Piracy Is Not the Answer
Indie authors are caught in the crossfire when readers take out their anger on Amazon.
With Amazon removing the ability of customers to transfer their purchased e-books via USB, essentially ending their ability to even make backups of their collection, a lot of people are turning on them… and on authors. On YouTube this morning, I came across a video about this topic. Part of the title was: “PIRACY IS THE ANSWER!”
As an author, I find this disheartening, to say the least.
I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve seen variations of “purchasing isn’t owning, so piracy isn’t stealing” since this announcement. Other sentiments like “authors are in on the scam” just show the misunderstandings that many readers have about what authors (especially indie authors) do and how we’re compensated for our efforts. When someone points out that, if everyone pirates books, nobody will bother writing them anymore, it’s met with pushback. Do some readers honestly think that books today are just churned out in massive AI factories with no human writers involved? Because that’s certainly what it’s starting to sound like.
A Plea… and Some Solutions
Readers: Please don’t resort to piracy for e-books, no matter how annoyed you are with Amazon. Ultimately, it will only hurt authors, the people who spend hours torturing their characters and agonizing over words to try to provide you with some entertainment. There are other options out there:
Move away from Amazon. I know, I know. Easier said than done, especially if you’re reading an indie author whose e-books are only available in Kindle Unlimited. But there are other e-book retailers besides Amazon. Some readers have switched to Kobo. Did you know that Kobo has a similar “all-you-can-read” program? Kobo Plus allows you to read e-books and listen to audiobooks for a monthly fee. (All of my books are available in the Kobo Plus program.)
Buy e-books directly from the author. Not every author offers this option, but more and more are looking into it, especially when Amazon makes changes like this current one. The author gets to keep more of the profits, and the reader gets a book that they can back up and transfer between devices.
Borrow or request the e-book from your local library. Many indie authors (at least, those whose books aren’t enrolled in Kindle Unlimited) make their books available to libraries through systems like Overdrive/Libby, Hoopla, BorrowBox, and others. If there’s a book you really want to read, check to see if your library has it or can acquire it. Authors get paid for library e-books, too, either from an outright purchase by the library or with a per-borrow payment.
Buy paperbacks or hardcovers. They can be more expensive, and not everyone has room for a large collection. But the beauty of a printed book is that you don’t have to keep it if you don’t like it. You can pass it along to someone who might like it more. You can even sell it!
I know some people are going to pirate e-books no matter what. That’s been an issue from the beginning. All I humbly ask is that potential pirates take a moment to understand that, when they do pirate a book, they’re not just sticking it to Amazon; they’re potentially preventing an author from getting fairly paid for their hard work.
Are you a Kindle user? If so, has Amazon’s announcement changed how you’re going to be acquiring e-books going forward?
This is a good message for readers.