Pirates and the Future of Ebooks
filed in Publishing Industry on Feb.05, 2012
Piracy is becoming the greatest obstacle for those wanting to make a living in the publishing industry, especially with ebooks. According to NewsCore, in 2011 one in five ebooks were illegally downloaded — twice the number seen during 2010.
It’s likely the rates of piracy are even higher for popular books. A publisher I recently talked to told me he’d discovered one torrent site was giving away 20 pirated copies of the publisher’s bestseller for each copy the press actually sold.
That was only the tally of illegal downloads from one torrent site; who knows how many other torrents were sharing the pirated title as well. It wouldn’t stretch credibility to suspect there might easily be 100 illegal downloads for each book the publisher sold.
Needless to say, the publisher is about ready to throw in the towel with his business, even though he has a very popular book that folks wanted to read and which sold well before the torrents jerked the rug out from under the author and publisher.
Now I know that all illegal downloads aren’t necessarily lost sales (though some are). But illegal downloads also don’t generate interest or additional sales as those in the pro-piracy camp are always promising will happen. All that “free publicity” via massive illegal downloads of pirated titles weren’t helping the publisher sell more ebooks (nor have they from my own personal experience).
No additional sales. No great publicity. No additional revenue to pay the bills.
Rather, the pirated downloads destroy any chance of making much money on a title that has been selling well before the piracy. No wonder many publishers are seeking a legislation fix to the problem.
Imagine how you’d feel if, as an author trying to make a living writing, you learned that sales were nothing compared to numbers of copies being stolen. How would you feel if you were getting only a tiny amount of what should be a fortune for a great book you’d labored for months or perhaps even years to write?
Just how much money must writers and publishers lose to pirates before society rights such wrongs instead of winking and looking the other way?
Has our society become so intent on free content that we’re willing to rob those who create the work we enjoy and even drive them out of business?
Why shouldn’t a writer, artist, or musician make enough money to support that creative person? Or enough to support a spouse and children? What exactly makes you so important that you should be able to cheat them out of money that should be theirs? Why do you put yourself above the law and expect someone whose work you value work for free?
Pirates are killing the golden goose of creativity. But they’re not alone. Anyone who downloads pirated material is also helping them. Those who do nothing to shame pirates and close their sites are the same as helping them rob innocent writers (and musicians and other creative people).
If you enjoy an author’s work, please don’t download illegal copies of their titles. You’re only helping the pirates stay in business through advertising and hurting the writer through lost sales.
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When not hunting down and sinking pirates on the high seas, Duncan Long labors as an illustrator with artwork appearing on magazine and book covers from HarperCollins, Paladin, Asimov Science Fiction Magazine, Black Siren Books, Pocket Books, ILEX, Mermaid Press, etc., etc. You can see more of Long’s artwork at: Duncan’s Illustration Gallery
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February 6th, 2012 on 9:52 am
I wonder what the ‘pirates’ will do Duncan, should we writers all decide en mass – OK, from now on I’ll simply stop writing for public consumption and merely give my work away to those I deem to be friends. Thereby making it impossible for them, by simply reverting to snail mail and avoiding any form of publishing system, be it conventional or electronic altogether.
Granted it would be cutting our collective noses off to spite our faces, but…
Sadly I’ve a feeling it wouldn’t bother them in the least.
February 6th, 2012 on 10:24 am
I’ve talked to several authors who have stopped writing due to piracy, and I’ve read about at least one big-time writer that’s put her writing on hold due to piracy.
After seeing one of my self-published titles go from selling like hotcakes to about zero sales following its appearance on the torrents, I’ve also put my own self-publishing projects on hold until this mess gets fixed. However, I have my illustration work to fall back on for money making so I guess I can afford to take that sort of a stand since I don’t pay an economic price. My heart goes out to those struggling writers who have to publish in order to get money to live on, all the while being victimized by the rampant piracy going on.
February 6th, 2012 on 12:34 pm
Hey dude, never considered how downloading free stuff might hurt the people creating the music and books. I am really impressed by the thoughts that you have presented on this blog. It shows how well you understand this topic. Bookmarked this site, will come back for more. Writers everywhere should love what you’ve written. You, my friend, ROCK!!!
February 6th, 2012 on 8:08 pm
It’s definitely a concern, another hit amongst the many plaguing writers and publishers now.
February 6th, 2012 on 11:44 pm
Thanks on your marvelous posting! Musicians and writers need to step up to the plate and start telling people how wrong it is to steal income through piracy. Most people thing illegal downloading doesn’t hurt anyone. But as you have noted, it does and eventually will lead to an end of writing and music making for those being hurt by piracy. Talk about a crying shame.
February 7th, 2012 on 5:30 am
Can I just say what a relief to find someone who actually isn’t spouting nonsense about how people stealing others work will somehow help the victims of the theft. As you note, it is hard to feed your family on publicity. And I never see pirates or those downloading stolen intellectual property volunteering to give away the stuff the make or the money they earn. The folks wanting things for free never want to give back to the system. They are selfish little trolls.
February 7th, 2012 on 12:14 pm
I’ve found the greatest supporters of pirated books and music are spoiled nerds who are living off society without contributing anything. Most often you can find them living like little tolls in their parents’ basement, smoking dope, and griping about how they shouldn’t have to work for anything.