Pirates...Illegal Uploading and Downloading

I never used to to think much about downloading illegal files (theft of intellectual property) until I became intimately involved with e-Publishing...

I didn't even know there was such a thing, until I came across a "service" that offered my books for free to anyone who wanted to download them.

I sat down and cried.

Why, you ask? Why be such a baby over a couple of people getting freebies?

Well...first of all, these sites don't just don't give away "a few" of my books...some have given away hundreds. As I think of the hundreds and even thousands of hours I put into creating those books...and I think of all the time, energy and hard work I put into editing, fixing up, and perfecting those books to create a wonderful entertainment experience for readers, only to have a sizable chunk of the money I need for paying bills siphoned off by people who admit that they do this "just for the pleasure of 'sharing' with their friends", I genuinely wonder why I went to the trouble.

These books are cheap. It costs far less to create an e-book than to publish a paperback or hard cover book, so the savings are passed along to the buyer. Instead of paying from $9-$20 for a delicious, sexy read, you pay only $4-$8.

If I don't make a profit on my books, I can't afford to write. So if you like my books, for heaven's sake, go get them over at my publisher's website, so that I can afford to keep you entertained!

Downloading illegal copies from the Internet may not seem like theft...but when more books are downloaded from pirate sites than are sold by my publisher, that is grand larceny.

Please don't take part in piracy...it isn't glamorous and Johnny Depp only does it in the movies...not in real life.

Thanks!

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