Hi all, A few weeks back, I mentioned on this list that OrigamiUSA was building up a system for selling downloadable files, such as e-books, PDFs, and downloadable individual diagrams. I am happy to announce that, as of today, 9/25, the system is open for business! Here's how it works in a nutshell:
--People apply to become "sellers" via the Origami Source (by providing name, contact information, etc.). Once you are approved, you can upload diagrams and e-books for sale as either PDF, EPUB, or MOBI format. --Shoppers can buy your files through the Source the same way they buy physical books and paper. After buying, they get a link to download the file. Their website account pages show all files they've ever bought, so they can come back and download them in the future as well. The link is specific to the purchaser (who needs to be logged into a website account.) Purchased PDFs are watermarked with the name of the purchaser. --Sellers set the price and receive 58%-70% of the list price, depending on the price. (The exact formula is: (seller share) = 0.7 x (list price) - $0.12, with a minimum price of $1.00) Sellers are paid quarterly, either by check or PayPal, subject to a minimum payment threshold. That's the basics; more details are at these links (which you can also find in the SHOPPING menu of the OrigamiUSA website): http://origamiusa.org/about-file-downloads http://origamiusa.org/guidelines-for-download-sellers Now, the system is all set to go (and we've been testing a prototype for the last month), but there are no files for sale yet. That's where you come in! We need sellers: people who are interested in offering diagrams and e-books for sale. If you're interested, here's how to participate. First, read the description at the two links above. Then fill out the application and submit it. We'll try to review and approve applications within 24 hours. Once you're approved, you can submit files for upload. There's a web form for that. All submitted files are reviewed and approved before they appear in the store. Normally, we try to approve all submissions within 48 hours, but for this kickoff, we'll be holding all submissions until Monday, 10/1, at which point we'll approve everything that's come in; they'll show up in the store (in a new "File Downloads" section), and people can start buying. I'll make another announcement at that time. We're pretty excited by this. It makes it possible for anyone to sell their origami diagrams at the individual model level. We know people have been clamoring for something like this for years, at least from the buyer's perspective, but of course, such a system will only be interesting if there are sellers who create and post their wares for sale. So we hope that there are folks who are interested in doing exactly that, and we hope to hear from you soon! If you have any questions about the system, feel free to ask, either on-list (for questions of general interest) or off-list (for private or specific questions). Best regards, Robert J. Lang On behalf of the OrigamiUSA Source and WebTeam
