This is Joe Konrath's take in a comment on The Passive Voice:
Link to Joe Konrath's Comment
Very valid comments.
But there is no mystery about the behaviour this author describes. If you release advance copies of your book and you have avid fans, they are going to go to great lengths to get the book. If it was available through legitimate sources, many, but not all, would buy it. But if it is not available through legitimate channels, it is not hard to guess what is going to happen.
And then there is price. If you price your ebooks at $12 or even more, you will lose sales. Even more so when previous books have been much cheaper. Some may go and buy the print book. Others will wait to buy a used copy or borrow from a library. But we live in an age of instant gratification. Many will simply download a pirate copy. Like it or not, there are people who would have paid 5 or 6 or 7 dollars, but will not pay 12. Even more so in the case of YA.
Yes, piracy does damage sales, sometimes signficantly. If you price your book too high (or your publisher does) you will lose sales to piracy. The more overpriced your book, the more sales you will lose. Likewise, if you release advance copies and your readership is an avid one, you will lose sales to piracy while the book is not available. Combine these two mistakes ………