Book Pirates and not the sexy Johnny Depp ones, either.
Sep 9th 2009
KimOn Writing!
Book pirating is the unauthorized uploading, scanning or other distribution of an electronic copy of a book. It also includes downloading a free electronic copy from a file sharing site, blog or other non-authorized venue.
I believe in the good of humanity and that most people are trustworthy and kind. I think a lot of illegal downloading happens because people don’t realize the implications of this act.
Here are a few facts readers may not be aware of:
1. Some people think they’re “sticking it to the man” when they’re illegally downloading a book. What they don’t realize is that the publishing house isn’t the only entity supported by the revenue generated from book sales.
The author generally receives 6 to 10% of the price. That’s it. The rest goes to the publisher and booksellers. But more important, when someone steals a book, they’re not just taking money from a publisher, or Author A, or the Barnes and Noble down the street, but they’re taking money from actual people like you and me.
A publishing house has a staff made up of artists who design covers, sales people, typesetters, secretaries, mail room clerks and other support staff. None of these people make a fortune. Starting salaries for editors–in NEW YORK–are in the $20,000 to $30,000 range–and they don’t go drastically higher as they move up.
Even more painful, book pirating takes money from booksellers, many of whom earn minimum wage. In addition, many of your local bookstores are struggling to just make ends meet and the loss of income — any income — can make a big difference in these difficult times.
Unlike movies and CDs, books are not a high-profit industry. Right now the economy has publishers laying off staff, closing warehouses, cutting budgets to the bone, and lowering print runs for authors. Many bookstores have already closed their doors and it would be sad to see more of them disappear.
The only ‘man’ who is getting ’stuck’ when a book is downloaded is the reader. Those of us who love our local bookstores and the variety of quality books that are available will ultimately pay the price for this loss of income in an already stressed industry.
2. Sometimes the sale of only a few books can affect an author’s placement on an important list. During her book’s release week, one author missed the New York Times published list by less than 100 books. Meanwhile, during this same time period, her book had been illegally downloaded over 9,200 times on just one site.
3. Did you know an author’s next contract depends greatly on the sales numbers of her most recent release? With every download of an illegal book, an author’s contract leverage is reduced which can cut future advances.
Think about it. Let’s say author Sally Sweet earns $.50 for each legally sold copy of THE VIRGIN BRIDE MEETS THE RAKE. By the time Sally’s book has been on the shelf for 30 days, it could have been downloaded 20,000 times. (And yes, that’s a very realistic number and from only one uploaded ‘free’ copy.) That means Sally just lost $10,000 of royalties.
When Sally goes back to contract, her publisher will look at her sales — minus those stolen online — and make her an offer that won’t represent her true readership. So not only has Sally lost $10,000 worth of sales from her current book, but that loss has now reduced her future earnings.
There are so many alternatives to illegal books. Libraries, use them! They’re completely free. Trade books with friends. WalMart and Target offer discounts on their books. Kindle and e-reader are always offering free legal downloads. Check author websites. Tons of authors put up free reads on their websites.
Please, I implore you, if you’re tempted to share an e-copy of a book or download an illegal copy, think about the ripple effect of those few clicks. It’s like the Butterfly Effect and it seriously hurts authors, the publishing industry, and your favorite local bookstore.
How do you like your books? Do you read e-books? If you do, do you use a Kindle or E-reader? Do you need to hold a book in your hands? How has technology changed the way you read books?
105 Comments »
105 Responses to “Book Pirates and not the sexy Johnny Depp ones, either.”
Michelle B on 09 Sep 2009 at 4:59 am #
Love my books the old fashioned way. Paper in my hands. I’m a little slow to embrace technology, so while I am intrigued by the Kindle, I’m just not ready for it.
Crymsyn on 09 Sep 2009 at 5:05 am #
I love books to hold. I think there is something about the smell of them. However, having a Kindle would be great to the point that I can stop taking up so much wall space in my house. Five bookcases already stuffed with books and I need a new one. Oh well…one day I might switch.
Judy f on 09 Sep 2009 at 5:32 am #
I love the book in my hands. I do have an e reader but I have never used it. I have an older then dirt computer so I can’t use it yet. Maybe some day.
Kim you are so right about booksellers. I had a part time job I loved until Jan of this year. B Dalton’s is B&N mall store and they are dropping like flies. Its sad.
On a side note I was at book store this weekend and a bit older then me couple was in the romance section. The woman was reading off the backs off the books outloud for starters. But the husb says ” look at these romance authors, they are so prolific. (he pointed to Catherine Coulters Books) You can just crank them out and sit back and rack in the money. OMG I had to leave the row or I was going to lose it. People are so clueless.
LoriHandeland on 09 Sep 2009 at 5:35 am #
I like actual paper books and bookstores. I want to hold them in my hands, smell them, own them. I’ve never read an e-book, though I downloaded one on my iphone. Haven’t read it yet. It’s just for emergencies.
I do like to listen to audio books when I’m on the treadmill, but I only listen to books I wouldn’t usually read. For me, if it’s a book I’ve been waiting for, I HAVE to read it on paper or the experience just isn’t the same.
B on 09 Sep 2009 at 5:42 am #
I have a question for you authors, just because I’m curious.This isn’t the most common case,I guess some people are just lazy to pay for their books but I know it happens:what if there’s one person,and this person lives in a foreign country A country in which English is not the first language,therefore very few books are actually imported, and many many many authors are never translated or even heard of (like, unless they’re super massified and not necessarily that good).Let’s also say that because of currency and shipping, which can be more expensive than books themselves, this person just can’t afford to buy books from Amazon and have them shipped to their country.Of course, let’s work with the fact that kindle does not even work in this country. And, last, but not least, let’s say this person’s an avid reader,who,once they’ll read your books, if they like it,they’ll recommend it to about everyone they can see,post reviews,in about any site they can type in. They might even write letters to publishers in their country suggesting them to buy your books.
My question is:in a case like that described above: would you rather*this* person to download your books or to never be heard of?
Cail on 09 Sep 2009 at 5:44 am #
i like paper or audio books. back when i had an boring office job i used to read books on the online database (all public domain.)
my library, and my parent’s library has an online audiobook database, where you can check out, download and upload books onto your iPod. The books expire after one or two weeks. It’s really a great resource.
LisaK on 09 Sep 2009 at 5:59 am #
I used to buy ebooks when I didn’t yet have my second bookshelf, so just for practical reasons. And sometimes, when I’m really anxious to read a book and just can’t wait for the paper version to arrive.
However, I do like “real” books better. I leek the feel of paper beneath my fingers, the smell of it (yes, I admit it, I’m a paper-smell-junkie
), the parts of the cover that glitter or stand out (don’t know if that’s the word – you know, when the author’s name and title are higher than the “actual” cover). I like turning the pages again and again and just with one move looking something up on a previous page. I like the colours. They’re always much more beautiful in reality than they are on the screen.
