It is funny to see all these multinational corporations saying that
they don’t want to distribute free contents because they are
“protecting” the author. As an author, I would like to stress that our
goals are to be red to be listened or whatever. I believe everybody is
going to find an economical model, so everybody will be happy, but
till this happens let’s allow free contents as it is. I want to hear
your opinion on this issue.
Thank you,
Paulo
DON’T WORRY ABOUT YOUR ENGLISH. BUT IF YOU FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE, POST IN YOUR MOTHER TONGUE (PORTUGUES, ESPANOL, FRANÇAIS, ETC.).
Being generous is very important for anyone that is on the internet. People must have access to free knowledge as well. I think that the author of the work should decide or people can get involved and translate for free. Anyhow, people enjoy reading in a normal book rather then on the computer, but if you don’t have that book, finding what you look after on internet is a blessing.
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I would like vote for Free Content.Thanks Yannis for the explanation.I am an example for you Yannis.I read the free contents of Alchemist and i was more inspired with the writing of our paulo.After that i bought Eleven Minutes got much more impressed.Again recently i bought The Winner Stands Alone.I will keep on getting paulo’s book.
All this starts from a free content.
With Love
Dhans
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Respondendo sobre qualidade de vida em minha visão acredito que qualidade de vida é saber sorrir para ela não importando-se com as derrotas ou conquistas. Quero dizer muitas vezes sentimos que estejamos derrotados com as misérias da vida no entando a derrota muitas vezes nos fortaleza a espiritualidade para novas conquista de qualidade de vida. Onde os sonhos de qualquer humano é ser feliz não sabendo muitos que a felicidade encontra-se no sorriso marato de cada um novo dia mesmo que este dia venha com a tempestade das dificulades da vida. Tentei responder pelo Twitter mais sou usuária recente e ainda tô aprendendo a navegar na página. Sempre sua fã Jandira de Almeida Sorocaba- SP
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1. Every day say someone that you love him/her
2. Give a hug to the nature
3. Do every morning “Greetings to the Sun”
4. Forget all your problems only for an hour and feel the peace in your stomach
5. Talk with you friends every day
6. Read a book instead of blog
7. Be with yourself alone and talk with yourself at least half an hour (try to find out “Are you on YOUR path, or you are following others people paths?” If you notice that you have turned off from YOUR path, run quickly back!)
8. Imagine on few minutes that you are invisible and look around you. You will be surprise what you will see…
9. Once per day, take a deep breathe and feel how you are breathing life and all joy of the world
10. Put your smile on the face and keep it! You are probably more beautiful like that…
11. Forget on your boss and your pathetic salary when you go home after work
12. Sleep at least 8 hours (beauty sleep)
13. Eat integral bread
14. Try to stop smoking, and again, and again…
15. Forget cola drinks (are they are going to charge me for this anty propaganda ? :))
16. Read this blog
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I don’t mind sharing my work for free, but I have to pay bills…which is not much, so I don’t charge crazy prices…I publish an e-newsletter with my work (short stories, poems, book reviews, etc.) and charge a measly sum to help put food in my belly…if I had no bills and food for free, I would give it away for free…might even pay people to read my work…it’s hard to read on an empty belly, you know.
Free is always better since I also believe that we, writers, are only vessels through which existence’s creativity flows out. Speaking of free, can I get a signed copy of the Alchemist??? I figured I had nothing to lose by asking…I may trade you that with my newsletter (couldn’t help sweetening the deal for you, lol).
Blessings.
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Tiffany Reply:
October 16th, 2009 at 7:07 pm
Why didn’t you just send him a business transaction privately?
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AllaSobirova Reply:
October 20th, 2009 at 6:53 pm
I completely agree with you but I think that the best decision is the “gold middle”/ That’s what I do. I’m an English teacher and use my site to communicate. also Ipost the material from other sites to collect for my colleagues. I pay my own money and have no profit in money but I enjoy it.visit my site to communicate-www.allasobirova.com
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Each written word or work serves a purpose.
Only the writer knows which purpose it was written for.
Only the writer knows which of the two best serves the purpose: payed or free.
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Free is a fantastic tool for recognition and getting known - it offers all artists an equal footing with some of the ‘bigger’ guys and with the big companies that have made our creative consumption decisions for us.
You are right that new economic models will emerge - and so too, I hope, will a wider, more genuine choice.
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Hola Paulo, antes de nada me gustaría felicitarte por la elección de Rio como sede de los Juegos del 2016, te he visto en la tele celebrándolo y me ha hecho mucha ilusión después del chasco de que no hubiera salido Madrid jajajaja, me alegro mucho de corazón. Por otro lado tengo otra pregunta de tipo espiritual que me preocupa. ¿Que ocurre cuando te das cuenta de que tu sueño no es lo que esperabas? Muchas gracias por todo, tus libros y artículos me dan esperanza en este vida y me ayudan a comprenderla un poco mejor. Un fuerte abrazo.
