Webscriptions
Encyclopedia
Webscriptions is a web services company that has sold e-book
s without DRM
since 1999. It is closely associated with (but apparently legally distinct from) Jim Baen
's Baen Books
. Purchasers can download the same e-book in five different formats, even long after the initial purchase. The range is heavy on science fiction
and fantasy
.
and his company proved its worth and hardcopy sales increased considerably. Other publishers had to take note. At the same time, the e-business income raised revenues for publishers, and indirectly increased Baen Books's market share, particularly by increasing the number of hardcover
books sold per release. Part of that growth, is due to the Baen Free Library
which was launched nearly hand in hand with Baen's new e-books. The Baen Free Library is just that—about 100 titles that can be downloaded at no charge from Webscriptions in the same unprotected formats, allowing the customer to sample the wares, or read it as if found in the local public lending library.
The Tennessee
company that operates webscriptions, Webwrights, is a separate business entity that also does internet services consulting for fees. One of the services it provides is it manages and operates the popular internet forum Baen's Bar. In the strictest sense, Webscriptions really refers to the Baen Books decision to bundle parts of 4–5 books per month as e-ARC releases purchased as a subscription. "Webscriptions.net" is the Baen Books entry point into the Webwrights operated e-publisher "Webscriptions" (dot net).
The success of the site through the "Baen's filter or front-end" has also been described by New York Times. The project has been called 'innovative' by Wired
and New York Times and met with generally positive reception from many authors (examples: Charles Stross
, David Drake
) and general public. Baen currently is following the Webscriptions with another experiment in online publishing - an online subscription based sci-fi magazine, Jim Baen's Universe
, which non-subscribers can purchase single copies through Webscriptions. This follows the experimental [e-zine] that is now paying Pro-rates, The Grantville Gazettes
, and Eric Flint, Baen's Bulldog on DRM matters, is editor-in-chief of both entities. Additionally, through an arrangement set up with Jim Baen, all the Baen titles at webscriptions are free to the disabled, though this does not hold for other publishers contracted with Bailey's webwrights.
Webscriptions is different from most other online e-book selling ventures in that books are sold individually as well as in the Baen Webscriptions bundled and serialized packets of four or five books together. Webscriptions keeps the Baen bundles available on line, though the subscription price is slightly better—an incentive perhaps from the publisher to commit, but one which Baen barflies argued should be priced higher—an interesting demand from customers to say the least—Jim Baen eventually complied.
Each month, four to six as of yet unpublished works are made available for purchase as a group. The books are released incrementally. Three months before their official release date, only the first half of the books are available for download. Two months before their official release, the first three quarters of the books are available. The complete books are available for download a month before they are released in paper form.
Note that while the books are only partially available ('Advanced Readers Copy'), the only download format is HTML
, however once the books are complete, they can be downloaded in multiple e-book
formats including Rocketbook
, RTF
, Mobipocket
, Microsoft Reader
, and HTML
. None of the e-books has any Digital Rights Management
parts. This has caused some concerns among certain publishers and authors. Tor Books
began making books available via Webscriptions in March 2006, but pulled it within days because of pressure from the owning group, Holtzbrinck because of concerns regarding the lack of DRM, over Tor Books
' protests. There have been rumors that this will be reversed however. Tor has 16 books available including three ARCs. The ARC copies are priced higher than Baen versions.
, for example), meaning she can license those to another publisher in a separate original work. Original works over the years have been construed to mean in other formats and bindings. An e-published work is bound about as differently as one can imagine. This is why copyrights, at least in Baen printed works that first appeared as e-books such as Grantville Gazette I
, a copyright credit line says "Electronic edition by Webwrights".
E-book
An electronic book is a book-length publication in digital form, consisting of text, images, or both, and produced on, published through, and readable on computers or other electronic devices. Sometimes the equivalent of a conventional printed book, e-books can also be born digital...
s without DRM
Digital rights management
Digital rights management is a class of access control technologies that are used by hardware manufacturers, publishers, copyright holders and individuals with the intent to limit the use of digital content and devices after sale. DRM is any technology that inhibits uses of digital content that...
since 1999. It is closely associated with (but apparently legally distinct from) Jim Baen
Jim Baen
James Patrick "Jim" Baen was a noted U.S. science fiction publisher and editor. In 1983 he founded his own publishing house, Baen Books, specializing in the adventure, fantasy, military science fiction and space opera genres...
's Baen Books
Baen Books
Baen Books is an American publishing company established in 1983 by long time science fiction publisher and editor Jim Baen. It is a science fiction and fantasy publishing house that emphasizes space opera, hard science fiction, military science fiction, and fantasy...