What really bothers me at the moment is the fact that I can’t download a particular book, though. I have the first two books in that series as ebooks and now the guys from the store write me an email that the third one is defective. That means I have to buy the third book as a real book. And. I. Don’t. Like. That. I want the series to be in one from. Either only real books or only ebooks. I’m weird, I know. But still…
Lisa H on 09 Sep 2009 at 6:04 am #
Great Blog, Kim! I must admit the title pulled me in!
I so agree with what you are saying. My first book is coming out as an e-book. I would hate to have it pirated! I spend 9 months writing it, 9 months trying to sell it and about 3 months doing revisions. That is a whole lot of time, and although I don’t believe anyone would enter this business for the money, when I calculate how much time I have in, divided by what my “cut” might be, I am probably going to make around .01 per hour.
Honest in anything is always best. Integrity cannot be counted in money.
Archer on 09 Sep 2009 at 6:06 am #
I love paperbacks, but the books I want are almost never available here (in Turkey). I’ve even talked to book stores about giving them a list to bring stuff for me, but no luck :-/
The shipping for books costs more than the books ($9-12 per book) so I have become an ebook reader.
).
Only there is a new problem now. Whatever ebook format you buy, you’re stuck with it. I read microsoft reader books because I can read them on my ipaq and any of my computers. Kindle and Sony readers are not available here and lately no new books are available in my format (microsoft reader
The ebook market is becoming crazy. So far there is ms reader, ereader (B&N), kindle, sony, adobe (2 different formats) and who knows what else sheesh. Don’t know if its true, but I heard google is also thinking about entering the market. Certain books are available only in certain versions which is so frustrating. I wish there was either a universal reader or conversion tool.
If I really love a book I sometimes buy the paperback even if I have the ebook. I bought the hardcover version of Gentle Rogue since it is what got me hooked
Archer on 09 Sep 2009 at 6:09 am #
A lot of people lost their ebooks when B&N closed its ebook store.
Pesky on 09 Sep 2009 at 6:36 am #
I don’t pirate. I spend about $200 a month on books. However, I have a question. What exactly IS pirating? A library buys 1 copy of a book, then lends it out a few hundred times…is that pirating? Music heard over the radio…is that pirating? In either case I didn’t pay anyone to hear or view the material. Commission needs to be paid to the creators of art of any sort, this I agree with, but why is it ok for me to pass a book on to a friend to read, but if it’s in ebook form, that’s not ok. How many times is a hard copy of Twilight handed back and forth between friends? A book can be downloaded 20,000 times but it can be handed back and forth just as much in our nation.
Next question, I purchase my book via hardcopy or via ebook format. The amount of money is not all that different. However, in ebook format, the printers and booksellers have been cut out, that is a significant amount of savings for the publisher with not promise to the buyer that a. the ebook will always be there b. that the format for presenting the ebook will remain consistent and I will not lose the ability to view the books I have already purchased.
Archer on 09 Sep 2009 at 6:41 am #
Pesky,
when they first came out with ebooks they were saying how they were going to be cheaper… now some cost as much as hard cover
Pesky on 09 Sep 2009 at 6:45 am #
(contd) In short, authors need to be paid for their work, indeed they did it, I enjoyed it, I’m going to pay for it much like I pay to see a movie. However, is that 20,000 downloads just the modern way of handing a book back and forth? Should we close down the libraries? What about when I hand my second hand books off to the local cancer ward? *shrug*
The question seems really simple, but when you look at it more deeply I’m not so sure.
I will always pay for my entertainment, books, music and movies. It’s the way I roll. But to put the burden of book counts and the entire publishing industry on this phenomenon, I’m not so sure it’s right. Look more toward Borders and B&N and Amazon changing the way that books are purchased for the small booksellers going out of business. Lost bestsellers? I think every author is dealing with the same issues, so it’s a fairly even playing field that way. As to lower numbers of readers, I’m thinking video games are culprets as well.
Encourage reading in your friends and family would probably be a better way to battle this.
*getting off of soapbox now*
Pesky on 09 Sep 2009 at 6:45 am #
Exactly Archer
TrishD on 09 Sep 2009 at 7:02 am #
I love holding an actual book in my hands. Paperback or hardcover, it doesn’t matter, I just want to feel of a book in my hands. I do like reading the free e-stories that some authors have on their web-sites. Sometimes, such as when I’m at work, I only have access to a computer and appreciate the free stories and e-books out there. I haven’t pirated… that I know of. I don’t want to take $$ or # of books sold from my favorite authors.
Another question for everyone. What about used book stores? I recently visited one of my favorites and found a recent release that I’ve been looking for. I didn’t want to pay full price but now I feel guilty because that author didn’t get “credit” for me buying that book.
TrishD on 09 Sep 2009 at 7:03 am #
LisaH – Congrats!!
Lorena on 09 Sep 2009 at 7:08 am #
The Virgin Bride Meets the Rake? Now THERE’S a title I want to see LOL
First…I love my books in paper format. Don’t own an e-reader, although I’ve nothing against them except the price. And as I’m e-published in ero/rom–which is much more prevalent online than in paper!–I’ve obviously nothing against e-books in general…although one day….
I don’t know if Sally Sweet really lost $10k in royalties. Odds are many of those people wouldn’t have purchased the book at all…but they might once they got the free read. So let’s hear it for libraries. I firmly believe that libraries serve a higher purpose (educated populace/freedom/politics I won’t discuss here…) and there are several authors I’ve read for the first time through the library and then gone and bought the entire backlist as soon as I could. And when I’m watching pennies, I’m VERY grateful my tax dollars help support a wider reading list.
But then, I DO encourage friends and family to go buy books instead of “just” borrowing…
Pesky on 09 Sep 2009 at 7:09 am #
Lisa H: Congratulations!
Pesky on 09 Sep 2009 at 7:18 am #
Sorry, have another question. Why is it OK to disseminate news over the internet? The newswriters should get paid for reporting the news. Their jobs are getting cut left and right. Their reports go out over the wires, are reported by other outlets and the original writer that was up to their hoo ha in excrement doesn’t get the credit for the writing and their newspaper doesn’t get paid for you getting the news.
If reporters don’t get paid for news, the news doesn’t get reported. The internet is “free” but the source of the material eventually needs to get paid or they will stop providing content. Then news reporting will go to:
“Well I’m sitting here in my house, and looking out the window. Looks kinda shiney out there. Merl stopped by yesterday and told me that the Friersons are havin another youngun, this makes 8. Oh, Charley’s pig apparently took a shine to one of their banty hens and broke loose so they could meet. Oh wow…look…I wonder what that funnel thing is coming out of the sky….” *static*
kay on 09 Sep 2009 at 7:29 am #
I prefer paper books, I don’t own an e-reader and probably never will. I work on a computer all day, with my eyes squinting at the screen, I really don’t want to do that with my relaxing time. The one problem I have is that some authors are only published in e-book format, so, there are some out there that I’m going to miss.
