Clean Reader: Blessing or Curse?

I have seen a lot of discussion and comments over the past few months about a app called Clean Reader.  What is it?  Well if you haven't heard, Clean Reader is a app for Android and iOS that hides profane or otherwise "questionable" words from a book you are reading.  It has several settings and you have a choice of simply hiding the words or replacing them with cleaner equivalents.

Many people are shouting censorship and it should be illegal.  Well technically it is censorship yes, however it is on a per reader aspect.  The reader themselves decides if they want to use this app or not on a book they purchased, and then further choose to what level of editing to take place.  But it is not truly editing a work or otherwise changing the work, it is only done "on the fly".  The original file is never changed.  Nor are the edits ever saved in anyway, making it impossible for the edited version to be shared.

This is why I do not understand the controversy.  Many people do not care to read profane or otherwise harsh language.  It can ruin the book for them (depending on the language and how prevalent).  Some authors may be shouting from the rafters against the app, but think about this: if your book contains language that people feel offensive, they may actually read it with this app.  You just made a sale where you wouldn't have before.

Years ago I use to do this kind of "clean up" on books with a word processor via search and replace.  It didn't take very long to make the changes and put it back on my PDA for reading.  Some books I wouldn't have bothered reading without these changes, but it was a wonderful story with the careful word substitution.  Nowadays, I just do not have the time to edit books like that.  Some authors feel the need to use profane language in every single paragraph to make a point.  Personally I think it is excessive, but this is, of course, up to the author.  But it limits who will like the book as well.  If you can reach a larger audience, why not?  And your book is still there in all its original glory should someone wish to read it.

Something else to consider: many Television broadcasts are edited and toned down a bit for a wider audience reach (often where kids are in the audience for example).  To my knowledge this has not been fought over. In fact I remember the large issue that happened years ago with Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction."  People were very angry that this was even allowed to happen, and were demanding censorship.  Television broadcasts of box office movies are always known to be edited, either for content or time allotment.  And if you want the full thing, go buy the movie.  So again we have a instance of editing that most people don't have any problem with.  How is Clean Reader any different?  Except that now the reader has the power to choose the way the book is read, instead of  simply choosing to read it or not.

Red Warp II: Time Rock cover Reveal

The release of Time Rock is almost here!


Time Travel.  One man thinks he has it all figured out but what began as a simple test has turned something beyond his worst nightmare.  With his equipment failing all around him and lost millions of years in the past, only Red and James can save him.  Can they reach him in time?

Don DeBon is the author of Italian Fever, Red Warp, and Soulmates.  Currently available on  Nook, iBook, Kindle, Smashwords, Oyster, Scribd, and Kobo. 

The New York Times Has It Wrong: It is Plagiarism not Piracy!

In the past few weeks and months there have been many stories about people uploading books they did not write to Google Play Books and selling them.

But what is a Pirate? I have often spoken about piracy here, but what is it really? 

Merriam-webster defines a pirate as:

"Someone who attacks and steals from a ship at sea,

Someone who illegally copies a product or invention without permission,

A person or organization that illegally makes television or radio broadcasts"

So by that definition, yes the New York Times is, technically, correct. However I would like to suggest that the term "Plagiarism" fits better. There are different kinds of pirates. And sometimes it is hard to distinguish. One can become a 'pirate' (at least in some minds) by removing the encryption or protection from a eBook you legally purchased. Laws among different countries vary on this, some allow it, some do not.

Then there is the common understanding when it comes to piracy: downloading a book you did not purchase. One I am certainly against. But there are grey areas as well. For example if a book is out-of-print and you are not hurting the author/publisher then I do not, personally, see a problem. Some disagree but again if it is not worth it to the author/publisher to have it available then they really should not care if it is downloadable somewhere either. And on the flip side this might have a good consequence: the author staying in the mind of the public. And perhaps if there is enough demand, the author/publisher will rerelease the book (and if they do, always go buy a copy).

And finally there is the really really bad pirate. The one that this post is about. The lousy scum-of-the-universe type. This is the pirate that takes a ebook they have downloaded, uploads it to a retailer as though it was their own work, and collects the royalties. This is the worst kind and the hurts the author in many ways. Even if we don't mention the stealing of royalties that should be paid to the author, often the pirated books are not of reliable quality. Damaging the authors reputation. And in publishing, a reputation is the most valuable asset one can have.

Long before there were computers and technology, there has been plagiarism. Not only in literature but also art. Piracy usually means to steal and consume. Not steal and resell as though you created it. There are chop shops that steal and resell car parts, but they are not called car pirates. Everyone knows about downloading piracy but this new kind of uploading a work that you didn't write? Well that is just plagiarism plain and simple.

Don DeBon is the author of Italian Fever, Red Warp, and Soulmates.  Currently available on  Nook, iBook, Kindle, Smashwords, Oyster, Scribd, and Kobo. 

A Glimer of Hope For Nook?

Things have not been looking good for Barns and Noble's Nook platform.  Between site problems, devices not selling well, closing the Nook international stores, and continual bad policy decisions (removal of direct download ability of books for example) it just keeps going from bad to worse.

