So I asked science-fiction writer John Scalzi what he thought about the Association of American Publishers lawsuit against Google Print, and he wrote back, “Isn’t this basically a pile-on no different than the Author’s Guild suit?” He added that unless there were any significant difference in the two cases, his original comments should be considered equally valid:
“I think it’s reasonable to the extent it serves notice that authors and copyright holders really are the final legal arbiters of what happens to their work. Copyright is about control. But I think the vast majority of authors who would choose not to have their text significantly searchable and readable will be doing themselves a disservice: These days, most authors need all the publicity they can get.”
What do you think? We’re especially curious to hear from other authors, agents, and publishers on this issue, perhaps especially if you take the AAP’s side—because I know so many writers who are already online, including several who already pass their books around freely, my perspective on this issue is probably skewed just a touch.