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in textbooks; a solution for the used book problem? Academics have become accustomed to seeing product ads ringing their school's football stadiums, and logo-bearing donated computers from Apple, Dell, and Hewlett-Packard lining the halls in their libraries, but will they and their students stand for textbooks being peppered with ads as a way of driving their costs down? The idea is being tested by Freeload Press, a new publisher in Minnesota, which has announced plans to offer free downloadable college textbooks containing ads placed by such companies as Culver's Frozen Custard, Kinko's Fed Ex, Pure Vida Coffee, and Total Recall Learning study guides. To date, the list of free textbooks is mostly limited to texts for courses in business, math, and computer applications, with a couple of texts in psychology subjects. Texts are accompanied by downloadable study guides, contain audio and video clips: some are also available in print format (free of ads but not free to users). One author reports that he went with Freeload when his publisher was bought out by a larger company which dropped his title, and when he found other publishers would not pick it up because it competed with their best sellers. He indicates great satisfaction with Freeload, as they permit him veto power over ad subjects he would find inappropriate, and exert no editorial control over his content. Since the e-text has no resale value, he can spend his time improving the content rather than "obsoleting previous editions." Freeload's downloadable texts are in Adobe PDF format, enhanced by dotReader, a dynamic format that permits ads in a downloaded text to be changed as sponsors choose. Ads appear between chapters, and can be turned off by the reader wanting to avoid distraction. Freeload's CEO Tom Doran indicates that the advertising model is being closely studied by the big textbook publishers, but that there has not yet been a movement to embrace it. The chief opponents are academics, particularly ones not in business, who view the textbook as a kind of pure communication of information unsullied by crass commercial interests. Students, however, used to pop-up ads in their web explorations, are enthusiastic about any measures that lower textbook costs. Along with models that keep ownership of texts in the hands of publishers through leasing programs (see my blog entry for September 5th: "The Textbook Problem Solved") Freeload's advertising model offers an alternative, either through free downloads or reduced costs through advertising, to the spiraling cost of textbooks that has so concerned PIRG, Congress, and other watchdogs of educational costs.Three Candidates Running for Seats on TAA Council Three TAA members are running for two open seats on the TAA Council. Mathematics author Don Collins is running for his second term. He is a former managing editor of mathematics at Merrill Publishing (now Glencoe Publishing), and the author of seven school mathematics textbooks. Because of his publishing and authoring background, Collins said he feels he can make a unique contribution. "The last three years that I have served on the Council have been a learning experience for me," he said. "I feel that this experience will only help me in better serving you and TAA." Communication law author Paul Siegel chaired TAA's convention in San Antonio, and is a former member of the TAA Council. He said these experiences helped in develop an understanding of some of the organization's challenges: "I look forward to the chance to help the association meet those challenges." Mary Kay Switzer, a communications author, has been an active member of TAA as a former TAA Council member and Council secretary. She also served as chair of the TAA Convention in 1997. "Through the years I have been an active member of TAA," she said. "I support its mission and want to continue to develop innovative ways to promote the welfare of TAA members and the constituents it serves." TAA Council members serve three-year terms. Ballots must be postmarked by April 15, 2006 to be counted. For full candidate bios and position statements, see below.
