The culture of entitlement and illegal downloads

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by Ninjalawyer

If one were free, I might download and read. And if I read the freebie, I might never pay for another one, but at least there's a chance; as it is right now, there isn't even that slim chance of me buying.

As a matter of fact, one of my books is free. As are a number of shorter works. But since you've already indicated that you won't pay for a book, and since the free material is there to entice people to buy the others... don't bother. Go read someone else's free stuff.

[Jobby]

Originally Posted by Steven Lyle Jordan

Validation? Validation's for egotistical suckers. I know the work I do is quality work... I don't need anyone to tell me it's good.

What, has no one the conception of being paid for their work? Yes, other things can make me more money (like my day job). That doesn't mean the things I create are worthless, nor that I should give them away because they won't make me as much money as my day job.

If no one wants to pay for my books, I might as well make chairs.

You are aware that no-one owes you a living, right?

If you can't make a living from writing, perhaps making chairs would be more economically feasible for you.

Really, the last thing the world needs now are more bitter, self-entitled authors with chips on their shoulders. Good chairs are completely awesome though.

[StephenM]

Originally Posted by Ninjalawyer

In the past, you likely would have reached no audience, with the low barriers to entry of the web you can now reach a global audience with relative ease. You lose some control because of the openness of the web, but it's quite likely that you've gained far more than you've lost, even if you're not aware of it.

It's unfortunate though that your work hasn't been as successful as you think it should be, but with the web your chance of success has been that much greater.

I agree completely. As Cory Doctorow once said, the biggest problem faced by most artists is not piracy, it's obscurity. Personally, I'd be thrilled if enough people liked my work enough to think it was worth pirating in the first place, and I would hope that it being spread far and wide enough, it would come in contact with people who liked it enough to consider purchasing future works of mine.

I have discovered artists and bands I really like through downloading some of their works, and then loving them enough to become a paying supporter of their future works. In fact, things like usenet and torrents are a great way to sample new artists without the risk of paying a lot of money for stuff you don't like. Because of this, I can sample books and songs that I would never find in a local library, due to space constraints.

To conclude, unless you are Stephen King or Bono, one needs to put more effort into becoming more known, and worry less about the very thing that is helping you become more known.

[sbroome]

Originally Posted by Jobby

Because they want people to read their work and potentially become a fan, perhaps?

He doesn't have time to read the book, he's drowning in them. The idea that being free magically puts it at the top of the reading list is asinine. And three bucks.. I can't remember the last time a meal even cost me that little. I will say again, part of the assumed risk of entertainment consumption is not liking it.

[Giggleton]

Originally Posted by Dulin's Books

You are not "allowing" him to make that judgement because its his work product not yours. you have no say in it. that item has value because he put time and effort into creating it. its up to him AND ONLY him to set that value should he decide to sell it. you get to make the choice whether you wish to pay that price or not. and yes that means you might pay for something that in the end you dont like. you will be better informed the next time there is a similar choice to make.

To believe that you should be allowed to consume the product and then make a decision as to whether or not and how much you should pay is absolutely ridiculous.

That seems a little authoritarian don't you think? Who are you to make up all these crazy rules??

What are we consuming? IDEAS

Should the waves of effect caused by the creators ideas all bear recompense? Positive as well as Negative? Or do we simply assume that once an idea escapes an "individual" mind and transmits itself across the void that there only need be one transaction necessary between the creator and their creation?

The connections are never broken.

[mr ploppy]

Originally Posted by sbroome

if you're drowning in books and it's a time issue, why would being free make you have more time to read it? Also why would anybody care about people that are too cheap to pay 3 dollars for a book?

I would be a lot more likely to read something that I had paid money for than something I got for free. Free stuff is just "might get around to it one day but probably won't."

[sbroome]

Originally Posted by mr ploppy

I would be a lot more likely to read something that I had paid money for than something I got for free. Free stuff is just "might get around to it one day but probably won't."

Me too, which is why what he's saying seems completely backwards.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by Jobby

You are aware that no-one owes you a living, right?

Yes. You are aware of how stupid that question is, right?

[Ninjalawyer]

Originally Posted by Steven Lyle Jordan

As a matter of fact, one of my books is free. As are a number of shorter works. But since you've already indicated that you won't pay for a book, and since the free material is there to entice people to buy the others... don't bother. Go read someone else's free stuff.

Wow, I can't tell if you're being intentionally or unintentionally dense, and I'm not sure which is more unfortunate. Here's what I posted:

If one were free, I might download and read. And if I read the freebie, I might never pay for another one, but at least there's a chance [that I'll buy]; as it is right now, there isn't even that slim chance of me buying.

[emphasis added for your benefit]

And here's what you took:

...you won't pay for a book...

In fact I will pay for books, as evidenced by a rather large collection of books, I just wasn't willing to take a chance on yours because I didn't realize there was a freebie; that last bit is my fault, I checked out your site but somehow missed the fact that Evoguía was offered for free. I may check it out now and may eventually buy, although I have to admit that your attitude puts me off.

