Wednesday, January 20, 2010

In which I hang up my buckaneer boots and tricorn hat...

This is not a blog I want to write today, if ever, but with things going the way they are recently, I feel it is about time I address some things, and before everyone gets all up in arms about what I have to say and explain, let me assure you, this has been thought over long and hard.

E book is great for its innovation and the "I want it now" attitude of the readers that use it, but its also opens us all up to theft. Because of the theft portion of that statement, going forward in our career, all our novels will not be available in normal E book formats. That means LIT, PDF or HTML or any other. We will have our Novels available on kindle, and any other straight to device formats but that is it.

Why? the short answer is that the pirates have made my life hell, and I don't have the time, strength and inclination to fight them anymore. So from now on we wont be giving them any way to get our books to share them.

See, I have the ability to do this with Tease Publishing, and I will be doing it. Please understand that I didn't come to this decision lightly. The truth of the matter is that with the amount of books that we sell in e book, the numbers aren't there. With our print, that is where the majority of our sales come from. We don't make the numbers most do in e book, and therefore, its counterproductive for us to offer E books in those formats when all it really is doing is letting the pirates win.

Now, you will say, Stella, the pirates aren't real readers and buyers, true, but with the low number of e sales we get, taking them away, the formats, will stop them entirely from pirating out work. If they can't get it, they cant pirate it. And you know who you are, pirates.

Now, if your a e reader of ours, I'm sorry about this, and while we are taking the forthcoming options of e books from all future books, if you are a reader, we can make arrangements. Please note however, the files that are done for e book readers of ours, will have several distinguishable things in the file that if they are found on pirate sites, we will know WHO has put it up. Why do that? Because the pirates are people that buy books. This will not stand. All files will be watermarked as well.

I really am sorry about this. But I don't have the stamina to be fighting these assholes 24/7. Its come to a point where its either fighting the pirate sites, or writing. And I have been writing less and less seeing how many copies of our books have been pirated, and seeing when I get one taken down, another gets thrown up. Its relentless, and the only way I can see to protect our intellectual property is to not offer it anymore. I'm of the mind that if you make it harder for them, they will stop their bullshit. I'm a firm believer of being paid for my hard work, and in e publishing and small press, that paycheck is never equating the amount of time and energy you have put into the manuscript. But that's the chance we take when we sign with a publisher.

Here's the truth: our e sales as a whole, and that's 18 books in e book, hit about 50 sales every 6 months. We do that in a month in print with 2 books. Thats hard. We are not with some of the big publishers that get the huge sales numbers from those that love that publisher. If we were this might not have to happen. So we have to take steps to ensure we are getting paid for the hard work we do, and that our copyrights are protected, and most of all, so those asshole fuck pirates don't win.

Again, the books WILL be in kindle, and if and when other readers have straight to device downloads like kindle, then we will do it like that as well. Yes, there are ways around it all, but we believe it is safer for our work, and that's what is important. I'm just happy that we can do this, and feel confident that our work will be protected to the best of our ability.

Now, I'm ready for your ire, your questions, and your snark, I expect it after dropping something like this. Do I think this is the answer to everyones problem? No, but for right now, it is for us, and until better options present themselves then this is how it is meant to be. Again, to our fans that read e book exclusively, I am sorry and we will work to keep you guys in the fold. It is simply easier to work with the scant number of e readers we have on a individual basis (if they want it) then to fight the pirate sites.

Thanks for understanding, and for reading our work.

20 comments:

Sparklybearsy said...

I say do what you have to do Stella to protect what you've worked long and hard to create. These pirate people have no respect for that. Your books are still going to be out there for the readers, that's all that matters, whatever form it comes in people who enjoy your stories will still buy them. I personally prefer actual print books :) *Huggens* You know we're all still Team Price =)

Kris said...

I agree with what your doing. I saw stuff like this coming a mile away with ebooks. It was bound to happen just like it did with Napster back in the day. It sucks for the people who work so hard to create what they do and then have it stolen. I hope everything straightens out and goes the way you want it hun! I'm a fan now so I'll be buying...in print of course! LOL

Kimmielinh said...

