Why Book Piracy Is Harmful

Bonjour mes amis. Welcome back to my blog if you’ve visited before. If you are new to Creole Bayou salute. Creole Bayou is a blog that discusses topics about culture (all things Creole and Cajun), writing, mental health, and romance/relationships. My name is Genevive, and in addition to blogging, I’m also an author. This month, I’m celebrating the upcoming release of Demon Rodeo, a paranormal sports romance. As part of the celebration, I’m uploading daily posts about topics and themes that somehow relate to something that occurs or is mentioned in the story. Today, however, I’m going to stray for the first time from this objective to something that recently has been a topic of conversation in the writing world. When I say recently, I don’t mean that it is anything new. On the contrary, it’s probably as old as the printing press or maybe even before that. I’m talking about book piracy. Let me begin with an example, not about books.

One holiday—don’t ask me which one because I don’t remember—several years ago I had to work. Although I had to physically be present along with most of my coworkers, there wasn’t much to do. The hustle and bustle of the regular schedule was suspended for the day. Workers who normally would be in the “field” were hanging out in the office. The phones weren’t ringing off the hook; overall, there wasn’t much to do if caught up on paperwork. All was pretty chilled.

A common area had a large-screen television. Staff decided we would all gather there to work, One of the workers popped in a DVD he’d brought from home. (Yes, showing my age.) He anticipated on the day being dull and thought a movie would make the time go back quicker as well as allow employees to celebrate the holiday a little. To be fully transparent, no work rules were being broken by having the television on, and staff were working as much as they could. The issue was that because it was a holiday, there wasn’t much work to be done, yet, employees were required to be there.

The movie put in wasn’t a movie. It was a bootlegged copy of one of Tyler Perry’s plays (Family Reunion). I’d never seen it, and had no idea who Tyler Perry was. All I knew was that I laughed hard and enjoyed the singing. I became an instant fan. Some years later, Mr. Perry spoke about video copies of his plays being pirated. It was the first time I’d ever heard anyone speak on the matter—or maybe, it was the first time I paid attention.

At the end of his taped play production, Mr. Perry addresses the crowd. I can’t remember after which play he gave this speech. (And yes, my copy was an official copy released by the studio.) In his speech, he acknowledged how it was the pirated videos that helped audiences to become familiar with his work, and he was appreciative. However, he urged people not to purchase such merchandise. He briefly discussed the expense and hardships of producing a play, the length of time and the struggle of becoming mainstream, and the good (e.g., donations to hurricane victims and charities) he’s been able to do with the profits. Some people see Tyler Perry as a rich tycoon, which he is. But he came from a humble background and worked hard to earn his place in Hollywood and on the stage. The man was reportedly homeless at one point. He understands about being poor and not able to afford nice things. So, this is the man speaking into a microphone asking his audience to please support him in the right way by purchasing his videos. He’s asking to be paid (and also to be able to pay those who work for him) for his work. He was saying that if he wasn’t getting paid then eventually, he wouldn’t be able to continue making plays and movies. In America, no one is expected to work for free. Therefore, why should a director, actor, or producer be asked to work for free?

Recently, an argument was made that the pirating of books was okay because some people couldn’t afford books. They further argued that anyone opposed to pirating books was guilty of First World privilege and didn’t understand. Okay, so books are a privilege. They are a privilege for anyone. Food is a necessity. Water is a necessity. If a person walked into a grocery store or supermarket and stole food because they couldn’t afford it, they would be arrested and put in jail for stealing. Now, a kind storeowner may decide not to press charges or a gentle judge may go light on the sentence, but the person who stole to survive likely is going to have a criminal record. If something like that can happen for stealing an item of necessity, how are we to excuse stealing a privilege? Something is wrong with the priorities here. I’d much rather give someone hungry a free pass than someone who can’t afford the latest edition of Vogue magazine. Just saying.

Another argument is that it doesn’t hurt anyone because authors have made their money. This one is truly bothersome for several reasons.

Only a fraction of authors is able to support themselves solely off book sales. Many must work a full-time job.Self-published authors do not get advances and must finance the entire production of their books. Their first sales are to make back their investment so they can at least break even.Some self-published authors publish on platforms that require their books to be exclusive to that platform. This means when their books are published on pirate websites, these platforms can deactivate or suspend the authors’ accounts which would prevent sales not only of the pirated book but all of the authors’ other books as well. In some instances, it may cause an author to be permanently banned. Then, no one would be able to buy the author’s books.Most small-press authors don’t receive large advances, either. And because they often don’t have big names (e.g., Stephen King, Nora Roberts, John Grisham, etc.), they probably aren’t making those kinds of sales, either. And if they aren’t making the sales for their publisher, they aren’t likely to ever be offered large advances. In order for them to obtain a big advance, they must prove to the publisher that they can sell books. The way they prove they can sell books is by the verified number of sales. Verified means proof of sales from authorized sites and businesses. Pirated books decrease the number of verified sales.Not only does pirating books hurt authors, it also hurts small presses. Not every publisher is a corporate giant like HarperCollins and Penguin Random House. Smaller publishers are more affected by piracy, and it puts them at a greater disadvantage to compete with larger publishers. When a smaller publishing house folds, the authors with those publishers may not be picked up by the larger ones or even other smaller houses. Thus, those authors will either have to become indie authors (which isn’t as simple as one may think) or stop publishing.