Archer on 09 Sep 2009 at 7:46 am #
Its too bad you guys can’t get books shipped from China… that’s my new addiction getting things from Ebay that are shipped directly out of China
Becky on 09 Sep 2009 at 7:53 am #
I am entirely old fashioned. I love a book in my hands, seeing the creases I make in the binding from overuse, and I LOVE the smell of books. I could spend hours in a bookstore, pouring over new books and old ones I have yet to discover. When I was in England last year, one of my favorite things was to find tiny bookshops and look for the oldest books they had. And you could get them for a great price! I don’t know where technology will take us, but I’m not giving up my real books!
KarenC on 09 Sep 2009 at 7:54 am #
I prefer paper by a wide margin, but NY isn’t willing to take chances on storylines that epubs sometimes will so yes, I read ebooks. Not enough to invest in a Sony or Kindle yet. I probably will at some pt, if for no other reason than having my reference bks at the tips of my fingers during a debate would be completely awesome, but seeing as that would also require me to re-purchase my ref library in eformat…Substantial cash outlay. Ick.
How has technology changed my reading habits? I’m the Queen of the Backlist. Bkstore owners here will order titles if I ask, sure, but if it isn’t in their wharehouse, the end. Bkstore FAIL. Major FAIL!!! I, meanwhile, am quite capable of finding the lonely store in Arkansas that still has a new copy of that bk on the shelf. I’ve waited yrs for a reasonably priced out-of-print title in the used bk market, too. I’m more willing to try new authors when the reviews are good…
The net’s broadened my reading interests considerably.
Pirating, IMO, is theft, though. Period.
Karen Hawkins on 09 Sep 2009 at 7:59 am #
I use a kindle, but only when I travel. I love the feel and smell of a book. One thing I’ve noticed is that I buy MORE books with a kindle because I can impulse buy. I’ll read about a book or see a review, hop on the kindle and buy it.
I agree that ebooks are WAY overpriced. WAY.
Also, I’m going to jump in here and answer the ‘what’s the difference between book pirating and a library?’
At the center of library use is a purchased book. People read the book – and turn it back in for someone else to read. OR, your mom buys the book, and you and sister read it. OR we’re talking about a ubs who buys the book from a reader and resells it. Because we’re talking about a physical copy, there is a limit on the number of uses the book gets. There is no limit for a pirated ecopy. NONE.
There was a woman on ebay who got an illegal copy of every book I wrote, put them on a cd, and sold them to anyone who mailed her $6.99. She told me she’s sold over 3,600 copies so far. That’s EVERY book I’ve written on one cd.
To me, this is different from a person who goes to a library and checks out the book, or borrows it from their mother. There is no physical limit at all.
Does that make sense?
KarenC on 09 Sep 2009 at 8:02 am #
Re the net and the news…Yes, I check the news on-line, but IMO, anybody who relies on the net alone as a news source is a moron. Then again, I’m exceedingly paranoid when it comes to news reports. I watch both CNN and Fox, look at different papers – because I think all reports are horribly biased/skewed. The truth is usually somewhere in the middle.
Yeah, I know. Where’s my tin foil hat head smiley when I need it.
Pesky on 09 Sep 2009 at 8:07 am #
Karen H:
I would define piracy in that case as, the ability to make a profit off of goods that are not your own. That indeed is piracy in the most basic format. She did not pay for the books and now is making a profit from them. If you are making a ill-gained profit, then you are indeed a pirate. Go get a hook, a parrot and an eyepatch.
Karen Hawkins on 09 Sep 2009 at 8:12 am #
Pesky, about the news — look at all of the newspapers that are folding. Even the New York Times is facing bankruptcy right now, as is the Chicago Trib, the LA Times … a lot of them.
Meanwhile, internet news sites DO make money — they do so through advertising. Illegal ebooks? No advertising. No revenue. No money for your local bookstore. Bookstores are closing all over the country. I don’t know… maybe they are dinosaurs and doomed for extinction.
I have a degree and I can get another job. Most writers were something (and usually something successful) before they became writers simply because it takes a certain literacy level and a strong work ethic to make this gig work, so trust me on this — this isn’t about us. I did very well before and I’d do very well after.
But my local bookstore? It can disappear in a second. Many are seriously teetering on the brink of bankruptcy. I know Borders is and I’ve heard that Barnes and Nobles is very weak, too. When I look around my town, most of the independent bookstores have gone under, most within the last five years. That leaves Books-a-Million and I don’t know how well they’re doing.
Madeline Hunter on 09 Sep 2009 at 8:13 am #
Pesky, the copyright law has what is called the first sale provision. If I buy a book, I can then do what I want with that *specific* copy. I can resell it. I can’t copy it, and resell/loan/give away multiple copies though. And a library can lend out a copy, even hundreds of times. Piracy would be taking that copy, and making unlimited copies of it and distributing those copies. One downloadable copy can in theory be downloaded by millions of readers now. So an illegal download has potential for big ramifications.
No, a writer does not get “credit” for a used book sale either. Those hard copy used book sales are legal, however, no matter what any writer would prefer, and no matter how it has impacted print runs (and it has) now that used books are so readily available. The copies on the piracy sites are not legal. And the scale of the problem is much bigger with the downloads too. One hard copy passed on has a small, slow recycle. One copy available for illegal downloading can have a fast, broad impact.
Freshechelle on 09 Sep 2009 at 8:13 am #
Karen, please tell us your publisher or attorney sent her a cease and desist letter at the very least. That’s usually enough to put the fear of God into these individuals. My industry deals with counterfeiters and it’s the same piracy issue – profiting from something the seller has no legal rights to and didn’t create. It’s criminal and it’s frustrating that buyers see it as a victimless crime.
The slippery slope of Kim’s scenario in this economy makes it easy to imagine a world in which our published fiction choices will run the gamut from Dan Brown to James Patterson – only the mass appeal works will get printed.
Karen Hawkins on 09 Sep 2009 at 8:14 am #
Pesky, lol! Maybe I should have mailed her a parrot.
And yes, I agree that her sort of pirating is worse.
Archer on 09 Sep 2009 at 8:20 am #
making profit off something that you didn’t pay for seems a bit much
Karen, did she know you were the author when she told you?