However they haven't throw in the towel yet.  A new e-ink device is on the horizon.  The FCC has recently approved a new Nook device, and while most of the details are unknown, we do know it is model BNRV510, manufactured by NETRONIX, has Wi-Fi and a Li-ion 3.7Vdc,1500 mAh battery.

B&N is planning a store "refresh" September 3rd, this may or may reveal the new device.  However being that they do have several cases listed in their store (although without images or descriptions) it can't be much longer before the device is announced.


With this new development, I would guess that B&N is planning on keeping Nook going until at least after the Christmas season.  I think Nook Christmas sales numbers will either make or break the platform this year.  Regardless I still advise baking up your libraries with Nook for PC (google for it) and if you wish to ensure you can read your books in the far future, remove the DRM with Apprentice Alf's tools (google for it) via Calibre.

Don DeBon is the author of Italian Fever, Red Warp, and Soulmates.  Currently available on  Nook, iBook, Kindle, Smashwords, Oyster, Scribd, and Kobo.  

The Nook Stuation is Getting Worse All the Time

Years I ago I bought the first Nook, or the Nook First Edition as they call it now.  Great little device and is, in fact, still my favorite e-Reader.  Granted I did root it and installed a few extra apps at one point so that I could do better searches in my sizable library, but other than that I have no complaints.

Sadly the situation with Nook has been degrading for some time.  As I posted previously, Barnes and Noble shut down the Nook internationally on August 7th with the exception of UK.  Up until then you could download the Nook app in iOS or Android to purchase or read Nook books.  Well here is the new wrinkle: they have apparently shut down the UK book store as well.  A man by the name of Hisham El-Far discovered on August 11th that he could no longer access his Nook library.  Every time he tried to use the Nook app, it popped up a message saying "Effective August 7th 2015 the Nook App for windows is no longer available outside the United States..."  

This is interesting because it says specifically "outside the United States" making no mention of UK.  Hisham contacted Nook UK support and received the following messages:

@HishamElfar Pls try signing out and back in. U may also try our other NOOK Reading Apps for IOS and Android. We apologize for inconvenience — NOOK UK Support (@NOOK_Care_UK) August 12, 2015

@HishamElfar We are no longer accepting MS Wallet as payment method, you may need to update your payment information on your NOOK account. — NOOK UK Support (@NOOK_Care_UK) August 12, 2015

When he stated that signing out and back in and he didn't use MS Wallet with Nook they didn't respond.  So what is even worse, they didn't tell their own employees about the shutdown.  Now perhaps this is a glitch, but if so why wouldn't the error message mention UK instead only the United States?

While I still love my Nook devices I suspect that Barnes and Noble will pull the plug soon.  Therefore I suggest everyone download their books using Nook for PC or NookStudy (Google for them) or risk loosing all of your purchased content.  If you wish to make sure you can use the books you purchased elsewhere should the Nook be shut down, get Calibre (the free digital library system) and apprentice alf's plugin (Google for it) to remove the encryption/DRM.  I also suggest to do this sooner than later.  While I am very much against piracy, this is protection of ones legally purchased assets, nothing more.

Can Humans Trust Robots? Better Question Can Robots Trust Humans?

The question has always been can humans trust robots. But a group of Canadian researchers asked "Can robots trust humans?" Sadly this has been answered with a resounding no. The premise was simple: Create a non-mobile robot that depended on the generosity of others to move around with the idea to get the bot from one side of the country to another. Dubbed HitchBot, last year the bot made the trek across Canada and parts of Europe.

This year HitchBot's goal was to get across the USA. It was well on its way visiting several states, went out to sea one day, and visited a baseball game another. Sadly his tour met with a disastrous end when two weeks into his visit he met up with the wrong crowd in Philadelphia. Details are still coming in but it would appear that someone wanted to wipe the smile off of the robots face, for no good reason other than 'it was there'. It sure doesn't make this country look like a nice place to be when HitchBot went though Canada, Netherlands, and Germany without any issue.

Upon reading about this pointless destruction I am reminded of so many sci-fi stories written where humans were wary of trusting robots. Then in more recent years stories about robots 'getting the shaft' from humans, and taking their revenge. One of the more famous examples would be The Matrix where the robots had conquered the world and plugged humans into a simulation so they could harvest their radiated energy. It is scary to think that one day robots might take their revenge. But this incident makes one think it is only a matter of time for the simple reason that some people think it is fun to be cruel, and when the robots are able to emulate and react...look out. It just boggles my mind. 

Don DeBon is the author of Italian Fever, Red Warp, and Soulmates.  Currently available on  Nook, iBook, Kindle, Smashwords, Oyster, Scribd, and Kobo.  

The State Of ePublishing

The state of publishing has been changing a lot as of late. First the biggest Barnes and Noble situation: They removed ability to download ebooks direct from their site and sideload. Not everyone that reads on their devices has every day access to wifi.  Many sideload that don't have Internet connection, or just prefer to archive their books in case B&N shuts down the Nook, which to be honest, it looks more likely every day.  They lost a lot of people with this move.

