Once in a while I'll Google my name hoping to find a new review or mention of my books. Well, tonight I found something new all right! I found several sites with my books listed for free! I wonder how many books have been stolen from me?
If you're one of the readers who stole my books, shame on you! If you like my stories so much, why would you take them without paying for them? If enough books are stolen, it just won't pay me to spend the time writing them! And then, sadly, there won't be anymore stories by Anny Cook.
I totally ticks me off when I find that someone has pirated one of my books, but tonight on three of the pirating sites, the thief listed the books as "All of Anny Cook's books by request". Well, hello? It's nice that someone really likes them, but if they like them so much, then they need to pay for them instead of stealing them! If I don't get paid, then I can't afford to sit at home, typing my heart out for no return. Nor can my publisher afford to keep publishing my books if there are no sales.
What part of theft do books, music, and movie pirates not understand? If you take something, it's theft just as though you walked into Borders, Wal-mart, or Barnes and Noble and walked out with a book without paying for it.
If I stole someone else's work, I wouldn't be able to sleep at night. I certainly wouldn't enjoy the book or movie or album because my conscience wouldn't let me. Whoever you are, wherever you are, I would rather that you didn't read my books if it means that you have to steal them. When you steal, then you are no longer a fan.
Anny
Stop by and check out Amarinda, Kelly, and OhGetAGrip! Blessings on your day!
So very true. And sad that they think nothing of it. Theft is theft no matter where it occurs.
ReplyDeleteWhat a shame. Is there a way to know how many books are stolen this way?
ReplyDeleteHear, hear! I think fans have this misconception that authors make a ton of money. What they don't realize is that every dollar is very hard won and you are LUCKY if after a year of book releases you are able to cover the cost of groceries for a month.
ReplyDeleteMost of us have other jobs and spouses with jobs too. Yet we write every free minute of the day. Writing is not easy, it's hard hard work. If you are a thief, consider the pennies you receive for each sale weighted against a four hundred page manuscript and multiple revisions, edits, promotional costs, business interactions for each individual sale. You are LITERALLY stealing from the poor. Be gone with you.
It amazes me that people can't grasp this concept. The same people who pirate movies, books and music wouldn't walk out of a store with a book, dvd or cd without paying. I had this argument with a local radio DJ not too long ago over a guy who was reading books at his Borders and got booted out.
ReplyDeleteHe saw it as no one getting hurt. But if we were carpenters and someone walked off with a chair or a table we made, they would agree it was stealing. I just don't understand the mentality.