You mentioned that a new edition of a book sold badly, while the original edition was a success. It was kind of you to propose its release into the public domain.

As a techie and a buyer of computer books, I'm sure I speak for many that it is a pain in the pocket having to keep up with newer editions. While we need to keep current, it has always seemed unfair to me to have to pay the full amount just to have the latest edition, which may be only marginally different from the old one which I own.

I would like to suggest a kind of discounted upgrade policy as well. For instance, a registration card in the book which will entitle us to access the full newer edition on the Web, or purchase at reduced rates Web or CDROM editions.

Even for the same edition, I find that for some titles, it is convenient to have both the printed edition as well as an electronic version for portability reasons. If my preferences are at all representative, then sales of the same edition may actually increase with such options.

-JT