Why can't I buy ebook X outside of the US? Revisiting the territory question.: seanan

Why can't I buy ebook X outside of the US? Revisiting the territory question.

Once again, people have started asking "Why can't people outside the US buy the e-book edition of X?" (In this case, X = any given work that is unavailable in a specific region. Most often Blackout, since it's new, and "Countdown," since it currently lacks a physical edition, but almost everything has fallen into this category at one point or another.)

The answer is pretty simple.

Basically, when I sign a contract with a publisher, they acquire certain territorial rights. This is distinct from my copyrights, which are always mine and never sold. DAW owns the World rights for Toby and InCryptid. Orbit owns the World English rights for Newsflesh. DAW and Orbit may then sublicense these rights to other publishers in other regions (or territories), which is how you get things like Winterfluch and Feed: Viruszone (German editions of Rosemary and Rue and Feed, respectively).

The pieces I have sold to the Orbit Short Fiction Program ("Apocalypse Scenario #683" and "Countdown") were sold under a contract which, at present, covers only US territorial rights, which means that my publisher can't make those properties available outside the United States right now. They aren't allowed. And buying the rights for every possible market, in every possible region, is not always financially feasible with every work they publish.

It is also not always financially feasible for an author to sell all the rights to their work in every territory to the US publisher. Keeping World rights may mean a lower advance, but when I do retain those rights, I can ultimately earn more for them by selling them directly to foreign publishers. I want you to have and read my books in your preferred format, but I also want to pay my bills, and foreign rights sales enable me to do that reliably.

Orbit is working on making the short fiction pieces available outside the US; if you check the Short Fiction landing page, they note the problem exists, and that they're looking for a solution. Under my most recent contract with them, they now have the right to sell or license English language editions outside the US, which means that you'll hopefully be able to read it soon.

It's mildly annoying that it works this way, just like it sucks when I can't get the British or Australian TV shows I want on the right region format immediately. At the same time, this is how I keep the lights on, and how my publishers keep being able to do what they do.

ETA: This post has been pretty dramatically revised, following some clarification from smarter people than me. So if some of the comments seem to make no sense compared to the content of the entry, that's why. Sorry to confuse!

anna_en_route

May 10 2012, 20:17:22 UTC 5 years ago

New comment

*sigh* New Zealand's got the worst of both worlds no local publishers (we piggy-back off Australia) and books are naturally import expensive (I can buy a new audiobook off audible for the same price as a paperback that's been out for a year and hardbacks can top $50).

It's definitely not an ideal situation (it is somewhat helped by my awesome local library).

seanan_mcguire

May 10 2012, 21:16:39 UTC 5 years ago

It's the one reason I could never live in New Zealand. I would go mad.

May 10 2012, 21:46:37 UTC 5 years ago

If you've grown up with it, it's not too bad ( I remember the early days of Amazon when my mother used to group huge quantities of orders from her workmates and we'd get these gigantic boxes of books for redistribution).

Like I say, the Wellington public library system is awesome (and audible helps to fill in the gaps, sometimes publishers seem more able to release audiobook rights than they are electronic).

Weirdly enough NZ's got quite a high rate of recreational reading.

thebluerose

May 10 2012, 22:17:25 UTC 5 years ago

Oh yes the glory days of Amazon hitting NZ for the first time, I still remember the absolute joy of getting my first delivery, but they seriously charge us for shipping (tho I understand that shipping anything out of the US is expensive these days)

Sadly thats why I go to Book Depository, but I was told by another author that they only make about 50c a book from sales there, which if true makes me feel a bit guilty.

But if its a choice of buying from NZ and paying $20-25 NZD for a book, or buying from Amazon and paying similar (once you add freight) or buying from BD and paying $11 a book, Im sorry, but the numbers tell the story fairly clearly.

Its one of the reasons I did buy a Kindle because ebook prices are even cheaper and you get INSTANT gratification. And except for the hand cramps when I read in bed, I really love it :)

ladyphoenixia

May 10 2012, 21:40:29 UTC 5 years ago

This is why we all in Australia buy from bookdepository.co.uk, because Australian publishing is ridiculously overpriced.

(This also disinclines me to getting an ebook reader, as why bother if I can't get the things I want in ebooks until after I can get the cheap physical copy?)

yellowblackhaze

May 10 2012, 22:21:09 UTC 5 years ago

Being an Aussie I encounter the same issue. I also have an ereader and there's some pretty good stuff available down here, and it's cheaper than most paperbacks. My wife and I went absolutely nuts in the US last night, because books were quite literally half price.

thiefofcamorr

May 10 2012, 22:38:10 UTC 5 years ago

Another Australian who only buys off Book Depository.

I want to support my local bookstore, but BD is at least half if not a third of the price they try to sell books for here, and BD generally get them to me before the local store here does, simply because I also happen to live in what is classed as 'rural' Australia.

Sigh.

May 11 2012, 00:01:59 UTC 5 years ago

I'm lucky in that I work in Melbourne, and we have 2 decent SFF indie stores and a Dymocks that seems to get titles that the suburban stores don't seem to, but I agree that if you live outside one of the major cities it can be hard to get what you want other than going through an online store. Love the nick by the way, Lies is one of my favourite books ever.

May 10 2012, 22:54:44 UTC 5 years ago

Ever since i discovered bookdepository.co.uk (free shipping! Books for like $8 instead of $20!) I've been buying a ridiculous number of books, my bookshelves can't cope. After living in Australia so long, where you only buy books you really want and otherwise wait for the library, I've become such an impulse buyer of cheap cheap books.

ironed_orchid

May 11 2012, 05:20:36 UTC 5 years ago

Yeah, I think I bought more new books in the last 3 years than I had in the previous 10.

dragonsally

May 11 2012, 01:47:10 UTC 5 years ago

With you there...I have my Kindle which I love, but it frustrates the heck out of me when I go to buy an ebook and get told that I can't have it because I'm in Australia. And personally, although my home is overflowing with books I'd still rather have a hard copy than an electronic one.
I love Bookdepository so much, delivery is swift and the price is right.
For the first time this week I saw a book in Kmart that was cheaper than if I ordered it from Bookdepository, but only by 60 cents.

Cx Tiara Transience

May 11 2012, 06:38:12 UTC 5 years ago

Tip for those who want to access Kindle ebooks (I can't vouch for anyone else) but are running into country restrictions: Amazon doesn't actually check where you are. I've got an Australian address and have my Kindle set to the US, and I get access to so many ebooks (especially to do with queer, race, social justice, etc) that aren't available to Australians because they're out of print or small publishers or something.

msss

May 11 2012, 23:15:47 UTC 5 years ago

Sure, until they get bored and delete them from your Kindle.

lauredhel

May 12 2012, 05:50:17 UTC 5 years ago

This is easily gotten around by disinfecting every book you buy straight after buying it.

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Why can't I buy ebook X outside of the US? Revisiting the territory question.

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