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Hello, Paulo, we met in Miami some years ago. I enjoy your work and cherish your books. Thank you.
Concerning this question, I believe this is a writer’s decision and should not be a decision made by third parties as to whether a book is available for free anywhere.
Yes, writers want to be read, musicians want to be heard, but they’ve put hard work behind their projects and deserve to be compensated for their creativity, they deserve to make a living and feed their families, and not have their creations available for free because someone decided it should be so.
I don’t agree with these “torrent” sites who post other people’s hard work for free without an artist’s consent.
From a purely business perspective, some of these multinational corporations have huge investments behind some artist’s work, and they may not want their part of the investment being handed out for free, so they say things like “we’re protecting the author” when in fact they are protecting themselves.
I’m a writer (award winning, but currently not know) and I don’t mind giving some of my books and stories away even though they are available for sale, I’m also a musician playing my various bamboo flutes for charity events. I have two CDs available and I make a good percentage of those available for free as well. But I’m the one doing it because I want to, not someone else doing it behind my back and without my authorization.
When I become rich, I’ll want to offer my work for free to an even wider audience, I would love to hire a person to make sure every prison, every library, every hospital has copies of my books, but for now, I enjoy (and need) to mostly be compensated for my work.
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Un autor de esos que simplemente disfrutan siendo leídos, oídos y dsfrutados.
MIL SOLES, UNA LUNA
Hubo un tiempo en el que la Tierra tenía miles de soles.
El cielo estaba repleto y pese a la hermosura del paisaje, la vida se tornaba inaccesible. Por un lado, nuestro planeta andaba perdido tratando de cuadrar tanto movimiento de traslación; por otro, esos rayos azotaban su superficie convirtiendo en secarrales el menor atisbo de mar.
Además la luz no se tomaba un segundo de respiro. Al igual que en los mapas de verano, siempre lucía algún sol.
Dios se percató de tal circunstancia, decidiendo crear la noche. Con ella los soles descansarían y la Tierra quedaría aliviada de tanto y tanto calor.
Para que su oscuridad no fuese completa, decidió pintarle una luna. Y así nuestro mundo comenzó a caminar. La mitad del tiempo para el día con sus mil soles; la otra mitad para la noche, con su luna.
Los primeros eran muy simples. Despiertan con el alba, repiten de este a oeste su recorrido y se acuestan al atardecer. ¡Pura monotonía!; lo mismo cada veinticuatro horas.
La Luna, por el contrario, luce más sofisticada. Cada noche despunta con un nuevo atuendo. Mesa los cabellos, almidona la blusa, pone carmín en sus labios. Le gusta sentirse viva, saberse cambiante.
Una tarde, poco antes de anochecer, esa Luna asoma en la distancia. Los soles todavía no se han acostado. La ven y quedan ensimismados por su hermosura. ¡Qué belleza!
Tratarán de enamorarla. Pero así, siendo tantos, no podrá prestarles ninguna atención. De modo que acuerdan un pacto de caballeros: cada amanecer saldrá sólo uno de ellos para dar luz a la Tierra, intentando conquistarla en ese objetivo. Uno, y otro, y otro… hasta que aquella esfera que preside la noche se rinda al encanto de alguno.
Por eso, si bien todas las mañanas el Sol asoma igual, resulta siempre distinto. El de hoy no es el de ayer ni tampoco el de mañana, aunque en apariencia se vean tan similares. Cada madrugada amanece uno nuevo.
Sin embargo, con la Luna ocurre lo contrario. Cada noche se muestra diferente, mas es siempre la misma. Cada atardecer florece de una manera, en uno de sus ciclos. La de hoy fue la de ayer y será la de mañana, pese a no parecerlo. Unas veces crece, otras decrece, se muestra en plenitud o se esconde tras el horizonte.
Mil Soles en busca de una Luna.
Suena a juego de magia.
Del libro “Cartas para un país sin magia”.
http://manuelcortesblanco.blogspot.com/
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All the fights about copyright increased due to free sharing on internet.Do we really need to limit the flux of knowledge for sake of monetary gains?
This dilemma is more strong with its generators, IT industry, where google search has become backbone of the software development.Just to generate a copyrighted software how may time we need to consult a blog or open discussions forum? Without the free open source IT industry can cripple in seconds.
Now regarding the authors. I don’t think that free content can distroy the profit of publishing houses.Even if we see from business point of view this is acting positively for them.It just brings the author more close its reader.
If multinational corporation can not understand the relation between an author and its readers, certailny they can understand that its like a free advertisement for them.Personally I think that free content only increase the relationship between autior and readers.Nothing can replace the pleasure of reading the books brought form the stores.