[Greg Anos]

<Shrug> Everybody feels they are entitled. It's just what they feel entitled to varies wildly.

But since they're right, (just aks them), it's always the other fellows evil nature...

[Ninjalawyer]

Originally Posted by sbroome

He doesn't have time to read the book, he's drowning in them. The idea that being free magically puts it at the top of the reading list is asinine. And three bucks.. I can't remember the last time a meal even cost me that little. I will say again, part of the assumed risk of entertainment consumption is not liking it.

I'm drowning in potential books that cost money and that cost nothing, books that I think I will likely enjoy. $2.99 isn't much on its own, but there are untold thousands of indie authors offering their books for that much or less; should I take the chance on every one of them? No. A free book though means I might take the chance on the book. If I like the freebie, I'll buy more from the author.

Does the fact that it's free put it at the top of my reading list? No, I never said it would. But there's a chance it will make it on my reading list, whereas if it's $2.99 it probably won't unless other factors recommend it (good word of mouth, a particularly intriguing description, I've read other books by the author that I liked, etc.).

Yes, I understand that part of the assumed risk is not liking it, but I can make a judgement call on the risk and decide whether or not it's worth it. I don't understand why what I'm saying is provocative at all.

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by xg4bx

i take pride in ownership. i wouldn't feel any pride in a collection of movies or video games that consisted of dvd-rs labeled with sharpie.

i don't appreciate things i get for free. i could pirate media quite easily, anybody could, but i simply choose not to most of the time. i'm not gonna lie and say i never helped myself to a book or two. but i know an author, i know what he goes through, i know the crappy he job he works at that puts a roof over his head where he can pursue his craft. its not easy for struggling artists at all.

but its so seductive man. piracy is the forbidden fruit. everything you could want is right there, a copy&paste away. i think it becomes an addiction, one download becomes two, next thing you know you believe paying is for suckers. is it right to give in? no. but lets be frank, telling someone not to do something is like giving a monkey a loaded gun and expecting them not to shoot anybody. i think the internet gives us too much power that we're not ready for yet and as we evolve there are going to be growing pains.

Second this. When I was younger, I pirated a lot of software I wanted to learn and use, while not having the money to buy it. So, I pirated Windows, Photoshop..... basically most of my software was illegal.

Now that I have enough money, I buy everything legally, or if I find it too expensive or the company's behavior doesn't suit me, I don't use their stuff.

With regard to games, cd's and movies, I just waited for them to end up in the bargain bin, which I still do today.

[anamardoll]

Originally Posted by mr ploppy

I would be a lot more likely to read something that I had paid money for than something I got for free. Free stuff is just "might get around to it one day but probably won't."

I'm always surprised that people can tell the difference. Once a book goes into my Calibre, I don't remember if I paid $25 for it or got it for free.

[Jaede]

I've been going through this thread, and could not help but comment. The culture of entitlement has definetely saturated our society, but I feel that's only because technology is advancing faster than our ability to appreciate it. Music, movies, and now books are so easy to acquire that for some it means nothing to have them. Why fight it? The information at our fingertips is mind-boggling. Remember when a Super Nintendo Game cost our parents forty to fifty bucks, and you got maybe one a year? It astounded me to find out that the game itself barely takes up a 1mb of space in a computer. Now you can own every game ever made from it.

So what does any of this mean for the new niche of yanking books for free out of the Internet? Speaking very generically it might, in some ways, actually benefit the writer whose book has been distributed through our World Wide Web. As others in this thread have said if they steal your book often then you must have done something right when writing it. Also those who snag books rather than movies, and music are avid readers, lurkers of libraries and the used-bookstores of old, and some of which demand perfection in the books they read. If the copy they have is badly formatted, ocr errors and whatnot, they are very likely to stop reading it, and buy the official version anyway. No reader wants a jarring experience when they're reading books.

Free ebooks are awesome-I won't lie about that, but properly formatted books from the big publishing houses rock. The WOT books are a prime example. I've seen the ripped versions of these books-which suck, by the way-own the paperback version of these books, but was so dissatisfied with the pdfs, that I bought all of them out of the Sony Bookstore, anyway. Jordan's definetely had his chance to empty my wallet more than once. And the worst part is I've given over fifteen years of my life to the expectation that someday the series will be done.

Sorry about that. Mind was wandering. But's that's me. Love books more than people. Is that so wrong?

[Jobby]

Originally Posted by Steven Lyle Jordan

Yes. You are aware of how stupid that question is, right?

And yet here you are - complaining that the market is completely wrong and that you are right, and that you *deserve* to be paid for what is essentially a hobby.

What were your words: "If no one wants to pay for my books, I might as well make chairs."

If that's as deep as your commitment to writing is, you'd probably be a much better carpenter.