A third argument is that books are too expensive. Listen, I’m not going to get into the ins and outs of what it costs to print a book—one because I don’t know all those figures—but here’s what I do know. Physical books are expensive due to the paper and the shipping costs. Cheaper options may include

eBookAudiobook.

But even if those are too expensive, not all is lost.

There are buildings called public libraries, and people with a card can check out books for free. When a library doesn’t own a copy of a book, they often can get it through an interlibrary loan. Many libraries do not have a fee for library cards (unless you lose them). Others may charge a one-time nominal fee.And speaking of libraries, pirating books hurts libraries. If people are going to steal books for free from the library (which actually pays to own a copy of the book), then it makes borrowing books from the library moot or obsolete.There are also online libraries.Many authors and publishers host sales. Some online sales are as low as $0.99. Is that still too expensive? OkayMany authors host giveaways where they allow free downloads or hand out free copies of their books.Publishers are always looking for ARC readers. Not only is this a way to receive free books, it is a way to read books early before they are released to the public. This is pretty cool actually.Sites like TikTok have book fairies. Book fairies are booklovers who visit readers Amazon and Goodreads book wishlist and gift them a book on the list. These people want to share the love of reading and books with the world. It costs nothing to the receiver.Thrift stores and secondhand shops exist. Frequently, books are sold for little or nothing—pennies sometimes.Estate sales. It’s sad that people lose their homes in foreclosure and other times the owner passes away and their possessions are sold or auctioned off. Many times, books are practically given away in bundles.Garage sales/yard sales. These sales are similar to estate sales. People are downsizing. Making money may not be a motivating factor as much as getting rid of items.Just ask. If a person desperately wants a book, ask for it. Someone is likely to oblige.

When a person steals from a department store, the store doesn’t just accept the loss. No, they pass that cost onto consumers. Sure, a person downloading a pirated book may get it for free, but the price of that and other books is going to go up for everyone else.

The last point is this. Authors work hard to get their books published. Just as going to work as a mailman, bank clerk, truck driver, forklift operator, dentist, electrician, pharmacist, janitor, accountant, professional athlete, musician, dog catcher, cook, politician, artist, plumber, dressmaker, pediatrician, and anything else, being a writer is a profession. It is how a person makes a living. Lots of authors shy away from speaking about piracy because they do not want to upset anyone. It is, in essence, a First World problem. Books are a privilege and not a necessity. How about instead of complaining about not being able to afford books the conversation turns to people not being able to afford medication, decent housing, healthcare, and food?

Writers and authors aren’t unsympathetic to the plight of people who cannot afford books. But most authors and writers also cannot afford not to get paid for their work. Anyone who doesn’t understand this is contributing to smaller presses going out of business, less-established and indie writers quitting the profession, and higher-priced books for everyone else. Pirating is considered stealing. It is a crime. It may seem like no one gets hurt, but that isn’t true. There are alternatives to getting books other than pirating.

And that’s all I got. Was this post helpful? Do you think you’ll ever visit? Have you visited there? Let me know your thoughts in the comment section. If you like this post, please click the like button and share. Your feedback allows me to know the content that you want to read.

Giddy up and let’s go!

My contemporary M/M paranormal sports romance, Demon Rodeo, is releasing on September 5, 2024, and is available now for preorder on Amazon. For video book trailers, visit my TikTok page. The full blurb is on my Instagram and Amazon.

Demon Rodeo is the first book in the Chasing the Buckle series but can be read as a standalone. It’s a friends-to-lovers romance set in the rodeo world. These are not your typical cowboys. It’s a widely diverse cast of characters and a mashup of genres that aren’t always seen together. If you’re looking for a palate cleanser, this may be a book for you. Also, expect a lot of goodies and giveaways.

Preorder

⇨ Amazon: https://readerlinks.com/l/4174852

⇨ All Stores: https://books2read.com/u/bP8RG7

Until next time, happy reading and much romance. Laissez le bon temps rouler.

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About the Author:

Hi, I’m Genevive, and I am a contemporary sports romance author. My home is in South Louisiana. If you like snark and giggles with a touch of steamy Cajun and Creole on the side, I may have your poison in my stash of books. Drop by the bayou and have a look around. The pirogues are always waiting for new visitors.