. Purchasers can download the same e-book in five different formats, even long after the initial purchase. The range is heavy on science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
and fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
.
| Currently, listed genre publishers are: |
|---|
| 1632.org |
| Baen Books Baen Books Baen Books is an American publishing company established in 1983 by long time science fiction publisher and editor Jim Baen. It is a science fiction and fantasy publishing house that emphasizes space opera, hard science fiction, military science fiction, and fantasy... |
| Del Rey Del Rey Books Del Rey Books is a branch of Ballantine Books, which is owned by Random House and, in turn since 1998, by Bertelsmann AG. It is a separate imprint established in 1977 under the editorship of author Lester del Rey and his wife Judy-Lynn del Rey. It specializes in science fiction and fantasy... |
| Meisha Merlin |
| SRM Publisher |
| Subterranean Press Subterranean Press Subterranean Press is a small press publisher in Michigan. Subterranean is best known for publishing genre fiction, primarily horror, suspense and dark mystery, fantasy, and science fiction... |
| Tor Books Tor Books Tor Books is one of two imprints of Tom Doherty Associates LLC, based in New York City. It is noted for its science fiction and fantasy titles. Tom Doherty Associates also publishes mainstream fiction, mystery, and occasional military history titles under its Forge imprint. The company was founded... |
Webscription services
Webscriptions is owned and operated by Webwrights, a company which also runs Baen Books' website and the Baen's conference website Baen's Bar. Initially, the e-books offered were solely titles published by Baen Books, but in recent years webwrights, Inc. has picked up titles from other publishers and publishing houses as the Electronic marketing strategy adopted by Jim BaenJim Baen
James Patrick "Jim" Baen was a noted U.S. science fiction publisher and editor. In 1983 he founded his own publishing house, Baen Books, specializing in the adventure, fantasy, military science fiction and space opera genres...
and his company proved its worth and hardcopy sales increased considerably. Other publishers had to take note. At the same time, the e-business income raised revenues for publishers, and indirectly increased Baen Books's market share, particularly by increasing the number of hardcover
Hardcover
A hardcover, hardback or hardbound is a book bound with rigid protective covers...
books sold per release. Part of that growth, is due to the Baen Free Library
Baen Free Library
The Baen Free Library is a digital library of the science fiction and fantasy publishing house Baen Books where 112 full books can be downloaded free in a number of formats, without copy protection...
which was launched nearly hand in hand with Baen's new e-books. The Baen Free Library is just that—about 100 titles that can be downloaded at no charge from Webscriptions in the same unprotected formats, allowing the customer to sample the wares, or read it as if found in the local public lending library.
The Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
company that operates webscriptions, Webwrights, is a separate business entity that also does internet services consulting for fees. One of the services it provides is it manages and operates the popular internet forum Baen's Bar. In the strictest sense, Webscriptions really refers to the Baen Books decision to bundle parts of 4–5 books per month as e-ARC releases purchased as a subscription. "Webscriptions.net" is the Baen Books entry point into the Webwrights operated e-publisher "Webscriptions" (dot net).
The success of the site through the "Baen's filter or front-end" has also been described by New York Times. The project has been called 'innovative' by Wired
Wired (magazine)
Wired is a full-color monthly American magazine and on-line periodical, published since January 1993, that reports on how new and developing technology affects culture, the economy, and politics...
and New York Times and met with generally positive reception from many authors (examples: Charles Stross
Charles Stross
Charles David George "Charlie" Stross is a British writer of science fiction, Lovecraftian horror and fantasy. He was born in Leeds.Stross specialises in hard science fiction and space opera...
, David Drake
David Drake
David Drake is an American author of science fiction and fantasy literature. A Vietnam War veteran who has worked as a lawyer, he is now one of the premier authors of the military science fiction subgenre.-Biography:...
) and general public. Baen currently is following the Webscriptions with another experiment in online publishing - an online subscription based sci-fi magazine, Jim Baen's Universe
Jim Baen's Universe
Jim Baen's Universe was a bimonthly online fantasy and science fiction magazine created by Jim Baen . It is recognized by the SFWA as a Qualifying Short Fiction Venue. JBU began soliciting materials in January 2006 and launched in June 2006...
, which non-subscribers can purchase single copies through Webscriptions. This follows the experimental [e-zine] that is now paying Pro-rates, The Grantville Gazettes
The Grantville Gazettes
The Grantville Gazettes are anthologies of short stories set in the 1632 universe introduced in Eric Flint's novel 1632.The Gazettes started as an experiment: a professionally edited, officially sanctioned "fan magazine" published electronically...
, and Eric Flint, Baen's Bulldog on DRM matters, is editor-in-chief of both entities. Additionally, through an arrangement set up with Jim Baen, all the Baen titles at webscriptions are free to the disabled, though this does not hold for other publishers contracted with Bailey's webwrights.
Webscriptions is different from most other online e-book selling ventures in that books are sold individually as well as in the Baen Webscriptions bundled and serialized packets of four or five books together. Webscriptions keeps the Baen bundles available on line, though the subscription price is slightly better—an incentive perhaps from the publisher to commit, but one which Baen barflies argued should be priced higher—an interesting demand from customers to say the least—Jim Baen eventually complied.