Virtualization never means the end of practical world ! Can they also confined the freedom of authors with copyright?
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Olá Paulo, bom dia!
Veja, sei que voce gosta muito de cinema e de ver filmes, por isso vim aqui lhe trazer uma informação legal. Existe um site, chamado “IMDB” - International Movies DataBase, que conta com mais de 20 milhões de acessos por mes, aonde existem críticas de filmes e um monte de coisas mais. O meu pai esta entre os 5 maiores contribuidores de críticas do site, e bom nos todos vivemos na mesma cidade e no mesmo país. De uma olhada no link das críticas dele, caso seja do seu interesse:
http://www.imdb.com/user/ur2488512/comments
É uma boa dica antes de se ver um filme, pois nao tem Spoilers.
Abraços grandes!
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Dear,
As a teacher in information architecture I teach my students in firtst place about the internet itself. The internet has change the world in great way. I normally have 4 hours to explain this but I will keep it short and share with you just where the comeout of where the lessons usually end.
http://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius.html
Elizabetr Gilbert speaks on the TED-convention about where creativity comes from an refers to it as something that comes from an other dimention / a greater power witch artists don’t own.
The TED convention is a convention where ‘the greatest’ minds of the world get 18 minuts to talk about any idea worth spreading. Google was introduced there and also the film of Al Gore.
The most remarkable film a have seen on there website is the story of Jill Bolte… As brain surgent she for years studied the brain and then had a fall out of her own left brain. She speaks about her experience and the story she tells is amaizing.
http://www.ted.com/talks/jill_bolte_taylor_s_powerful_stroke_of_insight.html
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Paolo, I very much appreciate your comment on free content. As an author wanting to quote other authors who agree with me I have a difficult time getting permissions, even when it will help the author sell more books.
I want to quote you. Perhaps you can help me. I have written a 300 page book on forgiving titled: How to Forgive When You Can’t: The Breakthrough Guide to Free Your Heart and Mind. It is a state-of-the-art book on forgiveness therapy that anyone can use to help themselves and others. It is the result of 9 years of research and my many years of teaching forgiveness in universities, workshops and conferences.
I would like to use these quotes from a conversation with you and a friend in the postscript of your novel on forgiveness, By The River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept:
“Those are fine words but I don’t know if I am capable of pardoning ingratitude so easily.”
“It’s very difficult. But there is no choice: if you don’t pardon, then you’ll think about the pain they caused you and that pain will never go away. I’m not saying that you have to like those who do you wrong. I’m not telling you to go back to that person’s company. I’m not suggesting that you start seeing that person as an angel or as someone who acted without any hurtful intentions. All I am saying is that the energy of hate will take you nowhere, but the energy of pardon which manifests itself through love will manage to change your life in a positive sense.”
AND
“One morning, going from Death Valley in California to Tucson in Arizona, I made a mental list of everyone I thought I hated because they had hurt me. I went along pardoning them one by one; six hours later in Tucson, my soul felt so light and my life had changed much for the better.”
My book is being published by The Forgiveness Foundation, a 501(c)3 Non profit charity that I founded in 2002. The profits from the book go to “Building caring families & communities by healing blame, resentment & grudges.” I take no salary.
To be published November 15, 2009
I request nonexclusive world rights, electronic rights, in all languages, and for all editions. If you are the copyright holder, may I have your permission to use the above material in this book? I will use the appropriate citations to acknowledge your publication. If you have a preferred form of acknowledgment please let me know.
Thank you for your consideration and the work you do in the world to open people’s minds.
Date: 4 October 09
Dr. Jim Dincalci, - http://www.forgivenessfoundation.org drj@forgivenessfoundation.org
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Paulo Coelho Reply:
October 4th, 2009 at 4:25 pm
of course you can quote me
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THELMA Reply:
October 4th, 2009 at 4:33 pm
Hi Paulo Coelho!!
Have a nice Sunday afternoon!
LOVE,
Thelma xxx
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Jim Dincalci Reply:
October 5th, 2009 at 4:04 am
Thank you very much Paulo.
I’d like to send you my book when it is printed. How would I do that?
Best Wishes,
Jim
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Paulo!
Adorei ve-lo apoiando o BRA na Dinamarca! Tenho certeza que sua presenca foi mto importante na decisao!
Voce esta muito longe, mas saiba que a alegria por aqui foi geral! Foi uma conquista!
Abraço!
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Have you heard about the Swedish political party that have won a seat in the European Parliament? their name is Pirate Party but they speak very reasonably. They would like to change copyright laws. Now, they last for 50 or more years. They want them to be much shorter like 5 years. After this period, we would be able to have a CD, a book etc. as a free content. I think it is a good idea.
