"In these pages many mysteries are hinted at.
What if you come to understand one of them?"

"Words let water from an unseen, infinite ocean
Come into this place as energy for the dying and even the dead."

"Bored onlookers, but with such Light in our eyes!
As we read this book, the jewel-lights intensify."

- Rumi

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Burning in Hell and Other Well Wishes

I'm not one to use the internet to rant overly much. I make snide, snarky, and sarcastic comments on Facebook and Twitter, but I tend to leave my ranting to my real life interactions with people. I've never considered exactly why. Perhaps it's because I prefer to see the expressions on people's faces when I go fully into "Harlan Ellison Mode" because so few people are as candid as I am about so many things. On the other side of the coin, maybe it's because so many other people seem to use the interwebz as a perpetual rant machine that makes me avoid this habit. Or, both of the above.

That being said...

/beginrant

Over the last few months, I've been involved in several discussion concerning ebook piracy. I haven't started any of these discussions, but I have piped up when I've seen people express the opinion that writers shouldn't care so much about it. Until now, I've not felt the need to bring the topic up...

...until now...

This last weekend I attended the San Jose Fantasy Festival. I had a great time. Did my shows, hung out with fellow writers, sold and signed some books. Great time. Then I came home and did an inventory. Over the course of the weekend, three of my 1st editions of First Chosen went walkabout. I will not speculate on exactly who it was that helped themselves to these irreplaceable copies of my first print novel. Rather, I will use this to discuss what eBook piracy actually is.

Contrary too what some people in several Facebook discussions believe, file sharing is not sharing; it is theft. While I'm upset that my very rare first editions are gone, that's not really what has me fuming. (The value of those 1st editions at this point is all in my mind, and based on a dream that one day, I'll be big enough that those books actually become valuable outside of my own ego.) I'm not even really upset that I'm out the printing cost for those volumes. I've spent the better part of ten years working on the Tears of Rage story in it's current form. And now someone got their grubby little hands on it for free.

At this point, those paying close attention might ask, "But Mr. Gallowglas, didn't you just have a promotion where you were giving away free copies of several of your books leading up to the Fantasy Festival?"

And that's correct. I did. Just as many publishers offer free copies of books at conventions, signings, events, etc. I've given away free copies of all my books. I will give away copies of all my books in the future. I gave away print copies of Halloween Jack and the Devil's Gate at my shows this weekend. The point is, those giveaways are on my terms, my choice. I did not volunteer those three copies, just like I don't volunteer to give away any of my books that people might steal via some file "sharing" site. I do not harbor the illusion that I'm that big yet; however, I number some writers who are that big among my close friends and we've had conversations about this among ourselves and with readers.

Here's the deal: Writing is hard work. Really hard work. It's even hard to write will over the course of sixty thousand, eighty thousand, several hundred thousand words. Those of us who can do that and keep readers coming back should be paid for our ability to entertain. For the most part, if we calculate all the time we put into rough drafts, learning our craft to the point where our writing is publishable, we make pennies on the hour once we actually start publishing and getting paid for our work. Fiction writing is one of the few professions where you don't get paid training. We writers slog through on a dream, a labor of love, the hope that one day we'll be able to pay ourselves back for all the hours and hours we've neglected other parts of our life.

Theft is theft, no matter what form it comes in. Even though I'm pretty sure it's unlikely that the individual(s) enjoying First Chosen and/or any other stolen book reads this blog, I'd like to put this little nugget out into the universe: I hope that any book that you desperately needed so bad that you felt so compelled to take my work without any form of compensation has something to offer you, that you need some of the jewel lights within so badly that you need to steal it. When I started this post, I thought by this point I would have some choice words for the type of individual that engages in epiracy, but now I find I have only pity.

To anyone who helped themselves to my 1st editions of First Chosen, because I do have a dream that they will become rare collectors' items someday. I hope you are a book lover and you find yourself in a special place in Hell where you're in a room with only books you haven't read, and every time you get halfway through a book, the book bursts into flames, so you'll never be able to get to the end. Have a nice day.

/endrant

9 comments:

  1. Couldn't have said it better myself. Rant more ofter, I enjoyed it. Especially the book lover's hell. Truely a terrible punishment but one that befits the crime :)

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  2. Victoria, thanks for the support.

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  3. Wow, so those three copies really did disappear? That sucks beyond words. I really can't imagine why anyone would do something like that.

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  4. Amen!! Curses to those that think they can take anything they want. Oh and I think a half read book that bursts into flames is worse than Hell. Love the rant!

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  5. The theft of your books is both sad and annoying. People who do things like that are one of the reasons for being an introvert!

    I agree that piracy is theft just as much as shoplifting is theft. All authors need to remain alert to things we can do to fight the problem, but sadly, at the moment there isn't much we can do. DRM doesn't work, and trying to track down the offenders is a waste of energy (can you say, "Whack-a-mole?")

    I cringe whenever I see how much effort and emotional angst authors put into the issue of piracy. I believe we are all better off focusing our mental energy on things we can do something about, like writing more books and making those books available to honest people who *are* willing to pay a fair price for their entertainment.

    Thieves will always be around, and it is unlikely that we will ever have a technical solution to the problem of piracy. I suggest that we all move on and focus on the problems that we *can* solve.

    All the same, I appreciate a good rant once in a while too! ;-)

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  6. If you are still angry, we could throw in an extra punishment of music tracks that start skipping just as the crescendo begins to build up - then, *boom*, the book is engulfed in flames.

    In regards to a more useful response: I tend to agree, but (as far as digital merchandise is concerned) there seems to be no simple solution. It's up to the individual consumer to make the right decision, and that's not always going to work out in everyone's favor.

    Fortunately, we do have a lot of people out there who value the author's work - and more who (even if they don't really care about your time) wouldn't steal.

    It's still aggravating when they do it practically right in front of you... Sorry, dude.

    If I meet up with you in Chicago, I'll glare at anyone who comes near your book display. BOOK BOUNCER FTW!!1!

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  7. I don't think I'm going to have a book display in Chicago. I'm not quite that big yet. But thanks for the offer. Does this mean you're heading to WorldCon?

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  8. You tell em Todd! I never really considered how books could be "shared" like that... the thought is very aggravating. How can people be so cheap to look up free stolen books?? And someone who could so personally steal from you behind your back is disgusting.

    Btw, I really LOL @ the last paragraph of your rant with the thief stuck in that room of books! Awesome

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  9. I have recently been introduced to your writing through an Amazon Kindle promotion. I think one of your points, that you give away works as a promotion is significant. As a teacher, I also think there are certain types or works that should always be available for free in some format (the teachers at the school I have worked at have freely shared lesson ideas and self-made supplements and I find this an essential element to my trade). With this said, it has been the choice of the author of the lessons, etc., to give the material away.

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