[HistoryWes]

I can certainly understand how you feel. As an author though, I would point out a few things.

- It is really hard to write a book.

- Once written, it's hard to get a book published.

- Self publishing a book limits your choices, and those choices you do have (Smashwords etc.) all have their own problems. You also have to expend quite a bit of time researching those options-- time that could be spent writing.

- Once published, it's really hard to get anyone to read your book even if it's free, let alone pay for it and read it. (I would rather they read my book than pay for it, but both would be nice.)

I certainly understand your frustration, and I realize as an author that when someone reads your book, they are doing you a favor and not the other way around, but try not to be too hard on writers who are just dipping their toes in the publishing world for the first time.

And you might also support those self-published authors who do put out a book in a format you prefer. For a while, my own book "Princess of Amathar" was available in ebook form only for the Kindle (it was available as a printed book), simply because I had never heard of Smashwords or any other ebook publisher besides Amazon. And I must say that when I finally got it published in .epub .lrf and .pdf, it's not as though it took off like a rocket.

By the way, there are only three days left to get "Princess of Amathar" free at Smashwords. Use coupon code RE32Y.