Ebook piracy and why authors should embrace it

[Jacqueline]

I remember my dear old mum saying "Thou shalt not steal doesn't come with a price tag" and I've lived by that my whole life. Theft is theft from a rich man or a poor one, whether it's a nickle or $100. Yes, people share print books, but they don't print fake copies off in their basements and if they do, they should be prosecuted.

I frankly don't mind if my readers share their kindles with a friend, but pirating is just wrong; for the author, for the person making illegal profits and for the person who condones it by making that purchase.

And who the heck pays $10-$20 for an ebook? There are so many good ones out there for so much less and yes, even FREE without resorting to or encouraging theft.

[Anonymous]

Well, that is certainly an interesting perspective. I suppose if enough people were to read your books, you could make money with your new piles of fame... Or something.

Thanks for sharing! Certainly an interesting read.

[Debbie]

I just came across this thread and realized, by the title, that it followed the same idea as I had in my latest blog, entitled "Can Ebook Sales and Resales be stopped?" http://the-write-stuff.me/

I came across an article on Forbes addressing this very question recently which prompted me to write the blog and chime in with my own 2 cents worth. Essentially, pirating, or theft, aren't going away - ever. The question remains, what's an author, or publisher, to do?



Debbie A. McClure

[Michael]

Classic bit of irony by Jason there.

[Michael]

Nothing wrong with being a yob.

Keeps the neighbours quiet.

[Alex]

When I published my debut novel as an eBook last September, I felt very protective of my work and was reluctant to even offer review copies of my work for free. I was afraid of coupon codes being abused. I was afraid of piracy.

I think this fear of theft really stifled sales and marketing potential early on.

Today I'd give a copy of my book away to anyone who really wanted to read it and for some reason was unwilling to purchase it. I'd much prefer to see paid purchases, but at this point in my publishing career, I'll take what I can get as long as people are reading my work.

[Natasha]

Alex wrote: "I felt very protective of my work..."

Absolutely. Right at the beginning I was printing out copies of my book and paying about £10 in postage rather than risk emailing anyone a digital file that they would then forward to everyone in the world. Sweet, really :-)

[Caitlin]

Reader here. I actually used to pirate books on occasion because they're so flipping expensive and I read A LOT. 99 cents to 2 bucks? I'd buy the darn thing. But 10-15 bucks for an ebook? I still cringe when I hit that purchase button. Also, the library doesn't always have what I want. Friends can't always lend them. Etc. Honestly, I still don't feel guilty about it. If I really like the author's work I would go buy it from Barnes & Noble to make sure they got the sale and then I'd tell all my avid reader friends to check it out. If I was lukewarm I'd make sure to rate/review/let people know. Gotta pay it forward karmically speaking.

I discovered a TON of my fave authors through these sites: Jennifer Armentrout, Wendy Higgins, Marissa Meyer, etc. I pre-order their books and buy them for friends now. I think I've bought Cinder for 4 or 5 different peeps.

Your best plan of action if it bothers you is to report it. Don't waste your energy internet shaming these people. Get on with your lives. Then ride that wave until the book gets removed. You might gain some new fans during that time. Just saying...

Sites like Oyster & Netflix are the most effective way to combat piracy. Affordable subscription services are the future in my opinion.

[Stan]

Caitlin wrote: "Reader here. I actually used to pirate books on occasion because they're so flipping expensive and I read A LOT. 99 cents to 2 bucks? I'd buy the darn thing. But 10-15 bucks for an ebook? I still c..."

What were the sites like when you found a pirated book. Were they they kind you went back too? What about malware? Did you run into that?

[Epicbookaddict]

Piracy is theft plain and simple. I'm not an author but an avid reader. In a "life busy" year I can read over 100 books, it's really my only vice (other than diet Dr. Pepper).

Bottom line is ebooks are less expensive than mainstream publishing; for instance, 2 of my favorite authors have new books coming out this year so of course 1st release will be hardcover $19-26, then you wait for paper back still $9-12. The Kindle price (through Amazon) is about $5 buck cheaper. Now these prices are assuming you pre-order. I'm not sure in all my years I've spent more than $15 on an ebook.

There are TONS of relatively new authors or indie authors that release their books either free for an introductory period OR .99-$3 OR connect with your local library ****(they pay a fee for the right to redistribute the work***) via Overdrive, etc OR get on an ARR thread.

You have options to avoid choosing between reading and your groceries if the piracy is cost related. It all comes down to your moral compass; however, if I were an author and spent 6months to a year to multiple years putting my heart and soul onto paper I'd be more than a weensie bit pissed to have it stolen.

If your religious...'thous shalt not steal'
If your karma inclined...'what you put out there comes back to you'
If you believe in nothing well I'm not sure you'd be interested in this thread at all since it deals with right v/s wrong.

