In 2011, I became aware of a site called www.scribd.com which basically allows users to upload books, so that other users can download them, in part, or in full.
Now, whilst most of us dream about making untold millions from our writing, it is more that we write because we simply want to, and getting our work out there in the market has to be a good thing, right?
I was not happy about this website though. I had written the non-fiction book over a two year period. I had been made redundant in the same year I started penning the book. The book was intended to help my students but also to the wider audience who were genuinely interested in my book.
Yes...it was being sold at a cost. Yes, we have had a world-wide recession, and yes, it happens to other authors too. My first reaction (anger!), apart from '&*@#~~#@!!!!!' was confusion - 'who the hell would upload my book to a website?' along with a revolutionary standpoint - 'I want this site taken down, stat!'
I had to settle for reporting the book as 'stolen' to scribd.com and they did take it down.
I considered pulling the book from being sold as an e-book and just running the printed hardback and paperback copies. However, the trend is clearly towards e-books and I cannot discount that market, and I suppose, as writers, we should embrace any format that gets our work out there.
However, I discovered that things are much worse, two years on, in the closing days of 2013!
My newest title is now on two torrent sites. I am not listing the title here due to ease of finding things (you never really know how things are located on-line) but merely discussing why this is happening.
The torrent sites in question - well it is not easy to ask to have the files withdrawn, because you have to set up an account to contact them, and I don't wish to do that.
Unfortunately, I have heard that even if you use watermarking software, your books can still be scanned and uploaded onto such sites.
I checked on Google to find out if the url was safe to go to. Often such sites run viruses in the background and anyway, they have content which I find greatly distasteful. I'm not a prude, but really...I don't want my books listed on a site that promotes all sorts of unsavoury things.
Where does this leave me?
For my next release...I'm considering doing the print version first, and e-book later. I have no idea if this is a good idea, but it is all trial and error at the moment. I am sceptical about offering my book for review for fear again of it ending up in the wrong hands, or on dodgy sites.
I don't believe people should 'steal' things, it is something I get very angry about. I will always buy a DVD (have not used Netflix or LoveFilm to watch movies yet) and don't believe 'streaming' films on these torrent sites can ever be a good thing.
I am just surprised that a fledgling writer like myself would be targeted in this way. I know I am not alone, and if I see books by writers on scribd.com or other sites, I would let the authors know if they can be found on GoodReads.
My kindle book prices are hardly extortionate and I would think when I do freebies, giveaways and countdown deals that the need to steal somebody else's work would not happen. I see established, very rich authors have their kindle books listed for 60 or 70% of the cost of the paper book. Guess which I choose!
Well, what to do? I'm not down about it. I am just going to work on my next release. Annoyed, but not down. I will choose to let it go.
But if there are ways to get these sort of sites / torrent sites taken down, I think we should do all we can to achieve that. Now that is one revolution I would sign up for!
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