Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Book Piracy

                                 Pirating of my e-books and ARC's

    You never really think that much about piracy until it happens to you. I've always heard about it, I'd even been offered it before when searching for things on the internet, thought I didn't take it. But I tell you, to work on something for months all by yourself, to spend time away from your family and kids working on a book, doing research, editing, spending SO SO SO much time on on the interent and email about it. And to have someone come in and give it away to others or even sell it themselves for profits is the lowest blow.
    To be honest, I figured when I started this whole process that eventually, something like this would happen. It seems almost inevitable these days and I even got the vibe from some people when they found about about all 5 of my published books being pirated that it wasn't really a big deal. That there wasn't anything I could do and just don't worry about it. My hubby and some fans even tried to cheer me up and say that I was 'cool' enough to be pirated. I laughed but in the end, the whole sitting back and doing nothing thing...well, that sucked to me.
   So I reported the ones I found to the BSA. I even found some pdf copies on EBAY of all places. I contacted the people directly and some of them have removed the books from the sites and some have not. I've heard tons of stories about other authors  books being pirated also and it seems we're all in the same boat. A whole lot of our work and time being given away and not a whole lot that's being done to stop it. As I said, it sucks.
    My books are only $0.99 or $2.99 to begin with.....
    I released my latest book, Accordance, early but only advertised that it was available on my Facebook fan page. And to find it also pirated the very next morning, before it was even officially released was just the final blow. I won't blame anyone who was given an ARC because it's just inconceivable. I unpublished from Smashwords, and I'm not bashing them, but I'm not ok with my stuff being taken from me. Now, unfortunately, my books aren't available for Nook right now. Barnes and Nobles is still processing them after over a week. I've contacted them several times but no word back yet as I continue to wait. And I've been contacted several times by folks looking for Nook copies of the books. I'm very sorry about that but it seems that old saying about the few ruining it for the rest of us is true.
   If you find a pirating site or hear someone talking about it, please don't encourage it. Report it. The easy, carefree way of buying books won't last if this keeps up. If you've ever read a book that made you smile, or made you think or cry, then thank that author by purchasing those books the legal way. Seriously. $0.99 to you may not seem like alot but to me, my little percentage is all I get for my hard work.
  Thank you for all that have stood behind me during all this and I sincerely hope that if you're reading this, that you won't be a pirate.

                Best Wishes and Happy LEGAL Reading,
                                         Shelly Crane

9 comments:

  1. Wonderfully said. Authors work hard and lose time with their family as well. People who do this type of thing NEED to be reported. Whenever I come across a site or a link like that, I try and report it.

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  2. I'm so sorry, being an author and getting ready to release my own work after working day and night... I really can't imagine how this feels! Gah!

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  3. Sorry you have to go through this, you are a great author and I would pay full price for your works, move both the Significance and the Collide series,I can't wait for the next round, but I wouldn't buy a pirate copy. I agree with your family, you are very "cool" if someone wanted to pirate you. Keep your head held high, Karma will get them.

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  4. Ugh that is so stinking obnoxious of them! The pirates and the ones who buy them! I mean geez, $0.99 and $2.99? That's not going to break the bank people!
    That just disgusts me that people stoop to stealing other people's work. Ugh, I hate inconsiderate-ness. Well I agree with the previous commenter, I hope karma kicks their butts. Ha!
    And hey think of it this way, if people are stealing it then people are hearing about it. That means it's getting out there. And it was so awesome it inspired someone to commit a felony. See it's really a compliment!
    An annoying, obnoxious, incredibly rude and inconsiderate compliment but still.
    Dont worry you'll get through it and your ever expanding fan base will hunt down the dang pirates and report them at once! I'll definitely be on the lookout.
    Oooh maybe I could be a pirate hunting ninja! (I like ninjas)
    And even though ive been a supporter of the Pirate Ninja Alliance, these pirates aren't abiding by the rules of awesome that the fictitious pirates in our alliance must demonstrate.
    So yes. My alliance and I are on the case!
    Bwuhahahaha! <~I felt an about-to-go-hunting-jerky-pirates evil laugh was appropriate here. :)
    Oh, p. S. I have your books on the Kindle app on my phone but am definitely going to get them on my nook or paperback (or both!) to support you cause your books are just that awesome!
    P. P. S. I saw Collide is paperback now on Amazon! Woohoo! Congrats!! :D

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  5. Well, I've bought two of your books and enjoyed them. Truly hope the pirates don't keep you from writing. That would be a shame.

    M

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  6. DON'T STOP WRITING! I LOVE YOUR WORK!

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  7. No worries. :) I have no plans to stop writing. In fact I bumped up the release of my next book. Thank you guys so so so much. You have no idea how much all your comments and support means.
    Shelly Crane

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