tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5051158079004461008.post8993324058069440106..comments2022-11-23T14:45:01.763-08:00Comments on Lost in the Mist: A Short WhineCatherine M. Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06608939444087196123noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5051158079004461008.post-44602006873987595762017-04-21T13:27:56.930-07:002017-04-21T13:27:56.930-07:00The original post here was written in 2009, and th...The original post here was written in 2009, and the problem has become worse since then. I am seeing more stories about "entitled" folks who think they have a right to acquire any creative work for free. Here's something from 2016:<br />http://www.sarahmadisonfiction.com/2016/06/dear-broke-reader-your-sense-of-entitlement-is-killing-me/<br /><br />Evidently if they don't like my pricing, people feel it's perfectly OK to steal the whole thing.<br /><br />This morning I came across a blog post about Book I by someone who had read it, enjoyed it, but hadn't read the others because she "couldn't find copies" of the rest. All three books are for sale, so I assume she meant she couldn't find them for free. Someone replied to her that she would add them to a cloud service she presumably stocks with pirated books and probably other things.<br /><br />I'm sorry to report that this sense of entitlement to everything for free has caused me to stop writing. <br /><br />It took me ten years to write the trilogy, during which time I didn't have a day job. I went through my savings, including my retirement savings, and most of my inheritance during that ten years of writing, the two years it took to publish the books, and the three years after that when they didn't make much money.<br /><br />I am now 72 years old. I have no pension. I receive less than $1000/month from Social Security (and now that is under threat). None of this is anyone's business, but I state it here because most writers are not rolling in money, especially writers who write for underserved "niche" audiences, like young gay people.<br /><br />I have a thriving business doing typesetting and ebook formatting for other indie authors, and so far none of my clients has refused to pay me. Why would I stop doing that--because I can't write and do anything else at the same time--only to have my work stolen by the very underserved audience who complain there are no good books for gay young people.<br /><br />I would like to point out that I am not the victim of piracy. My books are still selling and making me a modest income. The true victim of piracy is anyone who wanted another book from me.Catherine M. Wilsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06608939444087196123noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5051158079004461008.post-52405546572712763752017-04-20T22:50:13.399-07:002017-04-20T22:50:13.399-07:00Hi Catherine, I read those complaints as well when...Hi Catherine, I read those complaints as well when I was browsing the reviews and without having even read the first book and knowing how phenomenal it would be, I thought that they were being total jerks and idiots. It's a FREE book! Usually you get a free excerpt of 30 or 50 pages to decide if you want to buy the full version. I find it very generous of you to just give us the complete first book for free and the the time to fall in love with the story. I would have gladly payed double for each of the other books because they are just beautiful. I love the trilogy and I very much hope that you'll publish a new book soon. Most lesbian fiction is so badly written. Yours stands out like an oasis in the desert. Thank you!Inksomniaxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07315927717673187347noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5051158079004461008.post-74522433173293594042010-01-21T14:33:47.038-08:002010-01-21T14:33:47.038-08:00Thanks for your comment, Mary Anne.
I imagine the...Thanks for your comment, Mary Anne.<br /><br />I imagine the person who complained about the price of my books didn't understand the economics of the situation. There is a corporate giant involved, and that is Amazon. As I've noted in other blog posts, Amazon takes 65% of the price of a Kindle book, leaving the author less than they receive for a paperback sale.<br /><br />Fortunately competition has prompted Amazon to increase the author's take to 70%, starting in June. That should bring down the cost of ebooks.Catherine M. Wilsonhttp://www.catherine-m-wilson.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5051158079004461008.post-46958577268352428212010-01-21T12:34:08.108-08:002010-01-21T12:34:08.108-08:00I think there's something else going on that y...I think there's something else going on that you don't have any control over. A lot of people are angry at corporations in general right now because of the economy. When that person reviewing your book at Amazon.com said, "Publisher," they were probably thinking Random House with their big offices in NYC. <br /><br />There are always going to be people looking for freebies. It's smart to have the first book free in a series. Baen Books has been doing it for years. After that, you have to do what makes sense in terms of cost. Forget about the few people who get their excitement out of running down free things.mary.anne.gruen@gmail.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16839396134411360643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5051158079004461008.post-51572587844260462552009-10-08T03:37:39.976-07:002009-10-08T03:37:39.976-07:00Hi Catherine,
Giving away the first novel in a se...Hi Catherine,<br /><br />Giving away the first novel in a series is a great idea. Some people will always want everything for free but readers who genuinely enjoy your work will be happy to pay $9.99 to see how the characters and story develop.<br /><br />I've announced your first novel on my site which will hopefully send some new readers your way.Mark Gladdinghttp://www.ebooksjustpublished.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5051158079004461008.post-13009674229094365542009-09-23T23:39:25.559-07:002009-09-23T23:39:25.559-07:00Thanks, Sharyn, for the Atta girl! Much appreciate...Thanks, Sharyn, for the Atta girl! Much appreciated.Catherine M. Wilsonhttp://www.catherine-m-wilson.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5051158079004461008.post-32057464586954509572009-09-22T07:10:08.704-07:002009-09-22T07:10:08.704-07:00Well, I'm happy to give you an "Atta girl...Well, I'm happy to give you an "Atta girl." I downloaded WWWW1 from Amazon, either for free or for pennies. It's been so long ago now that I don't really remember. BUT...I read it and was so taken with it that I immediately went back to the Kindle Store to buy books 2 and 3. Happily! Seems to me the reason to give away a first book in a series is to develop readership for the rest of the series. This one is well worth paying for.Sharynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02326166497006379444noreply@blogger.com