Sabrina Jeffries on 09 Sep 2009 at 8:21 am #
Pesky, you must have SOME hardcopy book if it changes hands 20,000 times and doesn’t fall apart. *G* That’s the crux of the issue. Physical books fall apart, even in libraries. Libraries re-order books all the time or order extra copies because of reader demand. No one would argue against passing books around or people using them in libraries or buying them used (at least I wouldn’t). In this country, we firmly believe that once you own something, you own it and you have the right to pass it on. If the e-book were on a CD and the CD had a finite number of uses, I’d be fine with that, too. But these are infinite electronic copies. Imagine books being free to anyone all the time. How would authors be paid? Would they be paid? Eventually they’d just stop writing books, and you, as a reader, would be stuck with amateurs who aren’t going to put their heart and soul over and over into a book for long for free.
Karen Hawkins on 09 Sep 2009 at 8:22 am #
Fresh, my publisher did just that and she stopped, but still … over 50,000 of my books were distributed this way. That’s a lot of books.
Karen Hawkins on 09 Sep 2009 at 8:26 am #
Archer, yes, she knew. She just didn’t care. I wrote and asked here where she’d gotten the ecopies (somehow I’d imagined her scanning them in) but she’d just culled them from here and there.
Archer on 09 Sep 2009 at 8:28 am #
wow that’s brazen
Freshechelle on 09 Sep 2009 at 8:28 am #
It’s a sin. As the Mrs. to Hot Cop I’m sure you and he both wish that there enough resources to stop all the crime in the world, violent and non-violent.
I’ve often had to tell “customers” gently that their high valued designer item is actually counterfeit and the reactions can be tears or hostility. The only thing I can say to give them perspective is to tell them if we could stop this type of crime, we could stop drug trafficking.
I solemnly swear to never acquire a pirated book and will shame and harass those who do!
Sabrina Jeffries on 09 Sep 2009 at 8:36 am #
B, most of the piracy cases are NOT the situation you describe. And the fact of the matter is, you can get TONS of books on the internet for free legally. There are free reads, and there are millions of out-of-print books. For those in the U.S. or other countries with libraries, there are millions of library books. I grew up in a foreign country (Thailand) where new books were astronomical in price because of duties. I never bought a new book. I bought them used from rich foreigners who had other means of getting them than I did. I never went without books, and while my choices were somewhat limited, I did manage to read a serious number of Barbara Cartlands and Emilie Lorings (the big romance writers at the time). That’s why I’m a firm believer in the rights of people to resell their hard copies. I guess I just have trouble believing that books are completely inaccessible legally anywhere.
Kim on 09 Sep 2009 at 8:37 am #
Oh yes, many people do profit from book pirating. Just the other day a blog was shut down. They were offering tons of free downloads but there was a paypal button top and center. You were asked to “donate”.
They took the distribution of those books out of the publisher’s hands for their own profit and gain.
For me, this is a sad issue. I see so many of the people that work in the industry I love being hurt by this.
Karen Hawkins on 09 Sep 2009 at 8:38 am #
Archer, she was brazen, wasn’t she? I was amazed she bothered to answer my email. I was VERY polite to her, told her that it was illegal and that my publisher would be in contact with her and ebay. It stayed up another week and then ebay removed it.
Lol! Fresh, you’re right and we’re not talking murder, but it’s still theft. And yup, Hot Cop can tell you about pirating of goods, too. When he worked with the FBI, he participated in a raid on a man’s storage facility where he was shipping in illegal copies of footwear — Nikes and such — and selling them as originals. Customers thought they were getting a deal … except they fell apart in just a few weeks. Quality control is not very high on illegal items.
B on 09 Sep 2009 at 8:41 am #
I agree with Lorena, though, that I don’t know if Sally really lost 10k in royalties. I take it from me. I RARELY try new authors just by looking at their books at the store. I usually read new books when: My mom picks them up and then I pick them up from her books — since it’s here and free anyway — OR when someone that knows me well recommends them to me, and tells me they think I’d like it. There are several books I’ve looked at, and thought they ‘looked’ interesting, but didn’t actually buy it because I wasn’t sure I’d like. This, after having picked up wrong books for a long time. This by no means justifies piracy, I just thought I’d comment.
Karen H, that woman has a helluva nerve. I mean.. was she trying to provoke you or something? Geez, you download, sell and GLOAT??? Pfff. You should look into taking legal action against her. That should take that plastered smile off her face!
Authors: would you rather someone downloaded your books because they can’t buy it at the moment (nor have them available at libraries) and buy them as soon as they can or to never be heard of by these people at all?
Freshechelle on 09 Sep 2009 at 8:46 am #
My company just won a case going after an internet company that supported sites dealing counterfeit items (which I put in the same bag of sin as pirated items). One support company had 75 customers who were selling counterfeits. It’s an creative way of stopping the crime; cast a wide net to snare the enablers.
They also helped create a new law in NYC that held the owners of the buildings in Chinatown selling counterfeits and pirated DVDs civilly and criminally responsible for the crime occurring on their property and allowed the seizure of their buildings.
This doesn’t stop the crime but it does discourage those who don’t see the harm.
JudyPatooty on 09 Sep 2009 at 8:48 am #
I really love a good old hardback because of the way it feels in my hands when I’m reading, but they’re just too expensive and way too bulky to store in my home. So my next favorite is what I use 99% of the time – my Kindle. It’s so portable and holds so many books. For the few paperbacks I still read, I usually “recycle” them via my local used bookstore. (Of course, when I’m there, I almost always find a few books to buy that aren’t out in Kindle format!)
I know what you mean, K-Hawk, about doing a lot more impulse buying with the Kindle. My spending on books skyrocketed once I bought a Kindle for exactly the reasons you mentioned. Those evil marketing geniuses at Amazon really know what they are doing when they send me e-mails saying … “since you bought such-and-such-book you’ll probably enjoy this-other-book.” And now I’ve noticed a lot more free books showing up … usually the first book in a series so it’ll hook you into buying the rest.
I’m still trying to close my mouth since it dropped open reading about that woman who pirated all your books, Karen. That is so brazen it just boggles my mind.
B on 09 Sep 2009 at 8:49 am #
Sabrina, believe me, they can be. In a country where about 70% of the population lives above the poverty line, don’t have money enough to feed their families, let alone access to good education, let even more alone access to learn a second language. In a country where most of the population can barely speak their own language, most people don’t buy books. Foreign, non translated books even less. It’s a culture where people just aren’t used to reading. Rich people won’t spend their money on books — they’ll spend it on music, or clothes or whatever else. You wouldn’t believe what it can be like.
Correct if I’m wrong, but in Thailand people are usually taught English as a second language, no? That makes it easier I guess. I don’t know… I just know that it can get hard sometimes, and people feel guilty, and they want real books, but paying 70 bucks for two paperbacks is undoable even for people who live well enough
Pesky on 09 Sep 2009 at 8:50 am #
Yes but in that scenario we’re assuming one book for 20,000 loans.
The broader issue is how artists get paid and the nature of the internet.
I tell my nephews and the employees I teach about computers that “anything you put out on the internet is out there for the world to see, so don’t put anything in electronic format that you don’t want people to see for eternity.”
