The Great God Google

The following was received as a comment to a recent post:

 I'm reading "Planet Google" and came across the chapter on Google's 'book digitizing project." Out of curiosity I went into Google's book search and found most of your published books there. Wow! So does an author get any royalties? I wondered. The process of publishing, as you describe here, involves so much labor, of muscle and love, how does an author feel about seeing her work being given away so....freely?

I reprint it here because it may be of interest to others.

I am not particularly knowledgable about the details, but The Authors Guild brought suit against Google and the lawsuit has been making lawyers rich for a while.  They have reached a settlement which The Authors Guild (professional organization which acts as advocate and lobbyist for published writers) deems an equitable one. To participate in the settlement, authors like myself must file a claim by Sepember.  Sounds easy, right?  Wrong.  Nearly every day for the past two months I have gone to the website where such a claim may be made, thinking TODAY I WILL DO THIS. But after a few minutes I find myself whimpering and having a stomachache.

Filing requires listing every published book and its ISBN number. ISBN stands for International Standard Book Number. It used to be a 10-digit number but starting 2007 it became a 13-digit number. For example, the ISBN for my newest Gooney Bird book is 978-0-547-11967-0. (see below)

Okay. Sounds relatively easy.  I've written, I think, maybe 35 published books. So there are 35 ISBNs to locate and list, right? Wrong. Paperback ISBNs are not the same as hardcovers. Book club editions are different.  British editons are different.  Translated editions are different.  ("The Giver" is in 27 foreign editons, I think)

i am whimpering just writing this down.

And September is only two months away.

Comments

[pussreboots]

What a pain in the nose! At Goodreads you can search by a single title and bring up many (not all, I don't think) editions and through a lot of clicking and cutting and pasting get at the different ISBNs.

[ojimenez]

"We have the right to copy and organize all of your digital images whether you want us to or not", says Google either directly or through inference.

"In my view, the entire copyright industry, and the populous, in general, has become sick and tired of the arrogance, hypocrisy, and greed of Google. In spite of their "do no evil" mantra, Google has actually grown to compete with Microsoft for the title of the 'Supreme Evil Empire', in my opinion. "

--George Riddick
Chairman/CEO
Imageline, Inc.

[Catherine]

When I went to www.biblio.com and searched on Lowry, Lois - there were over 2500 entries!! Maybe a summer job for someone??

http://www.biblio.com/search.php?stage=1&author=lowry%2C+lois&page=1&sid=22659848

[lalowry]

There are 2687, to be exact. I may end up hiring someone.

[Nathalie]

If a 16-year-old in New Jersey is eligible for the job, I'm up for it! Seriously.

[Krista]

I would definitely hire a detail oriented person to do the job. Why stress?

Loved reading your last few posts-Krista

[Heather]

The Worlds of Lois Lowry box set (Reader's circle edition), First Delacorte Press Edition, printed in the US.

The Giver: 0-385-73255-4
Gathering Blue: 0-385-73256-2
Messenger: (There are four ISBN's on this one...)
ISBN-10: 0-618-40441-4
ISBN-13: 978-0-618-40441-4
ISBN-10: 0-385-73253-8 (trade pbk.)<- This is the one on the back of the book (above the bar code).
ISBN-13: 978-0-618-40441-4 (trade pbk.)

I don't know if this'll help or not, but I hope so. Good luck!

[The Common Sense Eccentric]

sounds like the Guild is corrupt. This fair deal is not equitable for you it seems.

[lois Lowry]

Just for the record: The Authors Guild is not at all corrupt. It acts on behalf of authors in ways that we frequently could not do by ourselves, and it does so without cost to individual authors and always in their best interests. Just wanted to make that clear!