Here is my plea to him:
Hello, I'm Randolph Lalonde.
I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed my books on your new Nook. My full time job is to entertain, and I take great pleasure in hearing that I've accomplished it.
Having said that, I read your recent forum post about sharing my work without permission and I have something to ask you. Please don't supply free download options for my non-free Spinward Fringe work, including broadcast 1-current.
These books are my livelihood. Nearly every penny my readers spend on those goes to rent, food, power, Internet, phone and other critical bills. The leftover money goes towards developing other projects that take months, sometimes years to complete.
By taking my books and offering them to the world without my consent, you're breaking the law and my heart.
I realize you paid for your copies, but the majority of the people who download them will not. If they enjoy the books, they won't go and buy a copy on a retailer's website afterwards either. That's not how piracy works. They'll spread it - for free - and even more people who enjoy the books will keep spreading them without paying the price of admission themselves.
I understand the mentality of try before you buy, and respect it. That's why I offer extensive previews of all my books, so people know exactly what they're buying and what quality to expect. Smashwords has the best previews. I invite you to send people there, where they will find a free 179,765 word novel that you're already familiar with.
When someone steals one of my books, it makes me feel like my work isn't worth paying for, like my time is worth nothing. It takes a lot of work to write a novel, convert it properly, publicize it, and make sure it works on everyone's devices. I also don't have the support of a publisher, or much money to start with, so I have to do all myself. It's also unfair to everyone else who is kind enough to support me by paying the small price of admission.
Piracy can ruin someone like me, who doesn't make much money in the first place. I would have to quit writing full time if my income suffers at all, I don't have much in the way of savings. I live from quarter to quarter by budgeting carefully. If my focus is drawn elsewhere, like on a job not related to these or other books, I'll be lucky to get one book out a year. Not only that, but you'll be personally responsible for stopping someone from doing what they love for a living. I can't begin to tell you how terrified I am of losing that dream, or how hard I work to make sure it remains a reality.
Please don't take my dream away,
Randolph Lalonde
10 comments:
Oh, wow. Very eloquently put. I hope it reaches some people.
I have read all of the books in this series and paid for each one. The prices are very reasonable. I hope your plea reaches some who may not realize that what they are doing is stealing, cause I'm afraid that those who know better don't have the moral's to care. Wish you the best.
First of all, I love the works...I will continue to wait for them and pay what I've always found to be a fair price. I detest the proposed action of this pirate; he works in complete opposition to freedom.
I'm very sorry. I will continue to pay for your books and appreciate the work you are doing.
Randolph - I am sorry someone is offering allow piracy of your book I would like to think "we" the general reader would be above that. I think many if not most of us are. I believe your best defense is keeping your prices in the realm of something avid readers can afford.
Keep up the great work and now I need to get back to reading, it appears you have a nice head start on me :)
Just wanted to let you know that I have read the first Spinward novel of yours as well as the first First Light novel. I didn't pay for either. I am currently right now in the process of purchasing all your books that you have available. Your work reminds me of early Heinlein and I think it's awesome.
I downloaded your first book free off Amazon, and you got me hooked, best idea yet. I have now purchased all the rest.
Keep up the good work!
Read the first of the series as a free download from Amazon on the recommendation of a co-worker. After thoroughly enjoying the first book, I was searching for torrents for the remainder of the series when I ran across this post. Appropriately admonished, I will be paying for the rest of these excellent books through Amazon. Sometime it takes a post like this to highlight the reality of the harm that pirating does. I think sometimes some of us assume all authors enjoy the riches of a J.K. Rowling, Stephen King or John Grisham when that really isn't the case.
First book read for free from amazon. Instantly hooked.Purchased all the rest. Keep up the amazing work!
At less than 8 bucks a book and with the content of such quality it’s almost impossible not
To pay for these works. If only apple sold the omnibus.
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