The internet was designed by the RAND corporation to quickly send information in case a first strike was made against communications. It was then adopted by scientists to send information back and forth, and then adopted by the world in general.
So, it was designed to be uninterruptable on the large scale and for information to travel quickly across national and international borders. The repercussions of this design are just being discovered.
If a publisher wants to put your book in eformat, then they need to pay a huge fee to writer to do that, with a smaller royalty at a higher breakpoint. That gives the author a small protection against piracy. The protection of the publisher, last time I checked, falls under the FBI (because the internet falls across state lines). (contd)
TrishD on 09 Sep 2009 at 8:52 am #
Sabrina, Thank you for your comments about used book stores. I love them and in this rough economy there are times that is the only way I can buy books. I have bought quite a few of yours from used book stores and loved them! I find my use of UBS fall into 2 categories: 1. Picking up older books that can’t be found new in my small town; 2. Reading a new author to see if I like them. That being said, I do have a list of authors that I pre-order or buy new the day their newest release is out.
Another question for all of you. How do book clubs like Double Day and Literary Guild work when it comes to compensating authors?
Pesky on 09 Sep 2009 at 8:53 am #
(contd)
With the millions of sites out there, the FBI depends on complaints to decide what to pursue, it’s like scanning the universe with so many websites out there. And then there’s the issue that the internet doesn’t stop at US borders, it travels…and who polices that?
*shrug* I agree piracy is bad, therefore I dont. As to the bigger answer, I don’t have one except, don’t publish ebooks if you don’t want them taken. I can’t control a fanatic with a scanner.
Kathy on 09 Sep 2009 at 8:54 am #
I’M BAAAA-AACK!!!
I like to hold a book in my hand. whether I buy it or the library does, at least I know that everybody is getting what they are supposed to get.
I don’t have a kindle or any other of those e-devices. I have read books online, but it’s not the same at all as sniggling in with a book and savouring it
Kim on 09 Sep 2009 at 8:54 am #
B-for readers living in foreign countries the best thing for you to do is to write the publisher, tell them what country you live in and that you’d like to be able to read books there. That’s going to incourage them to sell the rights to your country.
Also, I think that’s a very unfair question to ask any author. If they say they’d prefer an author to illegally download a book; they’re advocating piracy. If they say they’d prefer never to hear from them; they’re being greedy and mean. There is no answer to that question.
Judy-we see stuff like those ebay cds all the time. We also see unauthorized arcs up there for mega money. While selling an arc isn’t exactly piracy its still illegal. If you’ve ever seen an arc it specifically says it is not for resale. That means EVER. Even after the book publishes and the arc is obsolete.
I’m so happy to hear that so many of you still love real books! For me, I love to walk through a library and just touch the spines. To smell them, to hold them and imagine the story that’s inside. Love it!
Kathy on 09 Sep 2009 at 8:55 am #
uh, snuggling, not sniggling
Pesky on 09 Sep 2009 at 8:55 am #
BTW, I have no idea how ebooks are paid to authors, need to, should read “should”
B on 09 Sep 2009 at 8:58 am #
Kim, I didn’t mean to offend or upset anyone, I’m really just curious about it. Sorry =/
Pesky on 09 Sep 2009 at 9:02 am #
I think the answer here is formed best by the great philosophers Bill and Ted:
“Be Excellent To One Another.”
Do the right thing. Ebooks are great in that they stop trees from being cut down, allow books to get to a broader audience and are convenient to various people. Protect your authors the same way you protect your environment, think globally, act locally.
And when you run across someone whose a putz, whack em over the head with your copy of “Breaking Dawn” (a book so big it will probably be responsible for millions of pre-pubescent hernia operations) and encourage them to do the right thing.
Kim on 09 Sep 2009 at 9:05 am #
Welcome back, Kathy!
Pesky-I believe now that e-rights are automatically sold with print rights. I could be wrong though.
B-no worries. There’s just no good answer to it. While I feel for people in your country, for me, it still doesn’t condone downloading illegal books.
Fresh-even in our small community they really go after the counterfitters. More than once people have gotten some serious jail time for that.
Pesky on 09 Sep 2009 at 9:06 am #
(((B))) This is a really interesting subject to me, it’s been great hearing all the different questions and viewpoints.
Karen Hawkins on 09 Sep 2009 at 9:06 am #
Kathy! You’re back! YAY! We’ve missed you!
B, no one’s upset! Kim was just ’splaining things.
Pesky, ebooks sales are royalty based, just like regular books. As for the jurisdiction of ebook piracy, there are both criminal and civil issues here. A publisher could (and will) go after a website that distributes illegal copies. It just depends on the scope.
How many of you have the kindle compared to the sony reader? I’ve got the kindle and love it. Don’t know a lot about the sony ereader. Anyone have one?
Jess Granger on 09 Sep 2009 at 9:07 am #
There are some hard questions here.
First of all, as an author, the person I get really really really angry about is not the person who sneaked one ecopy of a book read it, then deleted it later. The person I’m mad at is the person who puts the work up and makes it available for download by thousands of people. That is the pirate. That is the person who has to be stopped.
If I buy a book and hand it to my friend and say, OMG you have to read this, that is one thing.
Taking (I’ve seen “collections” in the hundreds) numerous books and creating sites for people to download whatever the heck they want for free, or worse, for profit, is horrible and should be shunned.
I can’t figure out why people do that. To a certain extent I can understand the person that “wants” the book and just wants to read it, though I want to see certain movies but I can’t expect to waltz into a theater and just watch them for free. I have to wait until I can see them legally on DVD or television.
But the uploaders vex me. As far as I can tell, they do it for an ego stroke. They feel magnanimous “providing” books for the masses and like to roll around in the comments saying how “awesome” they are.
Jess Granger on 09 Sep 2009 at 9:11 am #
I’m glad that the romance community seems to be turning on these people, and not providing that ego stroke. Instead they are being lashed, and they should be lashed.
If you want to help, go trolling for free copies, and when you find people being naughty like this, shine the light on them so the authors and publishers can remove the works. Then give them heck. It’s the only way to make them stop. Fans have to do this. Authors can’t. Otherwise we’re painted at wicked witches spoiling all their fun and they come after us.
So it is up to the honest readers of romancelandia to be the heroes. We have ignored the power of social shunning for too long. Shun I say! Shun until the cows come home.
Kim on 09 Sep 2009 at 9:11 am #
For those of you who enjoy “free” reads off author websites; what’s the coolest you’ve seen?
I know Jenna Petersen used to post a whole book, a chapter at a time, on her website. She’d let readers vote on what the next chapter should be.
Recently, Shobhan Bantwal had her just released book offered for free on Kindle-legally through Amazon.
Lots of authors are offering deleted scenes or extra scenes for books.
