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I want to publish a chapter or a portion of a book (which is written by someone else, and translated to my language) in my non-profit website, and I want to ask its publisher for permission. I wonder if that would bring any benefit to them, so that my proposal has more weight. I even think that I will send them the link to this question to invite them to join the conversation.

One argument is that it helps advertise the book. However, a counter-argument is that most people will only read it and move on with their life. I wonder if there is any evidence for both sides? And in general, are there any other benefits/costs for this?

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Well, it can create interest in your book, and sell more books. And the publisher doesn't need to do anything. So it is free promotion.

They wouldn't want you to publish the whole thing, chapter by chapter, but if people like your chapter they may go ahead and order the whole thing.

I wouldn't be afraid to broach this to your publisher at all, for one chapter. Think of it as a teaser.

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  • sorry for being unclear. The book is not mine. It's written by someone else, and translated to my language
    – Ooker
    Commented Dec 19, 2021 at 15:39
  • also, what about the counter-argument that most people will only read it and move on with their life, so the publisher don't gain anything? Or would that count as free advertising?
    – Ooker
    Commented Dec 19, 2021 at 15:47
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    @Ooker it is free advertising; I have been in business many times, 98% of advertising doesn't sell anything. We are lucky if 2% of the people exposed to our ads actually convert to buying. So of course some will read the chapter and move on, but if 1 in a 100 buy the book -- That's a book sale the publisher did not have before, and did not have to pay for.
    – Amadeus
    Commented Dec 19, 2021 at 15:55
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    @Ooker It could be beneficial to publish a sample chapter. One. It is not always beneficial to publish ANY chapter; you don't want to give most of the book away. But one is probably okay. It may also depend on the audience you are promised to reach; if your website has a few hundred subscribers, then it is not worth their effort or expense to draw up a contract allowing you to do this. If you have tens of thousands of subscribers, that is enough free advertising to consider it. You might also be able to appeal to their sense of "public service" in promoting whatever your charity is.
    – Amadeus
    Commented Dec 19, 2021 at 22:05
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    @Ooker It has been held that if the holder of Intellectual Property (like Trademarks and Copyrights) know about unauthorized use of their IP and do NOT challenge it, they may be implicitly releasing it into the public domain. That has nothing to do with whether violators made a profit or not. I am not a lawyer, I cannot cite the precedents, this is what I have read. Their IP comes with a responsibility to notify others of violations; failing to do so gives the public the impression the work is public domain. Knowing that others are violating your IP and doing nothing about it risks losing it.
    – Amadeus
    Commented Dec 21, 2021 at 12:42

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