Cory Doctorow is a science fiction writer, and a blogger who writes stories, contributes to different magazines and edits a weblog Boing Boing. He also acts as a visiting lecturer at Open University (UK). Besides fictional stories he has published several collections of non-fictional stories which comprise his thoughts about different issues [1]. He also is the supporter of Creative Commons as a distribution method [2].
His business model is simple: besides publishing his books, he also releases them under Creative Commons licence in the internet. First, he encourages the readers to read his books, and also promote them, which is free advertisement. With the help of his readers he gets reviews and may sell more of his printed books, and as he says in his interview, one will get even with the few lost copies and a lot of free publicity.
In his interview he explains that the bigger the publisher is, the less scared it is of publishing Creative Commons content online together with releasing the printed versions. He is satisfied that his books sell in print and are downloaded [2]. When I consider myself, I like printed books or original CD-s when they are from my favourite authors/bands, and I prefer to purchase one if I really like it. I think this is the idea behind his works as well, because not everyone prefers online books. Doctorow also suggested a model of getting a refund for his works not via direct donations, but he suggested that people should buy a copy of his work, and then donate it somewhere where it could be useful. I think this leaves a generous impression of the author, and people are willing to buy books in such purposes.
And to finish up with, Cory Doctorow seems like a cool guy who can easily survive by having a Creative Commons model in his book delivery to the people who love reading his books.
Links:
[1] craphound.com
[2] Interview with Cory Doctorow
[3] Wikipedia: Cory Doctorow
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