What’s your favorite?
Vanessa Kelly on 09 Sep 2009 at 9:11 am #
Kim, thank you for taking the time to write this fabulous post. This whole issue is so frustrating, because many people really don’t understand the ramifications of the problem, or how it affects the whole industry. You explain it with great clarity, and in terms I think we can all relate to.
B on 09 Sep 2009 at 9:11 am #
I want to be an author when I ‘grow up’. I really care about these issues!
B on 09 Sep 2009 at 9:14 am #
Kim, I *LOVE* when authors post deleted scenes. They’re often more personal of the characters than directly related to the story. I love that. It’s one of the best things in the world to finish reading a book you loved, then reading even only one more chapter of that story and characters you loved!
Kim on 09 Sep 2009 at 9:15 am #
Thanks Vanessa and B! And B, when you sell your first book you’ll really care. That’s your baby out there!
Jess Granger on 09 Sep 2009 at 9:16 am #
And by the way, I’m not condoning downloading free illegal copies to read, I’m just saying that doesn’t steam me as the jerkies posting books for download. It still isn’t right.
Pesky on 09 Sep 2009 at 9:16 am #
Kim:
I love the excerpts:
1. Stephenie Meyer did a lot of explanatory excerpts on her site, loved them.
2. Anne Mallory did some that I loved that continued the story of the couple until much later in life. The hero had a debilitating visual condition that his wife controlled through vitamins and proper diet. The little vignette about the son not wanting to eat his dinner made me smile.
Any additional information I can get on a story I eat up, it makes me feel like “I’m in the know”.
Since I spend most of my life walking about clueless, this is a good thing.
Sabrina Jeffries on 09 Sep 2009 at 9:27 am #
Pesky, you are absolutely right that the issue has become far more complex, thanks to the internet. If piracy becomes so widespread that authors no longer make money, publishers are going to have to find a new way to pay authors or readers will suffer. So far, that’s not the case, although I did see *8000* downloads of just one of my books on a pirate site. I agree that probably not all of those people would have bought it in any situation, but why do they get to acquire it free while my loyal readers go pay good money to acquire it? Especially when it’s available at libraries across the country.
B, I agree that people in many countries are very poor and the price for books isn’t feasible for them. So how is it they’re managing to access a computer and download a book? They obviously can afford a computer, right? And those cost WAYYY more than books. I don’t think we’re talking about painfully poor people having access to books. I think we’re talking about cheap people who are taking advantage of a system that allows them to get in through a back door. But that’s just my guess. Too bad we can’t take a poll of those who pirate books. It would be interesting to know who they are.
Sabrina Jeffries on 09 Sep 2009 at 9:28 am #
Pesky, I also meant to say that the issue IS confusing for authors. I know authors who feel that the free promotion is well worth any loss in income. They may be right. It’s so hard to know. Doesn’t make it less illegal, though.
Pesky on 09 Sep 2009 at 9:34 am #
Nope, Sabrina and it should be illegal. I agree that artists deserve to get paid for their work, I’d be upset if no one paid me for mine. Besides, all those little freeloaders also are why I pay more for my books.
Suzanne Enoch on 09 Sep 2009 at 9:37 am #
A couple of months ago a reader emailed me about a website that had my books available for free. I took a look, saw ALL my books available for free download, along with a little ticker for each one that showed the number of downloads. Twelve hundred of some, eight hundred of others — it just went on and on. I spent four hours alerting my publisher, sending emails for each of the books to the site (because they mentioned at the bottom of the page that each ISBN, etc. had to be detailed if something shouldn’t be there — give me a break). They all came down, but I keep having to check the site for the next person who decides they’ll do readers a favor and post a book for free download.
It’s so frustrating. The music industry went through this, and it finally seems to have been straightened out, but cripes, somebody from publishing needs to get hold of somebody from the music industry and have a chat.
B on 09 Sep 2009 at 9:40 am #
Sabrina, I *love* the poll idea. That would be interesting.
I didn’t mean that poor people would be downloading the books, though. I meant that when they’re majority in a country, the market for books just isn’t as big in a country where most people are literate and can afford books. It’s in fact, very small. So, very few foreign books are translated and even less imported. And the other people in those countries, those who can afford to eat and a computer, just don’t have the option of buying those books there, in their country. And, just because they can afford to live well, doesn’t mean they can afford to buy books from Amazon (or chinabooks.com or whatever else) with shipping that costs as much as (or more than) the books itself, and at a ridiculous currency rate. So, they *would* be able to afford and buy books in their countries — and they do if they’re available — but since most people can’t afford to buy books, or don’t have education to be able to read them — the books just aren’t there to be bought, know what I mean???
SuzyQ on 09 Sep 2009 at 9:41 am #
I like the feel of a real book in my hands. I work on a computer all day so the last thing I want to do is to look at a screen to read a book. I will read short stories or epilogues on my computer though. Personally I like the epilogues the best because I get to revisit some of my favorite characters.
I do have a question for those that live in other countries – are there any legal sites that offer ebooks for download in English? I would think so but then again I know some sites here are not available in other countries.
B on 09 Sep 2009 at 9:46 am #
SuzyQ, I’ve looked for it all around, but every site I’ve found that offers legal e-books to buy just aren’t available here.
Becky on 09 Sep 2009 at 9:50 am #
Deleted scenes are my favorite!!! Just recently I went to Eloisa James’ readers site and saw an alternate epilogue that tied the whole series together and I was totally excited. But I’m one of those people that does the bonus features and deleted scenes in movies and such. I love knowing everything.
And with the pirating, I am not happy about it, but I can honestly say I am not surprised. There will always be people who try to find a way around the system. It happens with music, it happens with movies, and it happens with books.
Kim on 09 Sep 2009 at 9:55 am #
Suzie-the time is another biggie for me. It takes alot of time to put together the cease and desist letter, find the torrents, send to your publisher, etc.
Kim on 09 Sep 2009 at 9:57 am #
Okay, my lovelies, I’ve got to duck out for a couple hours but I’ll be back soon. I really appreciate the way everyone is handling this conversation. You’re all being sweet and nice no matter what your thoughts are on the subject. See you soon!
evlqn on 09 Sep 2009 at 9:58 am #
I love paper books. I have to do a lot of reading for the classes I am taking and I am running out of ink for my printer. I can’t concentrate on the words if they are just ion my monitor, I have to print them for it to jell. There is something magical about words and papre that do it for me.
That said, I think they should prosecute ALL of these thieves to the limit. I hate thieves of any kind!!
Anyone who is the victim of this kind of behavior (and we all are because if legal sales drop contracts are lost and we lose authors) should do a “back at you” to these low lives.
