Scrivener Discount: Do we rebels deserve it?

So, this year, it would appear that the Scrivener writing program is going to be available at a 50% discount to anyone who successfully gets their 50,000 words in. Huzzah! A finer and more stream-lined piece of writing software I have never seen, and it can now be had at a more than reasonable price!

But...

My conscience is an easily pained entity. While I legitimately completed my 50,000 words last November, this year I've officially joined the rebellion and started writing early; I've a good 7000 words already. And let's say I finish this year with an even 50,000 and I submit the text and everything, ostensibly taking a place among this year's 'winners.' Could I really be justified in taking advantage of that discount, knowing that I've only really written 43,000 words during NaNo proper? I know the moderators go out of their way to say that Rebels are not 'cheaters,' but.... I dunno. Now that there is an actual financial incentive on the line, the devil and angel on my shoulders are engaging in quite the wrestling match!

Your thoughts?

Well, if you get 57,000 words, you're set.

I'm no help.

If you don't write 50k on your project, that's between you and the higher power of your choice. I'm about 32k into the WIP that I'd hoped to finish in time for NaNo(tHappening), so I'm just going to adjust the totals. I'll be aiming for 50k written on the project during November, as I fully expect the piece to go that long. Should put the total on the project at about 90k. Or more. /shrug
Bottom line: assuming I get 50k written during November, I'll be fine conscience-wise.

If you're that worried about it, you can always see if someone else wants to give you their scriviner code after November. I never use mine - I'm a caveman and stick to plain old Notepad.

NaNoWriMo wouldn't set up a "rebels" forum if they didn't at least partially condone rebelling. Scrivener knows this. They also know the whole thing is on the honor system. You can have 50k worth of straight-up cussing and the validation won't know the difference. Scrivener knows this as well (or at least, they should). Scrivener is making a calculated business decision to offer their product at a discount for NaNoWriMo winners. Rebel or not, you wouldn't be a winner if you didn't have a deep interest in writing. That's their customer base; by offering dedicated writers a discount, they are hoping to get additional business from their customer base and make more in the end.

As far I'm concerned, you can use the code, presuming you get one, without a guilt trip. But that's your devil and your angel, and if it's really bothering you that much when the time comes, don't do it. A discount is not worth the restless mind.

I would go for the 57 000 words, too. That's still rebel, but written 50 k in November.

Thanks for the input, all! My future-guilt is thoroughly assuaged; 57,000 it is! Though it sort of renders my 7000 word 'head start' rather moot. Ah well, lessons learned.

I would say it is morally OK to validate and use the code if you do something that is "as much work" as doing the regular nano (many people here see to be either continuing a WIP, writing short stories, writing non-fiction - all challenges that are at least as much as the regular one - hmmm. estimating that with challenges that are totally different (like editing, doing a graphic novel or music piece) are another kind of problem.

There are software companies out there--even some with some very expensive software normally--who give away copies for free via giveawayoftheday.com. Their purpose is twofold: to get good feedback from people interested in and knowledgeable about software in genera; and, if people like it, as is expected, the companies get good word-of-mouth from that same crowd. And some people like the software so much they give donations to those companies as well.

Scrivener is doing the same thing, just not giving it away for free. It costs them pennies to allow you to download their software. If you weren't going to be buying it normally, they're not losing an extra sale. Plus, this entire thing is really also a publicity stunt. I never heard of this software before Nano, and I'm now giving it a try.

So I say don't worry about your word count. If you don't make it, throw some gibberish words in using that Latin generator site and get your prize so you can get the discount. You shouldn't feel guilty anyway, since Scrivener DID make this offer last year. You just didn't take advantage of it

And if you're feeling guilty, then just make sure you use it enough to get a strong opinion about it; tell everyone you know in as many places as you can that it's really good if that's how you feel about it, and if you feel it's really worth it, then you can send some extra money their way when you have some extra, or pay for the next version when it's available. (And if you think it's bad software, then you shouldn't feel guilty about anything at all).

