Leave a Comment:
28 comments
Dear Ms. Rex (or may I call you Wenchasaurus?) I read Princesses piracy post with a heavy heart. No, I am not a pirate and have never purchased a pirated book. But I love books and grew up in a house FULL of books. My father was a science writer (textbooks, articles, research, etc) my mother loved to read, and my sister was a librarian. I feel your pain and sympathize with your loss. I just wanted reach out and tell you that some of us understand, support you, and share your pain.
Hugs,
Sue and my 4 Feline Overlords: Lucy, Binks, Link, and Isabella (Izzy to her friends, and although she does not make friends easily, I think she would be proud to be your friend).
<3 Wench, Wenchasaurus Rex... Rexy... whatever you prefer, just don't call me late for dinner. (I'm very food motivated.) Thank you for reaching out, and we hope you have a fantastic time on the blog even though it's not quite the same as the newsletter. (But you'll get it more often. That's something, right?)
Books are amazing. There was... a bible and like five history books in my house growing up until I learned to actually read in 4th grade, and then I could only get books when they were gifts, from the library, or really cheap at a used bookstore. (I got to go to the bookstore for a new book only a few times a year.)
Thank you for supporting authors. People like you mean the world to us.
ReplyI’m not going to say I have never downloaded a free pirated ebook. I do realize that it hurts the authors when I do and you have a perfect right to rant about it.
ReplyThank you for having the courage to admit that. I appreciate it. (I also hope you’ll consider going back and buying copies of the books you pirated… but really, I’m not the morality police… although a ranter is gonna rant. Or, even if you don’t… take the time to make a list of the books and take that list to the library and request them from your local library. That way, you give the books to other readers without actually buying them (but the author gets paid.)
(But if you didn’t know, most public libraries have digital book library systems, so you can just take your ereader or phone and check out ebooks at your library!)
Replyjust a little commiseration, please feel free to vent, swear and otherwise make known your anger at pirates. I fully understand and support you. Books are a joy and reading is a lifetime passion. its only fair to pay for the privilege of reading and enjoying stories from people like you who have the talent to provide them. I don’t know why someone would feel its directed at them, but hey people are strange. keep doing what makes you happy, and the rest of us will enjoy the results of your writing talents (at a cost… hopefully without a body count).
oh yeah, enjoy England, hope the weather is good (it tends to be a bit temperamental). Note, that while they speak English it is a bit different than your used to.
ReplyFor the piracy post – Good for you for posting it!! I was angry for you (the human female) for it happening. As an author also – I have been lucky (or maybe not popular enough even after 2.5 years – LOL) to not be pirated – that I know of. I know that for me – if I come across a book on Amazon I like but can’t afford – I save to a private wish list to get later. And will never ask for an ARC (from any author). I rarely send out to readers myself (only once or twice for my own and a couple for anthologies). I don’t even join ARC teams because I won’t guarantee I’ll read by when needs to be reviewed.
For the closing of the newsletter – LOL – I get the blog posts already because mail server doesn’t like yahoo – LOL – so I haven’t received as a newsletter for a while now.
Thank you for all you all do (cats, fish, and human). You are very appreciated and loved.
ReplyThe blog posts are prettier, easier… and just better! Cheers to the blog emails! Cheers!
ARCs are so stressful. After I had two releases hosed do to piracy, I developed a severe allergy to them. (At least it delays the pirates a little while not having them?)
But what annoys me sooo much is when people use the argument of “But it’s exposure!” Uhm… no, it’s “people are stealing my stuff and will get the whole series from their pirate sites so that exposure is worthless.” They’re not even going to the library to pay me…
ReplyI’m sorry!! I cannot believe people are mad at you. Your product is being stolen!! Good luck in your writing!!!. And bad wishes to all the pirates and grumps
Ingrid
ReplyI’m glad you kitties are going to keep things going for the human. I’m not at all offended by something that was addressing someone else’s bad behavior! Only guilty and/or stupid people would be offended and unsubscribe. Their loss. I hope you all get to have fun vacations! You might want to suggest to the humans that reading a couple of US terms vs. UK terms might be helpful and also avert verbal disasters. Trust me on this.
ReplyI think we know most of the UK curses that would offend most Americans, and we’re okay with those. We’re generally well-spoken, so we should be okay on the general front. I hope. We’ll adventure. (I hope. Or something.) I’ll try to look up slang before we leave… if I get time ahahahah!
ReplyHi. Normally I don’t comment or communicate in any way with the authors of the books I read but I make an exception this once. You have a perfect right to rant about people who steal from you and I really hope you don’t listen to those who claims otherwise. I’m not good at finding words so I’m not going to say much more then this except that you are one of my favorite authors and I preorder your books as soon as I can.
ReplySorry, it maybe me (I’m sure it is) but I can’t find where to sign up for the newsletter. Please add/keep my email on your newsletter and thank you very much …
ReplyYou need to plug your email in on the side or bottom box where it says subscribe to the blog. That’ll make sure you get email notifications of blog posts. I can’t add you to it, as that’s illegal *and* it’s outside of something I have access to.