Julia London on 09 Sep 2009 at 10:05 am #
For me, keeping track of the illegal copies is like sticking a finger in a dyke. You find one, you notify your publisher, it comes down, and the next day, you find more popping up. I had heard or read that in the music industry they are working on some sort of encryption that will prevent the illegal downloads and uploads. I hope that is true of the book industry, too.
I just bought a Kindle and I really like it. It is perfect for traveling and the gym, since it will balance on the little ledge on the treadmill and you can increase the font to see it. But like K-Ha, I notice I bought a lot more books because of impulse buying. It’s like Itunes. You download a few songs, and it’s ten bucks out of your pocket. Download 10 books, however, and it’s $100. Must watch that
B on 09 Sep 2009 at 10:08 am #
Karen Hawkins, I sent you an important email to the contact in your website!
Archer on 09 Sep 2009 at 10:46 am #
Kim,
I LOVE the extra chapters on Eloisa James’s website
Archer on 09 Sep 2009 at 10:56 am #
The English book section in my bookstore actually shrank to practically non existent and now the ebooks I won’t aren’t coming out in the format I read. I’ve asked book sellers if its being discontinued, but I haven’t received a response :-/
TinaLouiseF on 09 Sep 2009 at 11:12 am #
I prefer real in my hands books.
It is harder to curl up on the couch to read an e-book on the laptop.
When you fall asleep with a taptop and try to rollover, it usually crashes to the floor.
Courtney Milan on 09 Sep 2009 at 11:12 am #
I’m not a huge fan of piracy–I don’t have a book on the shelves yet, but at this point it’s only a matter of weeks–but I’m also not as hugely against it as some people are.
I am now going to express what may be an unpopular opinion among authors. This is to B: If you live in a country where you can’t get my books, and you feel like the only way you can do it is to download my books from a pirate site, I can’t officially sanction your actions–but try to make up for it. If you love reading and an author so much that you feel you have no choice but to pirate her works, do her as many favors as you can.
* Tell other people how awesome her books are. Link to legal versions of the book, from Amazon or whatever online stores you might have in your country, so that if the person you are talking to is in a position to be able to support the author, she can easily do so.
* Write to the romance publishers in your country and ask them to carry her books.
* Buy local romances, so that the publishers in your country know there is significant demand.
None of this is legal; it doesn’t make piracy “right.” But do those things to help make sure that your behavior helps, rather than hurts.
Solveig on 09 Sep 2009 at 11:25 am #
Wow, this is a very interesting discussion. I´m old fashioned like so many of you I see :Ö). I love the feel and smell of a book and I buy regular books whenever I can. That being said, I really really really want a Kindle but I can´t afford one :Ö/ (yet ;Ö) I see the Kindle as a way to weed out the books I really want to keep and those I´ll only read once and never again (I find I´m very rapidly running out of space in my new apartment). As for pirating, I agree with you all, downloading and then distributing them is so wrong, immoral, brazen, rude, shameful and so many more adjectives (?) I can´t even think of all of them right now. You guys should declare war on the seeders!!!!!! I have to say though Karen, I can´t squeeze out much sympathy for Nike and all those corporations who use slave labour, both children and adults, in the third world countries to make a profit. I don´t buy from them and I would not ware their clothing even if it was given to me.
Courtney Milan on 09 Sep 2009 at 11:28 am #
My second unpopular opinion for authors is this:
Piracy is not going to go away. DRM (digital rights management)–software that encrypts books and makes it harder to share–exists, and the effect of DRM is that (a) it is laughably easy to crack (think about it: you have 100 hackers for every worker that there is who can devote time to this format–the hackers are ALWAYS going to win); and (b) it discourages legitimate purchasers from getting their hands on books. The music industry has in fact begun to abandon DRM after iTunes discovered that it didn’t stop piracy, and it prevented sales.
If we, as authors, want to discourage piracy, we should try to make our books available easily and cheaply, so that it is as easy to download a book as it is to get a song through iTunes.
If you’re an author: have you ever tried to download an ebook through Adobe’s eBook management? Half the time it doesn’t work, and the older your computer, the harder it is. It’s crazy, but it’s easier to pirate a copy than it is to buy a legitimate one.
Tanya on 09 Sep 2009 at 12:41 pm #
I only like to read my books the old fashioned way. I love the feel and the smell of books! My husband wanted to buy me a kindle, because I love technology usually… I had to explain to him that it wouldn’t be the same to me.
Can we talk about Johnny Depp pirates now?!?!?
Ronlyn on 09 Sep 2009 at 12:52 pm #
I prefer to have a book in my hands. I’m on the computer all day for work, the last thing I want to do is sit at one for my leisure time.
Freshechelle on 09 Sep 2009 at 1:20 pm #
Authors, is there any industry association (non-profit) that represents your common interests?
It would seem like an RWA-type association would have a committee for this. My sister works industry org. in toys; designers band together to fight counterfeiters using one legal firm and one common strategy.
Suzanne’s comment about spending hours to communicate this problem is a ridiculous. Authors’ time should be about writing & promoting their writing, agents and publishers have an interest in protecting their interests too. I get the publishers don’t have the resources. Did I just created a new job for myself? Now if I can just find someone who’ll pay me to lead this thing.
Rachel Gibson on 09 Sep 2009 at 1:40 pm #
The only difference between downloading copyrighted material and shoplifting at Borders, is that shoplifting has some risk involved. You might get caught. I actually have more respect for shoplifters. At least they have to get out of thier chairs and leave thier houses to commit thier theft.
I don’t care how you try and justify it. It’s illegal and it’s stealing.
Freshechelle on 09 Sep 2009 at 1:54 pm #
Amen, Rachel!
Jess Granger on 09 Sep 2009 at 2:15 pm #
I absolutely agree with the DRM comment. DRM and a mass of different formats that aren’t compatible is ridiculous. I want people who want the ebook to be able to get the ebook fairly, honestly, and have some protection of their investment. I’m all for it.
I don’t see a way to stop piracy unless the readers come together, decide it’s a despicable thing to do, berate those doing it, then help develop an ebook standard through voting with their wallets so the industry listens.
As for the time it takes to stop these clowns. No one can complain to the sites that host this nonsense that someone is breaking the rules except the copyright holder. That is ridiculous. That means the only person who can request to take things down is the author, hence the time suck.
I’d love to see a sharing site like this with a button, “flag illegal content” so general readers can ping problem people, and the site do the right thing and kick their lousy tushies off the web. But the sites won’t do that. I have no idea why. They’ll do it for “obscene” content, but not illegal material.
It’s going to take one of them getting sued.
Claudia Dain on 09 Sep 2009 at 2:37 pm #
Stealing is stealing. Do unto others…
I’m going to bite my tongue and keep it at that.
I’ve never read a book with an e-reader, or on my computer either. I have no desire to, but I suppose that will change in the future. But right now, I’m happy with paper.
