WEbook
WEbook sounded so good on the first glance at things. A way to put your unpublished work out there in front of other (potential) writers and get some comments, review information, and usually much needed feedback. When I first read of the information I was so incredibly excited. Heck, they have even have process by which you could get voted up as being a popular book on the site and even offered a publishing deal. The details are sure worth checking out though before you actually put your hard written work up on the site, especially details in the Terms of Use Agreement.
Check out the details in the terms and read this entry from Victoria Strauss, a blogger that shares some of the same concerns I have, even after an update to the agreements back in the spring of 2008. After reading both the Terms of Use and the comments where things are broke out going through each point one by one by this (and many other) bloggers I have t wonder what the folks at WEbook are thinking.
Basically I see this as the first group of people that had the book published via WEbook as a lucky based on the way things worked out. However, anyone individual writer who would put there book up there takes a chance that someone will put comments up there. From there it would mean sharing any royalties from any possible chance of publication. Of course the big thing is (or I should use the terminology the little thing to be more appropriate) the very little amount of any actual royalties that you, as the writer, would be entitled to if you were to get published.
It is, as i see it, a racket for the owners of the the WEbook site. If they get lucky and find a new hit best seller they are the folks that will really make the money from the publication of such a book.
Do not get me wrong, I love the idea of writing a book and working in an environment to allow for minor comments and even a subtle collaboration of ideas. I like it as an idea. I think it might even be such a good idea that I am considering setting up something of the same nature on a website. If I do though it will be with a very different structure as far as any compensation plans and contractual agreements.
March 17th, 2009 at 2:29 pm
I love webook but really, I kinda agree with you on the whole “terms of agreement” thing.