Drunken Owls and Other Delights

So last night I was thinking about how I love listening to new album releases as they're streamed online at various websites--I love the idea of giving something a full-album chance rather than a thirty-second sample once-over. This is mainly because I often take albums as a whole--there's the singles and the suites and so on, but there's always the one or two random songs on there that make me stop whatever I'm doing and pay attention. Over the last few years I've found quite a few albums that I loved that I'd otherwise not have paid attention to, were they not being streamed.

The secondary thing I like about these streamed albums, especially when they're grouped together with other new albums like AOL's Spinner (I'm still not sure if they closed that down or if it's merely being rebuilt...), is that it gives many indie bands a brief showcase. It's sort of like those old CMJ magazines that had the sampler cd inside--there are some well-known tracks, but there's also some otherwise hidden gems.

So last night it occurred to me...is there a literary version of this? I really think there should be, if there isn't.

[Bear with me here...if there is something like this out in the wild and I'm just oblivious to it, I'd love a link to these things if you have one. If not, well...feel free to steal my idea. :) ]

I'm thinking sort of like a sampler, perhaps: a website where you could go and read the first chapter or so of a new novel, just to check it out. Maybe you can download a txt or pdf file of those chapters so you can read them later on your Kindle/Nook/iThingie (and that right there is key as well: make the sample an across-the-board, non-DRM format, to reach the maximum number of potential readers). And in this electronic day and age, the last page of the sample can offer links to buy digital and/or physical copies, the author's website, and so on. [Note: yeah, I know this could be seen as giving readers yet another reason not to go to a brick and mortar store, but I'll get to that in a moment.]

I realized this would actually make a bit of sense, considering that one thing avid readers like doing when they're at book stores is to pick up a book or five, find a quiet corner or an empty chair, and read a chapter or so to check it out, see if they like it. The sampler would pretty much be the same thing--a free and quick read as a test drive. If you like it, come and buy it!

One of the reasons I thought this might work is that, a few years back when Tor went online, they gave out free copies of novels for a month or so--DRM-free pdf copies of full novels packed in zip files. Many thought it was a brilliant idea, because it introduced many readers to books they may heard of but never read. There's also the fact that many of the books were "Book One" in a series, so you got to check out the beginning of the story. Kate Elliott, John Scalzi, Jo Walton and other writers were more than happy to take part in this. Since then, I've seen various publishing websites do this type of giveaway every now and again, and it always has a positive effect.

So I'm thinking--how about some kind of site based on distributors rather than sellers--a distributor that would be willing to set something like this up, and do it right? I think a distributor rather than a seller would make more sense. I know Amazon has this to some effect with their "Check inside!" link to some of their available books, but those really aren't the best quality; most often they're middling-quality scanned pdfs of the book, and it's arbitrarily the first x number of pages, often cutting off midsentence. We'd need something more complete, a full first chapter or so, so the reader will be given the opening as well as a good stopping point.

I'm also thinking that with a distributor, they technically don't have to sell it--they just need to tell you where to get it. If the reader likes it enough, they'll order it online, or go to the local bookstore. That's exactly what the streaming sites for music are all about, right?

As mentioned earlier, yeah, this could very well be seen as yet another nail in the brick and mortar store coffin, but honestly, it really doesn't have to be. I understand that the life of bookstores has changed both for the better and for the worse, and the economy, and the closing of various box stores like Borders, and so on. But there are those out there who are still open despite all that, and I really believe it's because they're paying attention to what they're selling and who they're selling it to. They're not only stocking 50 Shades of What Have You and Dan Brown and all the Big Author Names. They're stocking the occasional quirky book, maybe some PoD titles of local writers...they don't just know their stock, they know what their clients like, and what they might like. A lot of music fans really enjoy playing the "RIYL" game ("Recommended If You Like [musician]"), and if you look at the notes that employees put on the endcaps in bookstores, they do the same thing as well. Having a site like that would definitely introduce more readers to authors they may not otherwise pick up.

So that brings it back--why not a multi-title, multi-genre "spinner" site where you can check out new releases for free? I know there are readers out there who would like to find even more books to add to their TBR pile... ;)


Okay...enough about that. I have some writing to do. :)

Not too much on tap this weekend...no operas/symphonies/museums/movies to go to... BUT!

We're going to the SF Library's BIG HONKIN' BOOK SALE tomorrow morning, where we'll be spending more money on books that we don't have room for! :)

Other than that...an attempt at sleeping in, and some housecleaning. Seems we've got some pollen and/or dust around here that's getting us all stuffed up so some dusting and vacuuming is in order.

And also tomorrow--call the Honda dealer so I can set up an appointment to give our car a once-over. It's been awhile, and we should probably get the brakes checked, oil changed, and whatnot.

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Oh, and also? WRITING! I need to finish posting the rest of the chapters so I can jump in and plan the rest of The Process of Belief. Then I'll be posting new chapters at edencycle IN REAL TIME. Ain't that a pip? :p