Why should I use NFT to publish a book?

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"Heavenly Creation. Lifelike" is about to be republished in the form of an NFT book. Nearly twenty years after the first edition, the text has been carefully revised and a new chapter has been added as a preface. It is natural for everyone to ask: why not republish in the form of a physical book? Let me assume that you are a reader who mainly buys print books and occasionally buys e-books. I will try to explain my reasons for using NFT to publish a book within a thousand words, and hope to win your support.

Let me talk about the limitations of traditional paper books first. No matter how many copies are printed per edition, there is always a limit to the number of physical books. Unless it is a few long-term best-selling books, sooner or later, general works will encounter the fate of stagnant sales and no reprints, and eventually go out of print. In addition, distribution and sales channels are restricted by geographical, economic or political factors, so that books cannot find readers, and readers cannot find books. The Chinese reading community has long been globalized, but the circulation of physical books has remained in a semi-closed circle of regionalization.

Let's talk about the limitations of "traditional" e-books. You might say, can't e-books overcome the above barriers? This is possible to some extent, but the main problem with existing e-books is that what readers buy is accessibility, not ownership. The e-books you buy don't actually belong to you, but to the e-books dealer. If e-books merchants cease to be in business one day, all the e-books you have purchased will be wiped out. E-books must also use corresponding readers, and cannot be circulated, which hinders the circulation of books in disguise. Books are locked into the hands of suppliers, and the situation is more closed than paper books.

Whether it is a physical book or an e-book, in the chain of "author-publisher-distributor-seller-reader", distribution and sales account for a disproportionate amount of revenue, and have a huge power to manipulate the market. Authors earn little, publishers struggle, and readers' choices are limited. We need a fairer mechanism for authors, publishers and readers, and in today's highly popular network technology, distribution and sales as intermediaries are no longer inevitable. Elimination of printing, transportation and inventory costs, plus the benefits of serving as a sales channel, increase the profit sharing of authors and publishing collaborators (planning, editing, design, promotion, technical support). In addition to being a major support for creators, readers pay The money is also better spent.

The so-called Web3 has no standard definition, but some of its elements are very suitable for understanding the NFT publishing model. 1. Decentralization: not subject to the control of the market system (large chain bookstores and online platforms, e-book publishers, distributors), regaining the dominance of distribution, but the role of bookstores (especially independent bookstores) has not disappeared, and can Become a partner, but no longer in a monopoly position; 2. Point-to-point contact: the author and the reader trade directly, and the publishing house becomes the role of assisting the author instead of an agent (generally NFT can be cast using the DIY process provided by the platform, but books still rely on Only the professional support of the publishing house can improve the reading experience); 3. Community building: The author and readers establish direct contact, which can form a reader association to hold follow-up activities, or airdrop additional gifts to form a closer group.

There are two major differences between NFT books and "traditional" e-books: First, readers can truly own electronic texts, and can use any compatible software to access and read ePub or pdf files, regardless of specific readers and suppliers. 2. NFT books are registered and certified on the blockchain, and each book is an original and genuine digital asset. Blockchain is a decentralized transaction system established through cryptography and consensus mechanisms. It has the characteristics of being open and transparent, unable to be deleted, difficult to attack and interfere. The so-called NFT (non-fungible token non-homogeneous token) is an irreplaceable metadata. NFT book is a composite form of adding e-book files on NFT. For each NFT book recorded on the blockchain, although the content of the same work is the same, the version information is unique and unrepeatable, so it has rare value (collection and resale). This is similar to traditional paper books, but NFT is more durable, harder to destroy and lose than physical books, and more convenient to spread.

Last but not least (excuse the Europhrase), are my hopes for blockchain and Web3. Decentralization, peer-to-peer, freedom and autonomy, bottom-up, consensus mechanism, community co-governance, etc. These beautiful concepts are not empty words, but have been practiced by a group of creative and visionary people, in the process of exploring and correcting mistakes step by step. From the creation of Bitcoin by Satoshi Nakamoto in 2009 to the establishment of Ethereum in 2015 to support the operation of the digital community with economic incentives, blockchain is an epoch-making invention. I firmly believe that this invention will open a way to freedom and openness for the troubled human society. Only by clearing the fog of cryptocurrency and NFT speculation can we see the true face of the blockchain and the possibilities it brings us. Publishing NFT books is my vote for the future.

This article is more than 500 words longer than originally planned. I hope that the extra part can change your mind.

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