Piracy Sucks: My Recent Author Experience
This one is a bit of a downer, folks. Sorry. At the risk of sounding like I am marginalizing a serious issue, this blog's title best captures my feelings on my recent piracy experience.
This post required many revisions. I was upset so I thought it best to take my time to collect my thoughts before speaking openly.
Since I published my debut novel, Imperious Realm, I have been regularly Googling my book using various keywords to see if my work was being pirated. I have access to legal consultation through my insurance company in case I need to take reasonable action.
In the meantime, I have been learning more about piracy through nightmarish stories from the online writing community. One of these stories involves thefts occurring through Kindle Unlimited (KU). I am referring to KU’s exclusivity clause. Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) was punishing authors by suspending or terminating their accounts because their material was available on pirated websites, even though the breach occurred through KDP. Many accounts were reinstated after social media uproar. I don't use KU as a writer or reader, but this doesn't mean books can't be stolen elsewhere.
I also learned about anti-piracy software available to artists. (More on this later.) Earlier this month, before I was able to look into this software, I stumbled upon a "free reading" website during one of my regular searches—and found a full copy of Imperious Realm. Then I found two more.
Piracy hurts owners of the work—authors, in my world. While I had been searching, it is deeply disheartening to learn that my art was read without my legal permission. This isn't just about the resources I've invested in this endeavour but my heart and soul that I poured into it. It feels like a violation because it is. Piracy is theft, and illegal.
Indie authors can pay thousands of dollars, preparing their books for readers to enjoy. Some authors aren't as concerned about piracy for various reasons. That's not me. I would hazard a good guess that most authors care about piracy.
Yes, I have strong messages in my book I would like to spread awareness on. But I also value respect and fair compensation. Piracy undervalues hard work and is money taken out of our pockets. Unfortunately, my experience isn't a unique one.
This breach didn’t happen through an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) read for a potential review. I tried but I didn’t understand the ARC process well enough at the time to obtain readers. I suspect this act occurred right from when my debut novel was published which if true, means that it was purchased for the purpose of illegal distribution. I could have confirmed when based on subsequent minor corrections I made in my book but honestly, I would rather not know.
I thought I was just experiencing a very normal, rocky start to publishing. And maybe I was. People barely know me so much of my efforts are centred on getting my name and my book’s name out into the world. But upon finding my work illegally distributed, it felt like I never stood a chance at succeeding.
Luckily, when I found out about this issue, I had already agreed to a contract with my cover designer for Book 2, which I plan to release in November 2023. I know myself and know that if I had discovered the piracy a few days earlier, I would have undoubtedly put off contacting my cover designer and might have even put off publishing my next book because I felt so disengaged.
We learn from setbacks, I guess. I suppose it's better I was dealt this blow early in my writing career when the impact isn't as great, and learned about how to effectively manage this issue. And maybe the people who illegally read my book might view the world just a little bit differently by gaining insight through Sergen's struggles.
But these also might simply be my consolations after being a victim of piracy. Hmm…I'm really disliking the negativity of this post. Sorry, again. (I'm Canadian so apologies are instinctual to me.)
I'm in a much better place now. But as you can probably tell from my writing, I was quite resigned about this whole thing. I'm not going pass judgment on others other than to say that the best way to support authors is to legally read their work. I wanted to focus this post on the act of piracy and its impact on me, then take a deep breath and move on.
The only solution is a reactive one. I secured the services of MUSO, an online anti-piracy company that identifies and removes pirated material across the internet. My writer brain visualizes an anonymous tipster snitching to the FBI. Upon hearing this scandal, the FBI decides to quash the suspects in a swift raid. SWAT members, dressed in black, scale looming walls surrounding the Evil Piracy Lair and interrupt a roasted gigabyte dinner to forcibly retrieve copyrighted data. I'm not big on shoot-outs but some Jason Bourne-style martial arts is warranted here.
Less dramatically, MUSO issues Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) takedown notices to remove illegally obtained copies of my work. So far, my experience with MUSO has been positive. Takedowns are quick, and the software is user-friendly. I'm still doing manual searches since I can report specific URLs to MUSO. Within the first 72 hours of signing up, I authorized the removal of 19 torrent and Google links. Of course, as I was making final edits on this blog to post, I received notice today of another takedown.
Anyway…I have good things coming. My cover designer is going to wow me in the next couple of months. I'll have another book released by the end of this year.
I have a slow start. I know that professional writing is a marathon.
So…buy my book? I would be forever grateful if you did and left an honest review.