Saturday, October 6, 2012

Are Other Author's Giving Away YOUR Books?


Not every author likes the marketing strategy of offering his or her book(s) to readers for free, feeling that it devalues their hard work and does nothing for the wallet.

Well here's a new and improved way to get around that feeling -  If YOU don't want to give your work away for free, no worries . . . another author just might do it for you! And without your permission I'm sure.

I just saw this posted in an Authors' group on a social networking site.

"If anyone is interested in reading the '50 Shades of Grey' series I have them to give. Just comment with your email address and I will send them."


There was a lengthy string of commenters all chiming the same response: "Me!!!  I do! I want it!"  

Let it be duly noted that while I have not read Fifty Shades, I did not add myself to this free give-away list.  Instead, I did the infamous Kevin McCallister/Macaulay Culkin pose.  

I know I shouldn't be shocked and surprised at much of what goes on in the book industry these days. And maybe I wouldn't be as much if this were a reader making this offer - but an author?? An author giving away another author's work as a PDF file?


 What the heck?

Isn't this bootlegging?  Well maybe not because they are not being sold. Isn't this uhhh . . . .   distribution of stolen goods?  Don't we all put that little disclaimer in our books that no part of this work can be copied and/or distributed without the author's/publisher's permission? Well what is THIS?  

Go give away your own stuff for free. And be reminded that you reap what you sow.




Kimberly T. Matthews

"I knew exactly how many condoms were left in his gym bag, in a little black box, wrapped in gold foil. Seven. Each time I randomly checked for no other reason besides I knew they existed, there'd always been seven. So I was taken aback that morning when I went to do his laundry, peeked in the box and only found three..."
 Lisa from - "Lisa's Dress" 
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4 comments:

Jack Durish said...

This is the kind of thing that needs to be reported. You may not be able to get the attention of the "book" police, but I bet that Amazon can.

K. Millionaire said...

Jack, you're right - it does need to be reported. I wonder who fields that kind of complaint.

Unknown said...

That is very interesting. I'd be doing that surprise thing too. I just downloaded your book. With an book blurb such as that, I could not resist.
Donna
http://mylife-in-stories.blogspot.com

K. Millionaire said...

Donna, I had to shake my head. Sad! Thank you so much for supporting my work! I appreciate that so much.