Sometimes, pirates are so. not. cool.

Posted on August 3, 2010

Hi, folks.

On June 28, 2010, a copy of one of my books was uploaded to a website that doesn’t do much by way of policing its users. That upload may have cost my publisher and me quite a few sales, because other users most likely downloaded it. My book wasn’t the only one there. I saw several titles by colleagues and I spent a lot of time alerting them and the publishers about what was going on in this dark corner of the web.

Here’s the thing. If you make unauthorized copies of something and then distribute it online, you are stealing. If you do not have written permission from the rights-holder(s) of that work to make reproductions and distribute it, you are engaging in theft and copyright infringement. If you are downloading pirated copies of stolen work, you are a thief, too.

This particular part of this particular site is geared toward lesfic readers. It’s also home to several users that I and a bunch of my colleagues are watching. A few of them are busy little pirates, and have over a hundred illegally reproduced and uploaded titles that they distribute to whomever wants them. A few are so out of bounds that they actually request a donation from downloaders. That’s right. They are making money off a book they did not write, they did not edit, they did not produce, they did not publish, they did not market, and whose copyright they are violating. That’s like coming into my house, picking up my wallet, taking part of my paycheck, and leaving.

Now, I don’t mind if people buy one of my books and share it with a few real friends. And I have been known to send free copies of my books to people I know who are having a harder financial time than I am, and who I know would buy that book if they could. So yes, pass it around among 3 or 4 of your friends. Talk about it. Recommend it. Enjoy it.

But don’t steal it. If you take that book, scan it, and post it online so dozens, hundreds, maybe thousands of people can read it, you have taken a lot of money away from my publisher and from me, and by extension, you’ve impacted your fellow readers who are supporting us by buying our work. Because if that publisher isn’t getting paid, she can’t stay in business.

This is lesfic we’re talking about. It ain’t a big community. Many readers meet their fave authors in person, as well as their fave publishers. For every hundred books that are downloaded for free, that’s a bill I’m going to have a hard time paying. Some of you may know my dog, Taylor. If not, you can find her on Facebook and find out some of the medical issues she has. Some of you probably have pets yourselves. My royalties–which aren’t much, because this is a small, select audience–help pay for her medicine. I don’t have kids. Taylor’s the closest thing I’ve got to that.

Every book you steal from me affects her, as well.

My royalties also help pay my rent. I’m extremely grateful that I get those royalties, because if I have any left over, they go into an emergency account.

Every book you steal from me diminishes my emergency account. And in this day and age, every bit you save is important.

My royalties also help pay for transportation to get me to work. I have to work. But I’m not making anything even close to a six-figure salary. I’m barely scraping by, like most of you.

Every book you steal from me means I scrape harder. I count on those royalties to help me with certain bills. But every book you steal leaves me tightening my belt a little more. And certain things, like Taylor, come first in my world. So do family emergencies. And sometimes there are car situations. Or plumbing problems. Like any of the many things that can crop up.

Every book you steal from me hits me where it hurts.

I, like 99 percent of my fellow authors, work a full-time day job. I try to make a lot of stuff available for free online for readers. There are also many, many sites that offer even novels that authors post–with permission–for people to see, read, enjoy, and share. But published works are a direct result of many people working to produce something. Producers work hard. And I, personally, think that paying producers for their hard work is a reasonable thing to do. It shows you support our missions, you support the publishers who are making lesfic available to you, and you would like to keep that author writing.

Every book you steal from me ensures that my publisher doesn’t get paid, I don’t get paid, and other readers suffer because without money to keep the publishers going, they can’t pay the producers, either, and thus another resource may tank.

Every book you steal from me screws us all.

Auction to benefit Christynn Holt

Posted on June 28, 2010

Hi, folks–

Hope you’re well. I’ve donated copies of my books to an auction to benefit Christynn Holt, who is battling ovarian cancer. The auction runs through July 10th. My fellow author Kim Baldwin is spearheading the effort. If you’d like more info on the auction, you can find it on Kim’s site at this page. Thanks, Kim!

Cheers!

Lambda Rising closes

Posted on December 11, 2009

I’m not sure how to  nail down how I feel about this. Here’s the Publishers Weekly story on it. To see more on my views, check my blog over at Women and Words.

Click here for that.

Hope your Friday is going well.

Kirkus Reviews and Editor and Publisher to close down

Posted on December 10, 2009

Y’know, this just bummed me out. Within the last couple of years–the last year, especially–I’ve watched so many publishers, magazines, and newspapers shut down that it seems I’ve become jaded about it. But I haven’t. Kirkus Reviews started in 1933. And now it’s gone, with Editor and Publisher.

KR has been a staple for readers, publishers, editors, and people interested in the book industry because of the reviews it’s published. E&P chronicled issues in newspapers for 108 years. I’m not sure what to make of situations like this. The usual reasons were cited: lack of money because there’s a drop in advertising dollars and a drop in circulation. So I wonder–what, then, are people reading? Are they reading? Do they care about books? Or are we so caught up in a sound bite culture that the only thing that sustains us is reality TV, snarky blogs, and a decided lack of attention to detail and deeper thought? I so hope not.

I hate to see things like this happen; I hate to see publications like this come to an end. I only hope that something rises from the ashes. And that it’s something good.

Senator Ted Kennedy dies

Posted on August 26, 2009

My thoughts HERE.

In other news, it’s the last week to get your submissions in for consideration for the anthology I’m co-editing with my colleague-in-crime, R. G. Emanuelle. If you have questions or need the submission guidelines, drop us a line at pirateanthology AT gmail DOT com. The deadline is September 1st.

Peace, y’all.

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