No matter how many people "cheat" to get the 50% discount, mark my words, Scrivener is making oodles more money than they otherwise would if they had not offered this deal in the first place.

In fact, if their customer service is as good as it should be, I bet if you sent them an email saying that you won Nano last year, asking up front if you could submit last year's text for the "prize" so you can show them proof, they'll probably say, "No problem." They might even just offer it to you without doing anything at all, if you asked nicely enough.

I've heard moderators say it's cheating and you shouldn't do it. In my opinion, you're still writing so why can't you?

I'm doing 75,000 words total, so 60,000 words in November, so I would say that yes, I deserve it! In fact, the reason they say that you're supposed to start from scratch is that it's EASIER, so in reality you're just making more work for yourself.

However, the program I really want is 50% off for everyone during NaNoWriMo-- you don't even have to be registered for classes. (Liquid Story Board). So I have no guilt at all, lol.

I think that Scrivener is worth it for anyone who writes, not just those who write novels. I use it for:

Writing nano novels (and editing them into publishable version)
Keeping track of blog posts
Magazine articles and drafts
all my non-fiction books
Spiritual journals,

And anything and everything else. scrivener is love and i think it's the best app writers can add to their arsenal.

The fact that we are even talking about this is fabulous publicity for Scrivener. I thought about buying it as a present for my OH in the past - reading this, I'm now thinking of getting copies for both of us! Thanks for the info innowen - knowing it can be used for non-fiction has sparked my interest.

Here's a proposal. Anyone who would like to get Scrivener, but can't afford the full price, and can't make the 50K target either, should take the number of words short of 50K and use that as a marketing target to "pay" for the rest of the price. For example, innowen's post is 66 words. So if innowen is 6600 words short of 50K, and can reach 100 people by posting on a popular forum (maybe outside NaNoWriMo, where more people will not know of Scrivener), or by tweeting 100 people (or more - that's probably too many characters for a tweet), then that would be the software paid for. And you know what? I bet the owners of the software would be utterly thrilled. And if you tweeted it or posted on Facebook, they'd probalby Follow / Friend you too.

What is Scrivener?

::snort:: Rats! I was so impressed when I explored Scrivener after reading about it in the first pep-talk letter, that I already went out and bought it. On the 7th when it was available, actually the 8th, the 7th was a hectic day for me, I downloaded the Windows version.

It is all and more of what I hoped it would be. I write in fits and starts. In bits and pieces and couldn't pull things together in a nice neat little drawer before. Totally awesome, this program is.

Even if I don't get a 50% retro-active discount for having bought it before seeing this thread!

I recommend the software highly.

I've been using Scrivener ever since I read this thread (the free trial version). I'm not sure I'm making 100% perfect use of it, as I am too lazy to do the tutorials (sorry, too busy). Nevertheless it's been very helpful, and pretty intuitive, and enormously better than Word. In particular, I like the fact that I can keep my research in a separate but very easily accessible place, and that I can easily see the structure of my document as I write.

Here's food for thought.

The discount is a great thing. Don't get me wrong: companies that reward NaNo-ers get my respect.

But...

it's a marketing ploy. They want to sell their software, and are fully aware that a discount is a great way to move product.

If you weren't going to buy it sans discount, but you are going to buy it with a discount, the company wins and so do you.

We may justify all we want, but ultimately... it's up to you and how you will feel about the situation. I know I'm not making the 50,000 and I couldn't falsify that. However, Scrivener does offer a discount to all Nanowrimo's of 20%
I'm more than content with that.

I think that as long as you write at least 50,000 NEW words in the month of November then you deserve the prizes. Writing 10,000 up to November 1st and then 40,000 during NaNo doesn't cut it. I had 7,000 words already wrote on my story when the month started, but I am only counting the 32,000 I've wrote since then because that's the whole point of NaNo, getting 50,000 NEW words.