Until publishers start “getting” it both authors AND readers will be stuck in this limbo we are currently on. Why is it taking so long for someone to “get” it boggles my mind … I think the closest is Amazon, but sadly, there are too many dinosaurs in management positions at most publishers who really have no understanding about technology and how it works, nor the market for such technology. All they are seeing is that readers are potential thieves… and THAT is what pisses me off.

On the issue of sharing…I love used book stores, garage sales, libraries, and friends sharing print books. It’s how I grew up, how I fostered a love for reading. Ebooks? It’s happening, so we might as well work with it…and by work with it, I mean embrace devices such as the Nook (though I’m still unclear on whether the sharing feature only allows ONE share of that book forever, or if it allows multiple shares of the same book, just one at a time.)

There are definitely some strong opinions on both piracy and sharing, so as technology advances and ebooks become more popular, I fear it’ll only get worse before it gets better.

Thanks again for the post!

However, I think there are a number of authors who are focusing their (rightful) anger at the wrong people. I’m an e-published author myself, and some of the attitudes I have seen towards readers have made me feel uncomfortable. It is scarily like the attitude of the RIAA, where they assume that most people would steal rather than purchase. I don’t like that assumption as a consumer, and I know it’s a huge complaint readers have.

Things like DRM only make it more difficult for the honest user. I can’t recall if it was here or Dear Author where someone mentioned that because they used a non-standard operating system, most ebook formats that used DRM were not compatible. The person in question would purchase the ebook legitimately — and then download the “cracked” version from a Torrent site in order to even read the book they had bought. That’s fucking ridiculous.

People would argue “that’s the price of piracy”, but DRM doesn’t even protect. All it takes is one hacker to crack the DRM, post it online, and it seeds from there.

Maybe I come from a different angle because I grew up with the Internet. It’s always seemed to me that e-piracy is the downside of doing business online. No matter how hard the RIAA, publishers, whomever, try to outsmart the pirates… they are always one step ahead. Truthfully, I don’t see that changing without even further punishing legitimate consumers.

I don’t personally consider it money lost, because most of these pirates would not buy the book if it were unavailable via illegal download. They would simply wait until it becomes available. I don’t see the sense in getting worked up over it, because as soon as one is taken down, another will pop up in its place. It’s unfortunate, but it’s the reality.

Placing blame and shame on legitimate readers is not the answer. Frankly, some of the commentary I have read from fellow authors in this whole hullabaloo has decided me to either buy their works used — or not at all, in the case where I can’t do so. There are some behaviors and attitudes I simply don’t want to support.

On the other hand, I work very hard on my books. It’s my second job and I come home from one job often tired and stressed and go to the second. I do so not only because I love to create stories but because my family depends on my extra income. I wish I could afford to write only for the love of it. At this time if I were to stop earning the second income, I’d have to cut way back on writing and get a different second job. I’d rather have one that I love (writing) than one I don’t. My kids need food and gym shoes and clothes, unfortunately.

Electronic piracy can be extremely discouraging for authors

Yup.

Thanks, Azteclady.

Thank you, Karen.

How many authors are going to be good at putting on a show? I mean, a show people will want to pay to see? Picturing myself taking up puppetry here. The image is not attractive. And then I would still have to write the books…

Being an author will be for the young and strong only–because even after an author is successful, she will have to do something besides the writing and the usual promotion to make a living. Or at least have an SO who lives to support her/him.

Is it unreasonable for the author to feel that at least one hundredth of those would have likely been sales?

I disagree. It is not unreasonable to expect that such a small – 1 out of 100 or 10 out of 1,000 – downloaded books be purchased. If an author gets 50 cents a book, that’s only $5.00 dollars if 10 books are bought. We all know that writing a book is a year long proposition, so for those who download illegally would you do all that work for only $5.00? Authors sell books for a living. Those who don’t wish to make a profit put their stories on free sites like 365 tomorrows.

I think ebook manufacturers should come up with a way to prevent illegal copies. They could either limit downloads to a certain ebook “address” like software companies do (that way that single address could always have access to a purchased book and owners who buy a second ebook could contact the company for a new code) or they could put some type of programming restriction that keeps copies of books from being made.