Leah Braemel on 09 Sep 2009 at 3:21 pm #
One point that seems to be missed (forgive me but there were 90 comments and I started skimming) but don’t think just because a book is only released as a paperback (are there any left these days?) that it won’t be pirated. Pirates will scan a print book page by page and turn it into an ecopy and put it up. No book no matter what format will be safe if someone is determined to put it out there.
Tina on 09 Sep 2009 at 3:26 pm #
How do we know if a website is allowed to sell an e-book or not?
Maybe I’m buying pirated books and do not know it.
Kim on 09 Sep 2009 at 3:46 pm #
Leah-excellent point. I’ve seen many a scanned book uploaded and offered for illegal download.
Tina-what sites are you purchasing from? I’d have to say that most likely if you’re buying its legitimate.
Claudia-oh yeah. Karma, baby, karma.
Paula on 09 Sep 2009 at 4:11 pm #
To me book means a paper copy. I like my books in paper and will continue to read the paper versions.
I abhor piracy in anything (unless it involves Johnny Depp!!!) it is just people trying to get something for nothing. I would rather pay for my books as I know that the people who write them then get something in return. To me that is life.
in the UK there have been in the past cases of paperback books that have had pirated covers and they tend to be sold in the discounted book shops. I like to buy from Waterstones and Amazon.
Kim on 09 Sep 2009 at 4:42 pm #
Oh, Paula-you hit on something that just infuriates me. Stripped books. I used to have a merchandising job where I had to strip the books and throw them away. It literally broke my heart and made me cry. Thousands of books just dumped in the trash. Brand new ones!
Yes, it is illegal to buy or sell those stripped books. They’ve been reported as destroyed and credit given to the store.
Louisa Cornell on 09 Sep 2009 at 6:01 pm #
I just don’t understand these people. If they worked as hard at getting a real job as they did at stealing – and that’s what it is, you can pretty it up all you want to with words like technology and piracy, but it is plain old-fashioned stealing – then these very same people would probably make enough money to BUY their books like the rest of us.
I love my books the old-fashioned way. When our local bookstore closed because of dwindling sales it left a great hole in our community. The only good thing I got out of it was I bought a number of her beautiful floor to ceiling bookshelves to store the ever-increasing numbers of books I own. They are nostalgic souvenirs as well as practical for someone who has books in every room of the house including both bathrooms!
I don’t lend books, not even to relatives. What I do is buy multiple copies of books I like and give them as gifts. My Mom’s birthday is the 22nd of this month and I bought an extra copy of Claudia’s latest, Karen Hawkin’s latest, Julia’s latest and Sabrina’s rerelease to put in her birthday basket. I don’t get a chance to buy Karen Rose’s latest as she and her best friend in England snap them up like chocolate cake!
evlqn on 09 Sep 2009 at 6:18 pm #
I have seen stripped books for sale in Goodwill and I had to go tell the manager he was breaking the law. i hated stripping them too when I worked in my bookstore. I tried very hard to convince my boss to donate them to a charity and take a tax write-off, it never worked but I never stopped trying. The only thing that made me feel even slightly better about it was that a couple of elderly customers on a fixed income would take some to read. They couldn’t afford to buy many books and they had nothing else to do with their time.
Louisa, I hated when our local stores started closing down too, now we only have B&N, Walden’s and a couple of Independents that wouldn’t be caught burned to the ground carrying romance or fantasy. Even our used stores are closing.
TinaLouiseF on 09 Sep 2009 at 6:28 pm #
I’ve bought e-books from:
New Concepts Publishing
Liquid Silver Books
Loose Id
Jess Granger on 09 Sep 2009 at 6:59 pm #
All three of those publishers are legit, Tina.
If you can download a book off someone’s blog, it is probably dirty. If you download it off a site that is an info-sharing site and the person “offering” the book has some screen name and it doesn’t match the author’s name, yeah, dirty.
Where else do these things turn up?
dbrown3400 on 09 Sep 2009 at 7:43 pm #
Congrats, Lisa H.
elvqn, when I worked for Waldens, I didn’t believe them the first time they told me to strip covers off books. And then they went out with the garbage. We couldn’t even take them home to read or give them away. At least the hardcovers and trades went back to corporate to be sold as seconds.
I buy hc, pb, and ebooks although I read those on my computer not any form of ereader. And I keep all my books. Seldom will I lend any books because they generally are not returned in good condition if returned at all. I’m thinking of selling though since my collection numbers in the thousands.
evlqn on 09 Sep 2009 at 7:50 pm #
I know what you mean about not lending books. When I moved from LA to Nevada I had a yard sale and sold 10 Ingram boxes full of books, donated 14 boxes to the convalescent home around the corner from me, shipped another 14 to a friend in Washington and I still had 47 boxes of books to move. They weren’t all mine, my DH was a reader (probably why I kept him so long).
Karen Hawkins on 09 Sep 2009 at 9:17 pm #
eviqn, I am amazed and impressed with your book collection! I don’t even know how many books I have but it’s probably only about 20 – 25 boxes worth. When I need to clear a shelf on my bookcases, I always set up a box to donate to my local library. I just LOVE the library and support it whenever I can. They do so much for the community.
Patricia Barraclough on 09 Sep 2009 at 9:32 pm #
I like the real thing. E-Readers are convenient, but just don’t have the real feel that print copies do. I work in a library and we try to offer what the public wants to read. We have a theft problem also. We are a very small library and have a very limited book budget. People check our books out and don’t bring them back or they just take them. We loose 50+ books a month. It is hard enough to afford one copy let alone have to replace it. I’ve replaced some books 4 or 5 times. I don’t get the mind-set. Borrowing them is free. You can read it again any time you want to. Other people want to read it too.
The idea that downloading is OK and doesn’t hurt anyone is as wrong minded. If it didn’t cost money to put a book out there for sale, authors would be giving them away. If they think the book and/or author is so great, why not support them. If you want to see more from them, make it financially worthwhile for them to write another one. It is hard enough to get into the business, don’t make it harder to stay in.
Eviqn – I’ll have to show my husband your comment. I have 20 plus full bookcases and maybe 40 boxes of books. Thankfully, we won’t be moving again time soon.
evlqn on 09 Sep 2009 at 10:00 pm #
Over the years I have culled them so I probably only have about 25 boxes of books. My sons claimed a lot of them, like the Stephan King and the military books that their dad previously owned. No one felt like sharing with him anymore. One of the joys of working in my bookstore was the 35% employees discount. Everyone knew what they were getting for gifts. One of my favorite books is The Treasure Houses of Great Britain, with my discount I paid $60.00 for it. Ladies you would drool.
Sensei J. Richard Kirkham B.Sc. on 10 Sep 2009 at 10:39 am #
I’ve joined pirate groups to watch them. Incredibly some pirates think all of us authors are rich and we deserve to have our books stolen. They need a reality check.
Rick