Google digitizing all books

[Olga Meerson]

I write both academically and for larger audiences--co-translating stuff with Robert Chandler at the moment. (I also do a lot in Russian, both academic and non-academic writing, such as lectures, memoirs, etc., but Russians have put much online anyway, including plenty of my stuff). I don't expect the  returns to benefit us too much--unless, of course, Oprah chooses our translation for her book-club, as once happened with my friends and colleagues. I would not claim any ROI for my two academic books--because my main goal is to make them as easily accessible as possible, for anyone who cares. As for the translations--it is not only up to me but also up to the Chandlers. But Robert's translations usually are so exceptionally good that they may eventually revolutionize the whole online market of books. I would certainly expect him to claim the ROI on those! I think the choice to claim the ROI or to forgo the claim should vary from case to case, and even from book to book. But i!
 t !
certainly should be the author's, not Sasha Spektor's, unless, of course, he is the author in question. Neither should it be Google's or mine, unless, again, I am the author in question. This is what Paul has said, and he is right. If you want to bestow your intellectual achievements on the world, or even to invite others to do so -- do not deny yourself the pleasure. But condemning others for not doing the same is a bit totalitarian, isn't it?

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