So..what to do about it? Dunno, I'll have to leave that to the powers that be whom controlleth thine i-net.
"...it is our actions that define us" -Jerricho Barrons (Fever series)

[Isaac]

When I was growing up, I had an Amiga 500 computer. As far as gaming went, it competed with the Nintendo and Super Nintendo. By any objective measurement games were better, but rampant pirating killed several small to mid-sized publishers, and eventually killed the whole format. I remember writing game companies asking why they no longer made games for the Amiga 500, and they almost always cited poor sales due to piracy.

There's no doubt in my mind that heavy piracy can make the difference between an indie author living off book sales or merely writing as a hobby. For established authors, there's little doubt that piracy costs them money.

That said, for a first time author attempting to literally give their work away for free, torrent sites are easy enough to access that it makes sense to put your work there as part of a general "give my stuff away to get a fan base" strategy.

[Jim]

Con-artists, scammers and thieves would have no incentive to ply their trade if not for greedy people who set their piety and conscience aside whenever they find it convenient or rewarding.

As long as there are those who have come to believe that they are entitled to obtain something for free or next-to-nothing, scammers, con-artists and thieves will have all the incentive they need to continue scamming, conning and stealing.

The adage: "You get what you pay for." is as valid today as when originated. So when you obtain something for free or next-to-nothing, the product will, more often than not, be worth just about what you paid for it.

[Vivienne]

When this thread popped up in my notifications, I truly didn't think I'd be moved to comment as my silly little brain dismissed this as a settled topic a long time ago. (To all you pirates out there, have at. I don't think you're malicious or morally deprived. I even have a button on my site that allows you to pay for them at a later date -- when you have the money and if you're so inclined.)

But I have to say I'm incredibly surprised at the vitriol in some of the comments. (Though it certainly isn't the first time it's been hinted that my lack of religiosity means I have no concept of right and wrong, it's still a painful thing to have assumed about you. Especially by a complete stranger.) Having grown up in a poverty-stricken household, the only books I had access to were those we obtained for free via the library or shared paperbacks, or for pennies at yard sales and secondhand stores. And they were everything to me. My world without them would have been limited, to say the least. Maybe that altered my perspective. I don't ever want income to stand as a barrier between one of my books and a kid who wants to read it.

Speaking from a sentimental place, books aren't a moneyed industry of commodities, not to me. They're personal and important, and though of course I only earn my living when someone pays for them, when it comes to the idea of that person "stealing" a few hours of entertainment, I can't begrudge them that. Not when they have countless other things to worry about in an average day.

Speaking practically, when I think of books and theft, I think plagiarism, not piracy. I don't feel diminished or cheated when I find a title I've written on a torrent site because those who download it likely weren't going to buy it anyway. They may not have money, but they do have opinions and friends -- and nothing drives sales so much as word of mouth.

To the OP, if you're still following this thread, thank you for posting. Your blog was very well thought out and I enjoyed it immensely.

To those here who may or may not have said some unkind things, I do understand where you're coming from. Legally, you are absolutely in the right. Perhaps morally, too, as I'm apparently in no position to understand the difference. I may disagree -- and that's okay! But, for heaven's sake, can't we all tone down the meanness just a tad?

And to EVERYONE, thank you for loving books enough for this topic to be of interest to you.

Just my two cents. I'm gonna crawl back into my agoraphobic hole now. ;p

Cheers,
<3

[Michael]

Thank you, Vivienne!

This thread was started almost exactly two years ago, I got a weird sense of deja vu when I saw it popping up again...

[Vivienne]

Michael wrote: "Thank you, Vivienne!

This thread was started almost exactly two years ago, I got a weird sense of deja vu when I saw it popping up again..."

Oh my word, yes, I see that now! Good on you for introducing something that people are still discussing after all this time!

[Justin]

I think another big issue with ebook piracy which makes it hard for author's to embrace is the whole multiple venues and sites. Like chances are as a self-published author, you've busted your ass in getting the book out on Amazon kindle, Kobo, Smashwords and B&N if one is so lucky. So to have people place your book on a list where people can download it for free and the author doesn't get a dime after busting their hump to get it on all those major sites? Ehh...I can see why embracing piracy may be a bit hard to do.

[William]

Michael wrote: "Yo peeps

I wrote an article explaining why I uploaded my own books to some torrent sites, and also why authors should stop worrying about piracy.

http://makingconnectionsgroup.blogspo......"

Though I have a diametrically opposite opinion about making one's works available for free, ESPECIALLY digitally, I truly understand the desperation authors feel about getting "discovered."

Authors are a needy lot. I am an author, and personally know hundreds of authors, and those who have not captured the notoriety necessary to become mainstream famous fight the challenges of marketing and publicity daily.

Okay, upload your book to kickstart, hopefully, notice by people who wouldn't find you otherwise.

However, unless someone knows to look for you online, you face the exact same challenge in getting notice everywhere else.

And all you're left with is a product that has little or no revenue potential any more.