GOOD FOR YOU! F-ers! Now must go get my Nook

Lee Plumb said...

Good for you! I think many of us may end up going that route, much to our pain.

I make more money off my ebook sales, but considering the losses the thieves cause, I wouldn't have a house in foreclosure. I'd double my income if the thieves bought legitimately. I know they won't, and they don't care about us as people.

Andrea I said...

I don't blame you for taking this approach. I have just gotten an e reader, but still prefer print.

Diana Castilleja said...

I agree with Kris. It was only a matter of time, and you know you're not alone in this battle, or from sharing the stress.

While I despise Amazon and the DRM issues, I would rather THEM to being stolen from.

Marie* said...

Hello Stella
I can see other authors joining your publishers, it is a shame
that the government has done nothing, there is a Internet Crime Complaint Centre & on their forms they ask for specific details on how, why, & when you believe you where defrauded..lol
GOOD LUCK
Marie*

Amy Blackthorn said...

You better believe your real friends and fans will stand behind the decisions you have made.

Hailey Edwards said...

Good for you, Stella. I'm sorry authors are having to make these kinds of decisions.

With the new Kindle-to-PC application, you don't have to own a Kindle to read their material. It's a great way to enjoy Kindle benefits without the eReader's hefty price tag.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=kcp_pc_mkt_lnd?docId=1000426311

Stella Price said...

Thanks so much for the support guys! This has been a really shitty situation and I wish it would be resolved, but I fear that until someone like Larrs Ulrich gets their panties in a bunch over the pirates we are in this for the long haul. I just hope everyone understands, I just cant abide this crap anymore.

Hailey: thanks for letting everyone know!

The Queen B said...

Do what you have to do. That's the bottom line. You can't make it easy for people to steal stuff.

Ramblin' Rose said...

What else can any of us do? I don't think regulations, which already exist, will fix the problem. They didn't with music downloads. Pricing made it less of a problem.

Happily, Amazon offers Kindle for PC free. I've been using it. It doesn't have the versatility of .pdf as far as adjusting font, etc. But it has a few nice features. And hey, did I mention it's FREE.

It also gives you the ability to download best sellers within days of release.

All in all, smart move, Stella. I don't think going this route will cost you. Quite the opposite.

John Simpson said...

Hey, suggest you might wanna talk to Jack at "Piratesinker."

piratesinker@gmail.com

He works for several authors with good results.

Peace and good luck!!

John Simpson
Author

silvervine said...

Good on you both! lol I am happy to note I have just brought an international Kindle :) I have not been able to get one before this. As they would not sell internationally. You do what you have to do :)

Unknown said...

You are absolutely justified and I applaud your conviction. You need to protect what it yours and enjoy the work you do. If eBook pirating was disrupting your writing then is was also hurting future sales. You readers will understand and support you. *hugs*

Susan Hanniford Crowley said...

You are absolutely right, Stella, for taking this stand. Writers deserve to make a living. Pirates deserve to get sunk. I was thinking a worse word. Literature is not free. Writers since time began have struggled to put food on the table. Literature is created with blood, sweat, tears, and pain. To steal for a writer is to be beyond low.

jaymzangel said...

while I appreciate the "gimme now!" quality that ebooks afford, I am still a purist & love my print books. it's not right for your hard work to be posted for everyone to see when you aren't been compensated for it. kick those pirates asses!! *big hugs*

Judith Leger said...

Sometimes it's hard to stand against a current that shifts and twists as much these pirate sites do. They move above or close one to start another. I feel for you, love! You doing the best you can! Just don't give up. You have too much talent to let this stop you from writing!

Love ya and sending major cyber hugs your way!

Cory said...

It's horrible that you have had such problems. Why can't people just be honest!?! I think you have made a great decision, and that you are willing to work with your readers is even more fantastic!

Also, thanks for those that posted about the kindle-to-pc application. I hadn't heard about that yet, and am going to go get it now!

pillowscgr said...

Hey, I fully understanding and just like a lock and key if you do not use them you can't keep out a thief. Those of us who like ebooks for convenience sake will adapt and go with the flow. It just a shame that pirates always want to get something for nothing. They would be better served using their computer skills in a honest occupation.