannot handicap that comparison. But at $2 per hour for a reasonable SF author, maybe it’s time to pick a different genre or job. Or get around the we-take-92% book publishers.

“I can’t wait for Little Brother. I’ll write circles around that.” Wishful thinking, to be sure.

I don’t think Cory is worried yet. See Cory’s full catalog.

Remember: Doctor Who? Doctor Oh!
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The plug for Spider Robinson’s podcast, found conveniently on iTunes:

2/01/08 - Mindkiller
© 2008 Spider Robinson

In Spider on the Web #20 (Stories and Strings) I read you excerpts from all three of the novels represented in the LIFEHOUSE TRILOGY, the new hardcover omnibus just out from Baen Books. Because I was reading excerpts from all three books each one of them had to be very short and I ended up cutting at least one of them a lot shorter than I wanted to. I’ve decided to revisit it now: the short story “God is an Iron”, which later became the second chapter of the novel MINDKILLER. Musical selections will be performed by Spider Robinson. WARNING! Explicit language!