sickPoint the First: "Not everyone who illegally downloads your book would have bought it, so you shouldn't act like they would have."
True! That being said, I know enough people who have illegally downloaded books and then bought them, or have told me to my face (or via email) that they were planning to buy the book, only then got it for free, that I feel some consideration of the number of illegal copies is warranted. Just going off what I do know, I tend to assume about one person in ten represents a "lost sale." This accounts for new readers only, not people downloading copies of books they already own.
Point the Second: Downloading copies of books you already own is a morally gray area.
True. I completely understand and sympathize with people who download virtual copies of books they already own. Unfortunately, a) I don't own the e-book rights to my books right now, and thus can't say "sure, have a PDF with proof of purchase," and b) the methods for getting those downloads are non-legal. There's not a private literary speakeasy where you have to send in a photo of yourself with your legal physical copy before you get the download link. And so while I can understand the moral ambiguity of it all, I can't endorse the practice.
Point the Third: It's not piracy, it's copyright infringement.
Okay, true. For precision of language, I should call it copyright infringement. But the people who sometimes post intentionally inflammatory things on message boards aren't actually trolls, they're just being mean. In some cases, the prevailing language of the land is going to win out over precision. I apologize for any confusion.
Point the Fourth: "Does this mean you don't like me because I initially read your book in a sub-legal format?"
Did you buy the book? I mean, really, that's where my concern is here: In whether I can feed the cats. I first discovered the X-Men because my friend Lucy had an older brother who wasn't careful with his comics, and I didn't pay for those, either. As I said above, I can't condone illegal downloading, but once you've paid for the material, I lose all personal animosity.
Point the Fifth: Books and music aren't the same.
Most the research on illegal downloads has been in the music arena, and the numbers aren't the same. According to iTunes, the single song I have listened to the most often is the cover of "Livin' La Vida Loca" by Spork, which I have listened to 342 times. The single book I have read the most often is IT, by Stephen King, which I have read, if guessing generously, eighty times in the last twenty years. Many people don't re-read, or do so only sparingly. So saying that illegal downloads increase sales when you're only looking at music is like saying that breeding mice increases the elephant population.
Point the Sixth: Cory Doctorow does it.
Cory Doctorow is also recognized by my spellchecker, which doesn't recognize my name. He chose to distribute over the Internet, and it worked out awesomely for him. He's also doing Internet-savvy fiction, with a keen edge of interest for the online crowd. I write urban fantasies about women with silly names. We don't have the same target audience; it's mice and elephants again.
I'll come back and participate in the discussion more one on one later. Now? DayQuil and sleep.
Re: Pardon, but you are missing the point
November 5 2010, 05:14:13 UTC 6 years ago
In regards to selling copies I purchased from my publisher, there are a few angles.
1) Copies I buy do not count against my sell-through. It's crazy, but it's true.
2) I don't have time to become a bookstore. Right now, I am not kidding when I say I work a ninety-hour week. I do forty hours at my "pay the mortgage and have medical insurance" job, come home, and do forty to sixty hours writing, answering email, and doing things like maintaining this blog. I'm actually answering comments while I wait for my cold meds to kick in.
In my perfect world, I would just be a writer, and time would be less of an issue. The world isn't perfect, and I can't sell books myself, or I'd have to stop writing them.
Ah, work-life balance issues
November 5 2010, 05:40:28 UTC 6 years ago
Know all about those. I used to travel a lot, quite a few times Heather and the kids didn't see me for more than a week.
However you've got fans that would probably be willing to help. Why not ask?
Re: Ah, work-life balance issues
November 5 2010, 05:44:26 UTC 6 years ago
Re: Ah, work-life balance issues
November 5 2010, 06:41:14 UTC 6 years ago
You aren't imposing if people volunteer to help.
OCD? Been there. Done that. Chewed my fingernails off up to my elbows. Guess what? It doesn't help. But it can be beaten.
Sometimes you have to sit back and let someone else do things. After all, Alice needs her mummy time. It's hard to let go, but if you don't, it will eat you up. I know OCD. I drive Heather crazy. A place for everything, and everything in it's place. She drives me crazy. She's luck if she knows where are car keys are for more than five minutes in a row.
We make a great pair, and have for the last 24 years.
Tell you a secret. When we are cleaning, we clean different rooms. Otherwise we'd kill each other ;)
Re: Ah, work-life balance issues
November 5 2010, 18:17:07 UTC 6 years ago
Are you really suggesting that a creator should ask some random volunteer to take on a unpaid, untrained, unsupported career in the hopes that something good would come of it? Because that sounds like a very bad idea.
Publishers (big and small) have their problems, but they provide a lot of vital services not easily replaced - one of many reasons why so many creators would like to have one.
Re: Ah, work-life balance issues
November 5 2010, 19:02:05 UTC 6 years ago
No, you're the one suggesting a random volunteer. I suggested that she talk to her fans. They can do things that publishers can't (or won't). And they will do it with love.
Re: Ah, work-life balance issues
November 9 2010, 01:43:59 UTC 6 years ago
Thank you.