Each month, four to six as of yet unpublished works are made available for purchase as a group. The books are released incrementally. Three months before their official release date, only the first half of the books are available for download. Two months before their official release, the first three quarters of the books are available. The complete books are available for download a month before they are released in paper form.
Note that while the books are only partially available ('Advanced Readers Copy'), the only download format is HTML
HTML
HyperText Markup Language is the predominant markup language for web pages. HTML elements are the basic building-blocks of webpages....
, however once the books are complete, they can be downloaded in multiple e-book
E-book
An electronic book is a book-length publication in digital form, consisting of text, images, or both, and produced on, published through, and readable on computers or other electronic devices. Sometimes the equivalent of a conventional printed book, e-books can also be born digital...
formats including Rocketbook
Rocketbook
Rocketbook may refer to:*Rocketbook , a series of video study guides*RocketBook, an early eBook reader...
, RTF
Rich Text Format
The Rich Text Format is a proprietary document file format with published specification developed by Microsoft Corporation since 1987 for Microsoft products and for cross-platform document interchange....
, Mobipocket
Mobipocket
Mobipocket SA is a French company incorporated in March 2000 which produces Mobipocket Reader software, an E-Book reader for some PDAs, phones and desktop operating systems....
, Microsoft Reader
Microsoft Reader
Microsoft Reader is a Microsoft program for the reading of e-books, originally released in August 2000.Microsoft Reader is available for download from Microsoft as a free program for computers running Windows. It can also be used on a Pocket PC, where it has been built into the ROM since Windows CE...
, and HTML
HTML
HyperText Markup Language is the predominant markup language for web pages. HTML elements are the basic building-blocks of webpages....
. None of the e-books has any Digital Rights Management
Digital rights management
Digital rights management is a class of access control technologies that are used by hardware manufacturers, publishers, copyright holders and individuals with the intent to limit the use of digital content and devices after sale. DRM is any technology that inhibits uses of digital content that...
parts. This has caused some concerns among certain publishers and authors. Tor Books
Tor Books
Tor Books is one of two imprints of Tom Doherty Associates LLC, based in New York City. It is noted for its science fiction and fantasy titles. Tom Doherty Associates also publishes mainstream fiction, mystery, and occasional military history titles under its Forge imprint. The company was founded...
began making books available via Webscriptions in March 2006, but pulled it within days because of pressure from the owning group, Holtzbrinck because of concerns regarding the lack of DRM, over Tor Books
Tor Books
Tor Books is one of two imprints of Tom Doherty Associates LLC, based in New York City. It is noted for its science fiction and fantasy titles. Tom Doherty Associates also publishes mainstream fiction, mystery, and occasional military history titles under its Forge imprint. The company was founded...
' protests. There have been rumors that this will be reversed however. Tor has 16 books available including three ARCs. The ARC copies are priced higher than Baen versions.
Digital Object Identifiers (DOI)
Under copyright law, an author sells not the whole rights to a work, but the specific rights of a work to the initial publisher. Specifically, in the fiction marketplace, the author retains "Second and subsequent reprint rights" (unless of course other rights are constrained by the purchase contract— most publishers will also at least buy an option on paperback rights when publishing a hardcoverHardcover
A hardcover, hardback or hardbound is a book bound with rigid protective covers...
, for example), meaning she can license those to another publisher in a separate original work. Original works over the years have been construed to mean in other formats and bindings. An e-published work is bound about as differently as one can imagine. This is why copyrights, at least in Baen printed works that first appeared as e-books such as Grantville Gazette I
The Grantville Gazette
The Grantville Gazette is the first of a series of professionally selected and edited paid fan fiction anthologies set within the 1632 series inspired by Eric Flint's novel 1632...
, a copyright credit line says "Electronic edition by Webwrights".
Webscription and DOIs
Early webscripton copyrighted works used the DOI system, but according to Arnold Baily, a change in the item registration process made the use of the system cost prohibitive, for essentially one DOI had to be paid for each of the five common formats desired by Baen's, plus the serialized e-ARC partial (serialized) monthly packages (now in their ninth year). Consequently, Webscriptions abandoned DOI's for Skew codes, which appear in much the same format and have a same originator prefix as their early valid DOI's, but use the prefix: "SKU:". On Baen's website, later Identification codes still carry the "DOI:" prefix, but are adaptations of the ISBN of the work. As noted, Baen's electronic works are provided by Webscriptions, managed and maintained by Webwrights, and hence neither companies seemingly DOI codes will or can be identified by the DOI registraton database. Moreover, same formatted versions on either service would have to have the same DOI, which is also not true, though it may have been true at one time.External links
- webwrights homepage (operating company)
- WebScription.net homepage