Then they changed the encryption key method changing it from your name and credit card number to something random. The old method was wonderful if B&N ever closed the Nook store, other devices could read the Nook content.  But not any more.  

And now their botched website which made everything far worse and slower than it ever was.  Ironically, when I purchased my Nook First Edition back in 2010 the site was great.  Simple, fast, and it just worked.  Then about 1.5 years later they did a update and it turned into a huge bloat ridden monster.  They promised this new design was only temporary and they were working on it.  Here we are many years later, and they finally roll something out that is even worse.  And they just named Frederic Arigir as the new head of Nook and esales.  Many are speculating this is just the start of the Nook shut down.  I hope not as with less fish in the pond, the more problems down the road for consumers.  It is also not a good sign B&N shut down all ebook stores except USA and UK on August 7th.

Regardless if you have Nook books I suggest you download them with nook for PC or Nook Study as soon as you can (Google for them, they are still available although unsupported) so you can backup your books.  And if you want to remove the encryption so you can read them on another device should B&N shut down Nook, check out Apprentice Alf's blog (Google it).  He has tools to remove the DRM (copy protection).  While I do not advocate piracy, this is securing your investment.  Just as long as you don't share that investment with anyone else. ;)

Amazon has made several changes to their payment system that has many authors upset, saying that they are paying per page. While technically true, it implies something that is not. Amazon is not truly paying per page, but rather the per section. In other words they only track in about quarter increments. Therefore once someone reads 1/4th through your book, you get paid instead of the whole book when someone reads the first chapter. This is not very different then Scribd, who also used a similar business model. The main reason for the change is due to some authors 'gaming' the system by releasing very short works to be paid more than a author that releases detailed, long, space operas. This should be seen as nothing more than leveling the playing field.  I personally have never been in KDP select, as I do not limiting where my readers can purchase my books. But I understand those that do, and the readers that follow them.

In other news, Scribd has removed most of its Romance category ebooks from the catalog.  In summary, they couldn't afford it.  Scribd's business model is such that they pay full retail everytime someone reads a ebook.  Romance readers are, in general, fast and voracious.  At $9.95 a month from said members, they were spending more than the subscription fee was covering.  And they had a lot of people doing this.  Hence, it was either this change or close the company.  It is sad to see but not unexpected.  Personally though, I would have made a change to offer a limit on Romance genre books per month.  That would allow them to leave the books in the catalog and retain more members than simply removing the entire genre.  Regardless I agree that this choice is better than going out of business as I think more players in the feild the better, rather than handing everything over to Amazon.  While I do not have any large issues with Amazon, a monopoly is never a good situation.

And last, but certainly not least, Authors United and Authors Guild have been in the news. Authors Guild is pushing to change the copyright law. They are proposing that ISP's also be the watchdogs for content. This is a little extreme to say the least. Not to mention the DMCA is already being abused by people to remove content they simply don't like, rather than actually have true copyright complaint. I am against piracy certainly, but they are going way too far. Also while I think that blatant piracy with someone stealing your work and selling it should be stopped at all costs, simply passing on works I would akin to free advertising. The one thing they just do not understand is most people that pirate wouldn't buy anyway. They are not lost sales, and nothing to worry about. Just see them as free advertising as they may share your work (think of it as a library) with someone that will go out and buy your books as they like your work. While you should let pirates run the Internet with free download sites everywhere you go, the Authors Guild are going to the extreme.

Authors United and American Booksellers Association on the other hand is pushing for the Dapartment of Justice to investigate Amazon for antitrust volitions. In short they think "Amazon has used its dominance in ways that we believe harm the interests of America’s readers, impoverish the book industry as a whole, damage the careers of (and generate fear among) many authors, and impede the free flow of ideas in our society."

In essence they are saying Amazon is using unfair business practices in a effort to control the market, hence trying to create a monopoly. I do not think that Amazon's ultimate goal, however I do agree that a monopoly is never a good thing as I have said before. Let's be honest, this whole situation is the publishers fault, not Amazon's. The publishers did not want to embrace ebooks. That changed their business model and they wanted to stay right where they were. That let Amazon come in and corner the market. Is creating a device that consumers wanted and reasonable prices illegal? Certainly not, but the publishers and attempted ebook price fixing was. Now they are trying to go after Amazon in a different fashion. Many of these publishers are charging the same price for a ebook that they do for a print book. The author, in general, gets the same royalty with a ebook that they do with a print book. However the publisher has a lot less costs and more money goes right into their pocket, not the author's.

All they would have to do is lower their ebook prices to a reasonable level, create a nice ebook sales system on their sites without DRM, and Amazon would have serious competition over night. So I don't feel much for these people. They are dinosaurs and need to change or go extinct. I know they don't want to, but that is life.  

One thing is for certain, no matter what, we do not want one company to control everything.  No matter how great that company is, sooner or later problems will result if history is any judge.

Don DeBon is the author of Italian Fever, Red Warp, and Soulmates.  Currently available on  Nook, iBook, Kindle, Smashwords, Oyster, Scribd, and Kobo.