ReplyAwwww. I was just getting to know you!!! Love the cat photos and their rants, lol. You do you and be happy. I personally am offended by the pirates, not you, and anyone writing nasty notes to you because you were REAL in your newsletter can fuck off, get a life, or support you and your work with no strings attached, like a book lover is supposed to do. My cat has a gun and wants to pop a cat is someone’s ass, so theres that…
ReplyI have enjoyed the newsletters very much. I cried when Tia died. I understand perfectly why the newsletter has to go. May all pirates get blown out of the water, sooner, rather than later!! Go write some books, human female. Go eat some tuna, furred management. Finned management, be happy as a fish in water. I’ll see you on WordPress!
ReplyAnd one more thing. I happen to be an ARC reader for many authors and will tell them upfront I will read it by an exact date and do so. I read very fast and typically can do a smallish book within a few hrs then immediately go do my reviews so that way I am helping get the word out. Then I DESTROY AND DELETE my copy. Unless an author gives me explicit permission that I can keep it, and half of the time all the rewrites, corrections and new lines of thought the author has by the time the book is complete, it is a totally different fresh book. In many cases I have even reread the book after we gave our correction and suggestions and am totally surprised by a new ending, etc. For Andrew Mackay and a few others, i have been a trusted ARC and even have had characters named after me in the books or helped choose ways characters die, etc, and I STILL keep mum about the book and dont even share that with my friends. Thet want to see a great mind at work, they need to pay for it.
ReplyAlso, don’t hold back so, tell us what you REALLY think of piracy, would you please?
* Ducks & Covers *
ReplyYou were perfectly right to be upset over being pirated. That is not right and if someone is offended by the rant, that is on them. You can be sure that if it happened to them, they would be screaming. Personally, I will never buy a pirated book knowingly. If an author does not get paid, they do not write. If they do not write, I can not read. The world would be a sadder place without books and we do not need it to be sadder than it already is. If you need to rant, do so. You have a right to do so. Those who do not like it, do not need to read it. 🙂
ReplyWow, I totally sympathize with you and don’t blame you for venting at all! I think I would be using a lot harsher words. I hope the sites that I have used are not on the list of thieves. You mentioned BookBub so I guess that one is safe. What about Prolific Works, The Kindle Book Review, AuthorsXP.com (from Amy Vasant) and ReadFree.ly? These are the main ones that I use and I hope they are all legit. Please let me know if they are not and I will stop immediately. I would never want to be a party to pirating. Of course you deserve to be paid for what you do and the enjoyment you give your readers.
Cathy
ReplyI read the piracy post and got angrier and angrier (OK, pissed off) – at the pirates! I knew this happened with movies & songs, never thought about it happening with books, so thank you for the education. I know the feeling of being ripped off – my husband & I used to do art & craft shows, had a hand-burned/painted wooden ornament, wood sourced from our own yard, hours in the making, stolen from my display – still mad years later. Thieves are all parasites and scum, no matter if cyber or in person. This goes for both those running the pirate web sites AND the ones downloading the stolen content.
I freely admit to being frugal (cheap), but it’s so easy to use legitimate sites like Bookbub, my library online & in person, author freebies, Amazon Prime freebies, not to mention actually paying 99 cents or $4.99 at times, which isn’t really far from free. Sheesh, what’s wrong with people? Seems I remember years ago some people downloading pirated music actually got arrested. That should happen more.
P.S. my nickname in some areas of the web is KittyG (long silly story involving Ebay). But I am a cat person!
ReplyI only ever read one pirated book, and it was because I couldn’t buy it (it wasn’t one of yours). As soon as it became available to buy, I bought it. Actually I bought it twice-paperback and ebook.
ReplyI will really miss your newsletter. I understand the why. Will read your blogs and FB postings.
ReplyThe blog has the same exact type of content the newsletter had but more frequent and easier. (And looks better in the email box if you sign up to have emails sent to you.)
And much less expensive.
ReplyCongratulations on your move!! And pirating is pure AWFUL theft!!
ReplyJust want you to know that I totally support your position. You have every right to rant. And anyone upset by the language used has obviously never read one of your books or they wouldn’t be surprised.
I totally love the ability to download ebooks – and especially audiobooks – from my local library. I do so whenever I feel my book addiction is getting out of hand (costing more than my mortgage). I tell every reader I come in contact with about this marvelous source.
I am constantly adding book requests to my library website. I had never heard about your pirated books before, but I immediately requested them from my library.
Sorry to see the end of your newsletter, but I am signing up for notifications from your website.
Thanks for writing. My life would be very empty and colorless without the output from you and numerous other authors. I truly appreciate all of your hard work and effort.
ReplyDear Sneaky Kitty Critic and RJ Blain, aka Wenchasaurus Rex,
Thanks for the memories – “so long & thanks for all the fish” – the newsletter, the blog, and most of all, for the BOOKS!
Will follow you all on the blog as the newsletter says goodnight, Miss Moneypenny. (That’s from Ian Fleming & 007, not about penny pinchers.)
P.S. Sorry you got so much grief about the piracy newsletter. Some of us are not so dumb….
ReplyThere was never a doubt that I would stick around for the blogs.. Love hearing about all the stuff so will look forward to still contributing.
Reply