What About Sharing EBooks?
Recently, members of EPIC, the Electronically Published Internet Connection, have discovered several "pirate" Web sites illegally selling e-books. They had acquired one copy of the books and were copying them and selling the copies.
In some cases, these sites were set up by dishonest people who were deliberately out to cheat the publishers, authors, and others who earn royalties from the sale of e-books. Some had the misguided idea that all authors and publishers are wealthy and wouldn't miss the paltry income from the sales they made. If only they knew! According to a study done by the Authors Guild in 1981, the average writer earned less than $5,000 a year from his profession, and I doubt things have changed much since then, especially for e-authors.
Most people who share e-books don't intend to steal royalties; they simply don't understand the difference between passing on a paperback book they've read and making a copy of an electronic file. In the case of a print book, they no longer have the book - there is only copy in existence. It was purchased; the bookstore and publisher were compensated, and the author, editor, cover artist, and others involved in the production of the book were paid for their services or earned royalties.
However, when someone sends copies of an e-book to their friends, they have only paid for one book, but they are distributing several copies. The publisher and bookstore were paid for one copy, and the author, editor, and cover artist earned royalties on only one copy. However, there are two or three or a dozen copies being read and enjoyed.
Some publishers want to respond to this problem by security measures, some extreme - password protection, files that can be read only on one device, license keys - but most publishers and authors are opposed to anything that makes it difficult for our readers.
I want you to be able to read my novel on your desktop computer or your laptop or your PDA. I want you to share it with other family members in your home, and recommend it to your friends.
Tell us what you think about sharing e-books by posting your comments.
In some cases, these sites were set up by dishonest people who were deliberately out to cheat the publishers, authors, and others who earn royalties from the sale of e-books. Some had the misguided idea that all authors and publishers are wealthy and wouldn't miss the paltry income from the sales they made. If only they knew! According to a study done by the Authors Guild in 1981, the average writer earned less than $5,000 a year from his profession, and I doubt things have changed much since then, especially for e-authors.
Most people who share e-books don't intend to steal royalties; they simply don't understand the difference between passing on a paperback book they've read and making a copy of an electronic file. In the case of a print book, they no longer have the book - there is only copy in existence. It was purchased; the bookstore and publisher were compensated, and the author, editor, cover artist, and others involved in the production of the book were paid for their services or earned royalties.
However, when someone sends copies of an e-book to their friends, they have only paid for one book, but they are distributing several copies. The publisher and bookstore were paid for one copy, and the author, editor, and cover artist earned royalties on only one copy. However, there are two or three or a dozen copies being read and enjoyed.
Some publishers want to respond to this problem by security measures, some extreme - password protection, files that can be read only on one device, license keys - but most publishers and authors are opposed to anything that makes it difficult for our readers.
I want you to be able to read my novel on your desktop computer or your laptop or your PDA. I want you to share it with other family members in your home, and recommend it to your friends.
Tell us what you think about sharing e-books by posting your comments.
posted by Lillie Ammann at 12:39 AM
1 Comments:
It IS a problem, and the objection I hear most frequently.
Someone asked to use one of my children's poems to make a children's picture book in e-form. It's password protected, BUT it's free. :) Last I checked it had been downloaded hundreds of times. I like the idea that so many children have been blessed by my little poem.
But that's a short poem. A novel? I don't know about that! Seems some kind of accountability is in order.
Good questions.
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