Michael,
Just today in our "Food for Thought" forum, Doug Higley asks about having an "ala carte" system for buying effects, moves, whatever, a piece at a time rather than spending big bucks for a book where you're only interested in a few select entries (entrees?)

Any thoughts on doing this? Ebooks perhaps of selected chapters of your books and lecture notes? I know Steve Pellegrino is working on some of the MAJ stuff. Once it's done, it wouldn't take much more to extract a few "specials" from it.

I for one would gladly pay a few bucks for a PDF of your "Natural Lay of the Hands" essay, or your "Bill in Peanut" routine. (I own the former, somewhere in the dusty archives known as my garage, and I've seen the latter at your lecture but forgot the setup)

I'm sure there's a "break even" point where it's not worth the effort, but with the automation of instant payments, it wouldn't take much once the initial effort is done.

http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......7&13

That is the address of the discussion and it does bring up the advantages to the Creator/Author...extra money!

It's really not about being too cheap to by a book either...it's more about efficiency and targeting. Anyone interested, maybe should look at the actual thread for the subtleties..

And thanks Dave.

Doug,
I personally think that is a fantastic idea. I know I would be more enthusiastic about buying ALOT more material if I was not forced to purchase a dvd full of tricks that I do not like just to get that one trick I'm looking for.

Marty

ITunes comes to magic! I LOVE the concept!

Magic "singles." A concept whose time has come and whose technology has finally arrived.

Lee Darrow, C.H.

I like the idea, too!

One thing I think would be neat would be to have all the effects from certain DVD projects available as individual effects, and rather than pay $35 for a disk to be delivered, why not pay $2.95 per effect to be downloaded like a song.

Or, maybe you could order personalized DVD's, by giving a list of 10 effects to be put onto a one-shot DVD.

Louis at L&L found the thoughts interesting, but I don't see it being done during 2006. As for 2007, well, that's a lot time away right now.

One problem to overcome is how easy it is to pass effects around once they are in digital form. If Hollywood is having a hard time protecting their property, how are we supposed to do it. The world of magic is so small and so tight, that bootleg copies can actually hurt the marketplace to a noticeable extent.

An excellent point on protection, and one that has been kicked almost to death in here, in numerous threads. Consensus seems to be that if the effects are sold at a low rate, like you suggest, that bootlegging simply isn't worth the hassle. Also, the idea of an owner's registry might be a good thing as well for digital works so that, if and when someone complains about a technical issue, if they aren't the registered user, well, too bad.

At $2.95 per effect, it's not going to kill them and it might help keep some of the pipe dreams and filler effects off the market, like a certain French magic book that was out a few years ago where all but two of the effects IN the book required the reader to BUY something from the author!

The more I think about this concept, the better I like it.

Lee Darrow, C.H.

Mankind seems to have always valued instant gratification and, modern technology now allows for the almost immediate transfer of knowledge from one individual to another. The internet has opened up a new system of inexpensive, worldwide distribution. Given the limited marketplace that magicians have, inventors and authors may now be able to make a little money for their efforts. Even time honored treasures such as Rice's Encyclopedia of Dove Magic are being discontinued on hard copy and produced only in digital format. The times, they are a changin'

Kent

How about reading books. It's harder to copy a whole book?

How about reading books. It's harder to copy a whole book?

Joggins,
As technology grows and we move into the digital age, people want what is easier and more convenient.

Look at it this way, you can either:

1.) Get a duffle bag or bookbag to carry different books with you that have misc. tricks in them that you like.

or

2.) Import them to handhelds such as PSP or Ipod videos or even get a custom DVD to watch on a portable dvd player.

Which would you pick?

Also, another huge problem is, sometimes the books themselves.
Me for example, I am a visual person, like Ammar said in another topic regarding ETMCM series on DVDs with clear, precise, easy to learn instructions.
People will catch on a lot quicker, I myself have a hard time learning from books, due to the fact you cannot "see" how it is suppose to look, the timing, etc.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying away with books, I love the books I have, I just find the digital media ALOT easier to use and learn from, which brings us to this post, another way to learn at a faster more convenient way, without reading an entire book or spending $50 on a single DVD for one specific trick.

Marty

I love old magic books - they are a wealth of info, but let's face it - most of the old manuscripts left a lot to be desired. Just pick up an old book like Abbot's Rope Encyclopedia and read through it and you will notice that language and the way we communicate has changed a lot over the years. Also- all to often I come across something that says "vanish the silk using your favorite method," (for example) and what if I don't have a favorite method? Then that whole routine may be lost due to the writer using shorthand of sorts. With a video, even a poorly done video, you can get a lot more out of it than with a poorly written manuscript. I think the DVD medium is perfect for magic, since it is a visual performing art. We are lucky to have people as talented as Mr. Ammar who are willing to share what they know via the video format.

I think offering the pay-per-trick is a great idea, and it will be good for magic - people will want to put out solid original routines every time, rather than padding a book or video with a bunch of unworkable stuff.