That thing asking for thoughts on piracy? Forget it. Other people have written better posts on the topic, and when I disagree with them it’s all my own opinion, which at this point counts for very little.

So in a way that was a waste of 3,000 words today, but I feel like by drafting the posts, I understand my own feelings on the subject better. And words are words. Experience. Not a total loss. I needed a break from fiction, anyway 🙂

(But seriously, why can’t my fiction output be as efficient as my blog output?)

Melinda Atlas pointed out that it’s a topic that’s everywhere right now, and she’s right. Though I wanted to look at why people do it (and why I agree/disagree, and alternative approaches) rather than why OMG IT’S BAD STOP IT or SOMEBODY DO SOMETHING, there’s already enough of that out there. Instead, I’d like to compile a list of interesting reads on the topic, with your help.

First, Chuck Wendig (a post which Melinda also reminded me about). Why does he get to be first? Because I adore his blog. The man is brilliant. He has turned crass language into an art form, but he’s actually incredibly encouraging and far less of a hard-ass than some people on publishing topics. And HAVE YOU SEEN THAT MAGNIFICENT BEARD?!

Also, he covers a lot of issues I wanted to discuss with y’all, more succinctly and humorously than I could. So go read this. I agree completely that people have reasons for illegally downloading books, though I was going to add a few to the list. I also agree that artists deserve to get paid for their work, consistently, even if that’s a dream that just ain’t gonna come true.

Check out the comments, too, in which people address other arguments like the “it’s no worse than a library/borrowing a book” issue, and his Why I Hope You Don’t Pirate My Book post, which is beautiful.

Joe Konrath has some interesting thoughts on piracy, which basically boil down to “It’s not hurting you, you can’t stop it, quit bitching.” That’s what I mean about Chuck Wendig being less of a hard-ass. Mr Konrath says it better than that, but that’s the message I get. If you get angry when people speak plainly on topics you might disagree with, I’d skip that one. Really interesting if you don’t mind the attitude, though. I like him, myself, even if I disagree on some points. I do completely agree with him on why hard-ass laws and things like DRM do more harm than good, and the fact that piracy would be less of an issue if e-books were affordable* ($5.99 and under seems reasonable to me as both a reader and an author; if I won’t spend that on a book, I probably didn’t want it that badly. More than that, and I feel cheated).

There are more. Link away in the comments (I’ll spring you from spam jail if you’re legit), or share your own stories or thoughts on the topic (though you might also want to comment on the original posts, if applicable).

I want to know. I want to learn.

–

*Side note: the price-and-availability issue is one of the top reasons I’m self-publishing.