Library Patrons Want Ebooks

Readers want to be able to check out ebooks at their libraries.  But big publishers balk, either not releasing titles as ebooks at all, or putting obnoxious restrictions on them.  Libraries are struggling with low budgets and skeleton crews.  The result is frustration.

This is a trainwreck.  But it's also a tremendous opportunity for alternatively published authors and small presses.  Go talk to your local library.  Offer them ebooks for free or at a discount.  Offer them ebooks they can lend as many times as they want, to as many patrons as want to read them.  Look at all those eyeballs just waiting to roll over your words!  You did list your other books and contact info in the ebook file, right?  Those readers may want to buy the same book in hardcopy or track down your other books.  Everybody wins.  Well, except the big-house publishers who are being stupid but they deserve to lose market share for being stupid.

What I really wish is that somebody would start up a clearinghouse for ebooks that could be made available to libraries or schools on favorable terms.  Instead of librarians and teachers having to fight with publishers, or authors and small presses having to fight with distributors, people could go there.  And maybe include a way to connect people for author appearances or other events.  Come on, the mainstream approach is made of FAIL right now.  Surely we can do better than this!