A Word of Warning About Pirate Sites

[deborahjross]

Google Alerts has informed me of a spate of pirate sites containing my work. Obviously, as an author I would much prefer my readers to obtain my books through legitimate sources. I like to be paid, like everyone else. But these sites pose hazards for the unsuspecting visitor. They can be laden with viruses and malware. Some require a credit card number in order to register, which means they are actually not pirated book sites but credit card number harvesters.

I do my best to price my self-published work in a way that is fair but affordable. (Alas, I have no control over what my publishers charge.) I participate in Book View Cafe sales that occur a couple of times a year. I want to make my stories available to everyone who wants to read them. Many are available at your library, either in paper editions or through one of the library ebook vendors that Book View Cafe contracts with. I donate autographed copies, usually of hardback editions, for various fundraisers. For the last two winters, I have offered free copies as holiday gifts. And finally, I do my best to arrange for review copies to be made available.

We are part of a community of readers and writers. Let's support one another and leave the pirates to sink under the weight of their own unscrupulous tactics!

The painting is by Howard Pyle, public domain.