Shimsicle - Inside IGLOO

One of my favourite authors, Paulo Coelho, recently made his books freely available on the internet and it resulted in increased sales. (Well, at least in Russia) I think this would probably work well for many established authors to promote themselves, allowing the public to see their work on screen before buying it. Even if an entire book is available online, I'm not sure I'd want to read it on the screen. However, I think Coelho hit on something that most publishers have missed out on. When I am talking to someone about books, inevitably, I will bring up Paulo Coelho because I love his writing and I will often offer to lend my copy of the book to a friend. People often don't take me up on this offer and life goes on.

However, with the book available in electronic format, all I have to do is followup with an email and send them a link. And yes, I'm the type of person to do that because I like his writing enough to want to share it with other people. People can read the first few chapters, get hooked, then pick up a copy to read at their leisure.

The desire to share good stuff has always been there, but the tools often just aren't there, usually because traditional media isn't willing to put it out there, often citing concerns like copyright and unfettered copying. The rise of the mp3 hasn't completely decimated the music industry; I doubt electronic versions of books will be a detriment to the publishing industry.

Click here to read the full version of Coelho's most famous book, The Alchemist.