Author shares article on fair use Howard G. Zaharoff has agreed to allow TAA to make his article "A Writer's Guide to Fair Use in Copyright Law," previously published in the January 2001 issue of Writer's Digest, available to TAA members online. The article covers questions about fair use and what is necessary to hold copyright of one's own writing. Read the entire article here at Writer's Digest web site. TAA Council met in St. Pete Beach January 16 The TAA Council met on Monday, January 16 in St. Pete Beach, Florida. The Council approved several actions at the meeting, including the lowering of second-year dues for those who became members through TAA workshops and other gift members to $30. Workshop presenter honorarium raised At its winter meeting in St. Pete Beach, Florida on January 16, the TAA Council approved a $500 increase in the honorarium it provides its workshop presenters. The change raises the honorarium to $1,000. TAA also covers the presenter's travel expenses to and from a workshop site. In addition to the honorarium paid by TAA, workshop presenters are free to negotiate institutional fees separately from the fees TAA pays them. TAA also covers the presenter's travel expenses to and from a workshop site. TAA's honorarium and coverage of expenses is in support of its member recruitment program, which is delivered through its sponsored workshops. TAA sponsors a series of workshops that have been held on university campuses and at conventions and meetings nationwide. For more information, or to learn more about how you can become a TAA workshop presenter, contact TAA's Executive Director Richard Hull at rthull62@hotmail.com. Christopherson resigns as TAA treasurer Robert Christopherson resigned as TAA Council treasurer just before the Council's January 16 winter meeting. He cited his many professional commitments as the reason for his resignation. TAA President John Wakefield is searching for a replacement. Sullivan to pursue institutional membership TAA Council Member and Past President Michael Sullivan was authorized by the Council to represent TAA in preliminary discussions with publisher Prentice Hall regarding their interest in applying for an institutional membership. If Prentice Hall shows interest, the Council plans to develop an institutional membership category, which will be open to publishers, colleges and universities and other interested groups. Second year dues for workshop-recruited, other gift members now $30 The TAA Council approved lowering second-year membership dues for workshop participants and others who joined the organization through gift memberships, to $30. These members will pay the regular $75 dues in their third year of membership. TAA attracted 372 new members in 2005 In her report to the TAA Council at its winter meeting in January, TAA Office Manager Janet Tucker said the organization attracted 372 new members in 2005. Twenty-seven of those were gift memberships. Thirty-two became members through the TAA website. Authoring workshops, primarily those conducted by Tara Gray, brought in the most new members: 272. Gray's pre-convention workshop brought in 30 new members. TAA Council authorizes raises for TAA staff The TAA Council authorized a 10 percent raise for its newsletter, office and bookkeeping staff, and a $5,000 a year salary increase for Office Manager Janet Tucker, at its winter meeting on January 16. TAAF to offer up to $15,000 in loans to members involved in litigation The TAA Council approved authorizing grants of up to $15,000 to the TAA Foundation to provide support to TAA members involved in litigation that would support copyright protection. The Foundation's first request was for support of photographer Christopher Harris' lawsuit against the (San Jose) Mercury News, which published one of Harris' photographs without his permission. The TAA Council is currently reviewing the request. Writer's Block: The Value of Incremental Writing TAA Executive Director and philosophy author Richard Hull shares his thoughts on "incremental writing" in an essay for TAA's new essay section, Writer's Block. Let us know what you think of Hull's essay and/or consider writing your own. Writer's Block is devoted to the experiences and issues of writing and writers. Essays will be published on the TAA website and in a special section in the TAA print newsletter, "The Academic Author." Send your essays to TAA Publications Editor Kim Pawlak at kmpawlak@centurytel.net. Read Hull's "The Value of Incremental Writing" in the new Writer's Block section. TAA
Launches New Essay Section Called All writers at one time or another experience the short-term inability to write. Referred to as "writer's block," it can sometimes be annoying — and at other times debilitating. How do you cope with it? TAA Executive Director and philosophy author Richard Hull shares his experiences and methods of coping with writer's block as the debut article for a new TAA essay section called Writer's Block. Let us know what you think of Hull's essay and/or consider writing your own. Writer's Block will be devoted to the experiences and issues of writing and writers, and will be published on the TAA website and in a special section in the TAA print newsletter, "The Academic Author." Send your essays to TAA Publications Editor Kim Pawlak at kmpawlak@centurytel.net Read Hull's "The Slave Within" in the new Writer's Block section. TAA newsletter archive now online A PDF archive of TAA member newsletters, TAA Report and The Academic Author, dating back to the summer of 1987, is now online in the TAA Members-Only Member Center. The archive lists a table of contents for each issue. Click here to view the archive |
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