Paulo Coelho: Content Creators Will Be Punished For Not Sharing Their Ideas Freely

from the welcome-to-the-new-world dept

Fri, Aug 21st 2009 4:18am — Mike Masnick

We've written a few times about best-selling author Paulo Coelho, and his embrace of file sharing and openness -- and how it helped him sell a lot more books. Reader Esahc writes in to alert us to the text from a speech Coelho gave. The actual speech appears to be from last year, so a bit out of date, but it's still well worth reading:

He talks about the success of his own projects, from "pirating" his own books, to having the community make their own movie out of one of his books. At the same time he discusses the rise of technology and the folly of pretending you can fight the technology. It's really a great overall statement on embracing new technologies for anyone who thinks they need to rely on copyright. On top of that, it again confirms the basic premise that we've stated here time and time again: for those who work to connect with their fans directly, there are plenty of ways to do well, even without specifically relying on copyright to do so.

We are facing a new era, so either we adapt or we die. However, I did not come here to share solutions, but my own experience as an author. Of course, I make a living out of my copyrights, but at this very moment I am not concentrating on this. I have to adapt myself. Not only by connecting more directly with my readers -- something unthinkable a few years ago -- but also by developing a new language, Internet-based, that will be the language of the future: direct, simple, without being superficial. Time will tell me how to recover the money I myself am investing alone in my social communities. But I am investing in something for which every single writer in the world would be grateful: to have his texts read by a maximum of people.

The Internet has taught me this: don't be afraid of sharing your ideas. Don't be afraid of engaging others to voice their ideas. And more importantly, don't presume who is and who is not a creator -- because we all are.

And the key point he makes? In the past, heretics were punished for sharing their ideas. These days, you'll be punished if you don't share your ideas.

Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.

Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.

While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.

–The Techdirt Team

Filed Under: authors, ideas, paulo coelho, sharing

15 Comments

If you liked this post, you may also be interested in...

Reader Comments

Subscribe: RSS

View by: Time | Thread

J.C. Hutchins, 21 Aug 2009 @ 6:00am

I'm one of those nutty authors who gives away his content (mostly in serialized audio form), and it's led to some great professional opportunities. Coelho is right: releasing content into the wild, for free, builds interest and communities around your work ... and it builds loyalty, which can literally pay off down the road.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
bwp (profile), 21 Aug 2009 @ 6:06am

Key Point?
I don't think that his key point is that you'll be "punished" if you don't share your ideas but that you won't do as well as you could if you did share you're ideas.

Mike, I think you're using the word "punished" very loosely to get a point across and it really just detracts from that point, IMHO.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 21 Aug 2009 @ 6:17am

Re: Key Point?
Mike does this all the time. Loose with titles, misleading, and often drawing conclusions that are incredibly one sided and not supported by the "facts", just by his own opinion.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Jim, 21 Aug 2009 @ 6:21am

Re: Key Point?
You're right, his "so either we adapt or we die" is a promise that if we don't adapt we will be rewarded. In many religions the good stuff really starts after we are dead - so clearly Mr. Coelho is encouraging us to not adapt so that we can enjoy the bounties of the after life. Those that do adapt will be left to suffer with money and fans on this awful planet.

Sorry... I just drank caffeine for the first time in over a year.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 21 Aug 2009 @ 6:25am

Re: Key Point?
Not do as well...sounds like punishment to me.

Doing well...reward!

Not doing as well...punishment!

Is it really that hard to follow?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Flyfish, 21 Aug 2009 @ 6:36am

Yeah right
I've noticed how many authors of "fan fic" have had their writing careers take off because they gave away their content for free.

I've concluded that the very small percentage of actually talented authors, musicians etc. can succeed by giving away their content, and in the case of a few not so talented it appears to work as well as they ride out their questionable reputations. Everyone else might as well give it away because they're not going to make money in either model.

ROFLMAO Mike wins!
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Hephaestus (profile), 21 Aug 2009 @ 7:28am

My Battle Cry !!!
DEATH TO THE MIDDLE MEN!!!

Oh wait I am trying to become a middle man ......

Never Mind ....
[ link to this | view in thread ]
David (profile), 21 Aug 2009 @ 7:34am

Re: Key Point?
The idea of the headline is to have you read the article. Of course he is going to use hyperbole, it shows that it works (You read the article, didn't you?).

The point is, we are entering an age with a new sharing consciousness, people can stick around where they are, or evolve. No "Right" or "Wrong". Just "Works" or "Doesn't Work".

What works for you?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
scooterde (profile), 21 Aug 2009 @ 7:53am

Re: Yeah right
Inclined to agree that this is a case of first-mover advantage, rather than a model for all content creators or writers.
Also, when digital books and reading devices, a la Kindle, do change the industry, piracy will be a bigger issue (and may be a key reason for reading devices to take off).
[ link to this | view in thread ]
bwp (profile), 21 Aug 2009 @ 8:09am

Re: Re: Key Point?
Actually I would have read the article any way.

I was actually trying to make more of a statement that there are words that get the same point across without being inflammatory or adding drama. I should also point out that Mike was just using Mr. Coelho's words so I have to cut him some slack but it's a shame that hyberbole and sensationalism is what a person has to use today to get their point across (in some cases).
[ link to this | view in thread ]
ChurchHatesTucker (profile), 21 Aug 2009 @ 10:20am

Re:
"I'm one of those nutty authors who gives away his content..."

First off, *squeee!*

Ahem.

Second off, yeah, JC (and Scott Sigler and Mur Lafferty) are excellent examples of how you can leverage 'free.' It's not instant riches, but then what is? (Besides a Wall Street job, I mean.)
[ link to this | view in thread ]
ChurchHatesTucker (profile), 21 Aug 2009 @ 10:48am

Re: Re: Re: Key Point?
"I was actually trying to make more of a statement that there are words that get the same point across without being inflammatory or adding drama."

Oh come on. A word like 'punished' means a bunch of things, from 'penalized by the marketplace' to 'gratuitous torture.' If you're going to choose to read it in the most inflammatory way possible, that's on your head.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 21 Aug 2009 @ 11:25am

Re: Re: Re: Re: Key Point?
MOst people when they think of punishment thing of visiting the principals office and getting the belt (if you are older) or having Mom take away your Nintendo machine (younger) or Mom cutting off your internet (pre-teen).

It's like any over the top term, it is intended to heat up a dull story.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
ChurchHatesTucker (profile), 21 Aug 2009 @ 11:44am

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Key Point?
"It's like any over the top term, it is intended to heat up a dull story."

It's not an over the top term (nor a dull story, FWIW) it's a *broad* term. If you want to interpret it as being spread-eagle on your mom's rubber apron while she paddles you with a wooden spoon, so be it. Just have the cognizance to realize that Mike might not have meant it it quite that way.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 21 Aug 2009 @ 7:14pm

I'm sure everyone who read the article was imagining that people who wouldn't share their ideas would be tied to a rack or thrown into a pond full of sharks with FRICKIN' LASERS in their heads.
[ link to this | view in thread ]