Scenarios
Our author has to shop for a publisher. He may never find one,
thus end of story. However, we have to note this kind of outcome
is less probable here (and within Self-tuning as well) than in the
environment poisoned by publishing monopolies. Since it is much
more difficult to secure a monopolized portfolio for a considerable
time, it is vital for a publisher to be the first to find a new work or
discover a new author—this the first difference from copyright.
Suppose he finds a publisher. He may conduct preliminary
negotiations before having his book published. The author will be
paid a certain amount of money. If the sum is considerable, there is
a happy ending. It is noteworthy that this kind of ending is more
probable here because there are no exclusive rights. An author and
his new work are now more valuable for many reasons—the second
difference from copyright. The first reason is that he is free to sell his
work to as many publishers as he wants. The second reason is that
only individual authors can claim authorship. The third reason is that
the best way for a publisher to develop a brand is to be the first to
get the work.
If the publisher wants exclusivity (until the work is published)
he may pay more. The same story happens within other models. The
difference lies in time frame only, and this affects publishing only.
We saw that copyright causes nothing but negative results here.
If the publisher does not want exclusivity, the author may take
a copy of the manuscript to another publisher and get paid by both.
Again, this is not likely to happen under copyright just because it is
against copyright-driven “common sense.”
What happens after publication? That depends on the acceptance of the work by the public. Generally, the author gets more and more exposure as long as other publishers reprint and sell his or her work. They do this while it earns money. Thus, the entire competitive publishing community promotes the author—the third difference. If a second-hand publisher wants to develop a brand, he may pay the author in order to be the author’s announced sponsor—the fourth difference. The last two features have a more powerful effect within Authoright, as contrasted with Self-tuning, because attribution is
