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| photo courtesy of Pinterest |
And…I’m not talking the smoldering, funny, sexy Captain Jack Sparrow kind of Pirates either!
I’m talking about those disgusting slime balls who steal an author's work and sell it on illegal sites.
The kind of pirates who not only steal from authors, but also their valued readers!
When I published my first book, I had NO idea about book pirating. I was clueless. It wasn’t until I was finishing up book number four or five, that someone contacted me to tell me that they found my books on a pirate site.
At first, I will admit, I was kind of honored. Lol I thought… Wow, someone actually thinks my books are good enough to steal.
But then…reality hit. They ARE STEALING!
They are stealing money from the authors who poured their blood, sweat, and tears into their stories. They are stealing from the readers who may not only get a crappy copy of the ebook, but a virus or two in the deal as well!
I have been pirated more times in my six years as an author than I can count. And these are just the times that I’ve been lucky enough to find out about it. Who knows how many other sites there are out there?
I immediately send them a cease and desist, and usually my books will disappear from the site. But, let’s face it. Like any good con, that isn’t going to stop them. All they do is move on once the jig is up and enough authors find out about them through this amazing community of ours, and they skulk away into the night - only to open up under another name and site. It may take a month, it may take a year, but like bad pennies, these pirates keep showing up.
Sigh. It’s a never-ending battle. I was just informed last week that I had been pirated once again. The funny thing is…these lowlifes were charging $4.74 for books that I charge 99 cents!
If it wasn’t so tragic, it would almost be funny. You think, WHY would anyone with two brain cells in their head to rub together buy from these sites? Not to mention pay WAY more than they should.
In their defense, I know a lot of readers don’t realize that these sites
are bogus. So, I urge you to do some research. Look at Amazon first. See what the prices are supposed to be.
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| photo courtesy of Me.Me |
I promised myself when I published my first book, that I wouldn’t charge over $2.99 for an e-book. Well…not unless it was huge! Lol
It was a personal decision that I made because I want readers to be able to afford to read as much as they possibly can. Growing up, reading was my joy. It was my escape, and I love when people feel the same.
So, as an author who loves her characters and stories so much, you can imagine how upsetting it is to consistently be stolen from. Although, I am a firm believer in Karma!
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| photo courtesy of iStock/Darlene Kuncytes |
In closing, please remember one thing…if you see those red flags (or should I say Pirate flags? Lol) make sure to do your due diligence. Check out other resources. And if you do come across a pirate site, tell people. Share it. Don’t end up buying stolen goods.
It very rarely ever ends well for anyone.
Thanks for reading!
Peace and love!
Darlene
I hate hearing you have been a victim to this. You are right when ine closes, another opens. I fear it is the norm.
ReplyDeleteIt really is. And it's just sad. But, unfortunately there are con-artists EVERYWHERE! That's ALL they know is how to con people out of money.
ReplyDeleteYour line about feeling honored the first time your found out your books were pirated made me chuckle because I felt the same way. Then, I got angry. Great post, but you're right - it's a losing battle. I'd rather pour my energies into creating my next new thing.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad I'm not alone!! lolol But yes, the anger and feeling of helplessness hits quick. I no longer waste the energy on getting upset with these losers. You are right, MUCH better using our energy for good!
DeleteI've also been pirated. I just don't take the time to keep up with all these bogus sites. It is an issue for most writers. Thanks for the reminders.
ReplyDelete