Of course I agree that free cultural works are great and really helpful, and that there should be more and more of them. But what do you think about all this popular downloading of music, movies and so on from torrents and other things. It is not legal or not 100% legal, I believe. Do you do it? Because I don’t
Greets
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I guess I shouldn’t leave the PC unattended. But I did like Rune’s message though. :-)
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Yolland Reply:
October 3rd, 2009 at 8:07 pm
Hello Paulo CONGRATULATIONS for the Olympics!
Im a Journalist and here is my report about this!
you are in my repoert next to the Brazilian President :)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/arabic/worldnews/2009/10/091002_ra_2016_olympics_tc2.shtml
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Mari Ann Reply:
October 4th, 2009 at 8:07 pm
I guess it would have been very difficult to find Paulo. Nice of you to post all this about Paulo and Obama. I have an arab friend in my garage playing ping-pong (it is true!). I will ask him to translate. Thank you so much! :-)
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Catherine Reply:
October 3rd, 2009 at 9:09 pm
kind of priceless ;o))) xx
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Heart Reply:
October 3rd, 2009 at 9:13 pm
Mari Ann! Du snakker i gåter!! You are an Enigma. You sound like Copenhagen came out just right for you. Glad it did :) Happy birthday again!
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Mari Ann Reply:
October 4th, 2009 at 2:35 pm
Actually I hoped for both Paulo, Obama and White Christ, but I ran out of time and money - so it had to be White Christ. :-)
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hi again, Paulo!
thanks for the smile face!
congratulations on win! (you know what I’m talking about)
I met an angel next to jesus statue. I saw you celebrate victory on tv!
hope you are going to write a book about how hard the poor children who do not have the money it has in the world. it means so much to me and my family.
God bless you!
regards, mari ann `s son
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What dislike the corporations through this idea of free contents on the web, is that it shows they could be pointlessness, at the end.
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AHAHHAAHAHAAHAH!!
Vou querer ver voce plantando Bananeira em Copacabana!!
Abrações Grandes!!
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Cuando vivi en Mexico, encontre muchos buenos libros, especialmente en Mexicali y Ciudad Constitution. Carlos Casteneda, El Querido Paulo, la Biblia, muchos, y los lei y los regale. Me da mucho gusto a pensar en lo compartido. Que sea escrito o eschuchado, que sea buena y nos pongan bien, bien con nosotros mismos, El Buen Padre, y creation.
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Dear Heart:
Please try http://www.lighttechnology.com. They are wonderful people and are very supportive of spiritual books. I submitted a manuscript by e-mail and their editor took the time to read it and to tell me what I needed to do to improve my book. Do not allow fear to enter into your efforts. You are your own spiritual advisor.
Starfast
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Heart Reply:
October 3rd, 2009 at 4:13 pm
Dear Starfast,
I appreciate your encouragement very much. Your link is bookmarked, and I will check it out. The spiritual advice is outdated by now, and yes, I need to take another look at it.
Best of luck with your own manuscript!
Love and Admiration,
Heart
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If I understood correctly what “free content” is, I will give an answer, of course from the behalf of the reader.
In general, it is very helpful for us to be able to have a significant hint of a book and decide later whether we shall buy it or not.
Let’s try to see some advantages and disadvantages. Dear Mr. Coelho, I shall use your name and your books just for my examples. All the assumptions are unreal, just to help me make my point.
• Let’s say that there is no “free content”.
1) One day I buy a book, for example “Brida”. Having read it, I dislike this book and decide never to buy a book from the author Coelho again. So, the corporation will lose money in the future.
2) If I decide to give one more chance to Mr. Coelho (quite unlikely), then it is 50%-50%. If the next book is again bad for me, the author is doomed.
3) If I buy a book, “The Pilgrimage” and I like it, Mr. Coelho has a lot of chances to be bought again by me. But what if I don’t like his next book? Then we return to #1…and #2.
4) In the end, the corporation will lose, because people usually don’t want to spend money for nothing.
• Let’s say there is free content.
5) First of all, I can read through internet and this will save me time.
6) If I like the book ex. “O demonio e a stra.Prym”, I will go and buy it. The corporation gains.
7) If I don’t like it ex. “Alchemist”, I will search for something else. Another author, ex. Tolkien will attract my attention. This means, more chances for more authors…more ideas spread.
8) However, maybe 6 months later, I check again Mr.Coelho, using free content; it is free, fast and gratis. And I come upon “Veronica decide morrer”. I like and I buy it. Mr.Coelho attracts my attention for the first time. Now, he has the chances to attract it once more.
The corporation gains again.
My examples say, to me at least, that free content helps not only the readers, but also the author and the corporation. So, I am in favor of free content. If things, in those big companies, are more complicated than my examples, then let the companies decide. But, I think it is for their advantage to listen to our needs…
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