Quote:
Originally Posted by Dulin's Books
wait. read something else.
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I'm always surprised at the number of authors who say this... "if my book's not available in a format you like at a cost you can afford, just don't read it."
Because, what, they don't *want* fans who aren't customers? They're under the impression that big-name award-winning authors got that way entirely from people who bought their books?
Of course, if the writer has *no interest* in cultivating readers who don't pay... why do they care? What harm does it do them, once they've announced "if you're not buying my book, don't read it," if someone reads it anyway?
I get really sick of the attitude, "if you're not a paying customer, you're not a real fan of my writing." Authors used to be happy to have fans who haunted secondhand book shops because they couldn't afford new books. Now, more and more, I see authors who think the only valid appreciation of their work is a new purchase... and of course, new readers should just *know* that they'll love this author's work, and fork over money for it instead of someone they already know they enjoy because they read some of the other author's works for free.
When an author says, "if my books aren't available in your region, don't download them--just wait, or read something else," I interpret that as "my books are not intended for poor readers; I only want fans above a certain income level."