I’m assuming that if you’re reading this then you’re either a reader or a writer, right? I mean why else would you be reading a blog entry on piracy or eBooks if you weren’t one or the other or both? So I may just be preaching to the choir here, but maybe, just maybe it will get you or someone you know to stop and think about the issue of piracy and its consequences.
Okay. Now I’m going to sound like a scolding mother. Go ahead. Picture me pointing my finger into your face almost touching the tip of your nose as I shake it furiously, telling you to stop doing whatever it is you’re not supposed to be doing. And yes. Picture yourself as that little kid rolling your eyes the minute Mom turns around. I was there one too many times myself as a child. And I’ll admit, it never worked very well. I don’t imagine me scolding you will on this issue will either, so I try another tactic. I’ll never forget where I grew up, a struggling little town outside the city, where people knew each other by first names and where I could ride my bike just about anywhere. Mom and Pop shops graced many of the street corners and knocking on your neighbors’ doors was commonplace and welcomed. The Hilary Clinton anthem of “it takes a village” really was alive and true. My dad was a struggling businessman (who finally did make it big—but that’s a topic for a different blog) and my mom worked two jobs. But I never wanted for anything. And I was loved and cared for without material items. My neighborhood was a community. And we trusted and looked after one another. Mr. Ciccolini’s little store was a neighborhood favorite. He had rows and rows of candy. I particularly liked the candy cigarettes which makes me laugh at the irony of that now, considering I abhor smoking, having just lost a family member to the deadly cancer it causes. My friends and I went to his store almost daily after school. Sometimes just to say hi or pass the time; oftentimes to get a little treat behind our parents’ backs before dinner. He had an old-fashioned ice cream bar in his shop too that my whole family often enjoyed on a Sunday after church. Put simply: Mr. Ciccolini was part of the fabric of my neighborhood. He was extended family. One day visiting the esteemed Mr. Ciccolini, I realized I didn’t have a penny to my name. My friends were going up and down the rows, picking out their treats: Bit o’ Honeys, gumballs, those disgusting not quite chocolate things with the nuts like taffy, whose name escapes me right now. I was jealous and embarrassed, truth be told, that I didn’t have any money. I looked both ways and when no one was looking I stuffed my fav’s in my pockets, my candy cig’s, and sauntered out the door, waiting for the rest of my crew. When everyone met me outside we hopped on our bikes and rode down to the elementary school to sit on the jungle gym and share our snacks. I pulled out my cig’s from my pockets, enjoying the sugary sin right along with my friends. “Hey,” my friend Sam said. “I thought you didn’t have any money.” My face crimsoned. “I…” “Wait,” Rebecca laughed. “Did you steal those?” “Well…I didn’t…” “Oh my god! That is awesome!” Before I could apologize or explain the stupid whimsy that had come over me, I was a hero. High fives were given. Laughter erupted. The little goody two shoes had stolen some candy, and now I was somehow elevated to Super Woman status. It was confusing and humiliating. I knew it was wrong. I knew I shouldn’t be taking praise and yet I went along for the ride, staying silent. Years later when Mr. Ciccolini’s shop closed, along with many of the other Mom and Pop places, we were all devastated. Abandoned buildings became the norm, Wal-Mart took over for candy, along with CVS and other “convenience’ stores, and I didn’t quite understand economics. I asked my mom why he had to close and she tried to explain it me. That he couldn’t keep up. That he couldn’t raise prices to where they needed to be to make a living. I confessed to Mom, even though I knew it really didn’t matter anymore. It just felt bad. It felt wrong. And I knew it. Stealing is wrong. Period. No matter how big or small. It is someone’s life, livelihood, future, art, words, or contribution that is being taken away. And somehow I can’t help but think that I contributed to his loss, to the loss of his livelihood. Mr. Ciccolini put his blood, sweat, and tears into that shop. And because of a myriad of things, he couldn’t stay afloat. People want a deal. They want a bargain. They want the cheapest avenue to get what they want. And eBooks are no different. Many indie authors are putting their books on Amazon for as cheap as they can. Many offer them for free for a time, hoping to lure in readers because they know people don’t want to pay full price. I, myself, though not an indie writer, struggle because my books are a bit more expensive. I use a publisher. And with that comes cost. There are proofers and editors and uploaders and graphic artists…the list is infinite. And we all get paid very little. It’s a trickle effect. People stop paying for books, no one gets paid. No one gets paid, no one can write and produce quality material. And what’s left, quite frankly, is shit. The Wal-Mart of Writing. I love to write. There is nothing more natural to who I am. Nothing that comes as easily as putting pen to paper (or really, fingertips to keyboard). But editing, rewriting, revising, coming up with the perfect blurb, the perfect cover, having editors gruelingly comb through the manuscript, promoting the final piece to be shared with the world—it takes time and it takes money. It’s daunting. It’s expensive. It’s time-consuming, and scary as we wait for those reviews to come rolling in…if and when they do. None of us write because we think we’re going to be the next E.L. James or that we’re going to be millionaires (though we may dream of it). We write because it’s in our blood. We write because we have no choice but to allow our voices to drip onto the page. We write because, for some, we want to be happy and make a living off of it, not to be rich in our pockets, but to be rich in our souls. It feeds us, both literally and figuratively. If people don’t think stealing books, pirating them, is wrong, there’s really not much I can do to change their moral code. And like my friends from the neighborhood, some even brag about it. “You paid for that? Ha! I got it free. Why would I pay when I get it free?” But don’t come crying to us when the quality of eBooks begin to disappear. With piracy will come extinction. Help us survive. We’re not asking for much. Mutual respect. A nod to the arts. How would you feel if you worked all week and your boss decided not to give you that paycheck? Would you keep working at that job? Of course not. You’d have to work elsewhere. You wouldn’t have a choice and neither will we. Please think about the person who is behind that book before you steal it. Writers are human beings and we bleed every time one of our books are pirated. In the spirit of John Lennon: “We are a brotherhood of man.” Let’s try to support one another instead. After all, we’re all in this together. I look forward to your comments. (Editor's note: Since writing this article, I have published two series as an indie author. My opinions still have not changed.)
10 Comments
10/11/2015 10:28:31
Spot on, RB. Wonderful article and so true. We all put our hearts and soul into every manuscript we write, yet that sense of accomplishment and pride dwindle with every pirated copy consumed by the greedy and uncaring.
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10/11/2015 10:30:21
This is fabulous, RB. Thank you for putting into words the frustration writers feel when their work is devalued. I hope this is shared far and wide. Love it.
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J
10/11/2015 11:15:29
Hello Rb! I enjoyed this very much. Getting to know you more is always a pleasure. I have never stolen a book nor will I. I grew up not too far from you and I had my own Mr. Ciccolini. Even today I try to support the underdog. i think it may be a dying cause tho. I hope not! Thanks for writing another post. I always look forward to them. Not about love this time? You must have...moved on?
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S.D.
10/11/2015 11:20:13
That was both fun to read and important. I personally won't pay for a book that is too cheap. You get what you pay for. I really believe that. The part that resonated with me in this was how some people think "beating the system" is an awesome thing. That is so sad. You can't teach the immoral morals. I hope it doesnt' stop you and your friends you mention from continuing to write. BTW: Will you continue N&M's story like you said you mite?
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Bianca M Schwarz
10/12/2015 04:36:16
Thank you RB, well put indeed. I'm at the very beginning of my career as a published author so every single sale is a big deal to me. Not just because of the dollar I will get out of it but also because every sale goes some ways towards convincing my publisher to publish the next book. Thank you for purchasing our books.
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10/12/2015 18:35:31
I agree 100%. I refuse to give my books away for free--not even in giveaways during blog hops. I'll give something else away--a prize of some sort--but my work took time and effort. People spend more money for coffee than the price of my books so I feel that is fair. I am a hybrid author---both traditionally published and Indie--and agree that piracy is forcing good people out of the business. Great post!
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Well said! It never ceases to amaze me that so many people think it acceptable to steal digital 'things' when they would never consider stealing a physical item from a shop. Theft is theft, however you do it, and anyone who has gone through the travails of creating something deserves to be properly recompensed for it.
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R.B.
2/14/2016 08:51:45
Thanks for the comment, Clive! Hope you'll visit more often.
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Brooke smith
1/9/2018 18:39:23
Thank you so much for this . I love my books and the people who write them . I hate that this ever happens .
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I LOVE to write and read. I particularly enjoy reading erotic romance that has tons of emotion in it. I hope you will ask me questions and share your favorite authors and novels. I welcome all feedback.
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