Just two weeks ago, I was thrilled to share the release of my new book, Do Me Right, with anyone who was interested. It’s the first full-length novel I’ve released in a year and a half and it’s my first full-length e-book.

Of course I’m thrilled that there were readers who were as excited about the book’s release as I was. Unfortunately, some of those same readers don’t want to pay for the book, and at several pirating sites have been requesting free copies of the book. What’s even more unfortunate is that people who might have legitimately bought the book are actually fulfilling those requests, which means that I’m losing money.

In the past week, I’ve had to ask four of those file-sharing sites to take down the link to a free copy of Do Me Right. I had to explain that they were engaging in copyright infringement by having it up there, and why it was copyright infringement. At any rate, the sites, with the exception of one, have been good about taking the links down. The people who provided the links originally, however? Not so much. I’ve e-mailed and asked them not to post, and within two days one of the perpetrators put it up again, just on another website.

Between those four sites, I estimate that at least 100 copies of Do Me Right have been downloaded for free, and of course that’s not even counting the pass-along rate. Yesterday, before I could get to the new site and ask them to take the link down, 39 copies had been downloaded for free.

I think the thought may be that they bought the book, so they can do with it whatever they want. What they fail to realize though, is that they only bought one copy, yet when they post, they not only keep that copy but give hundreds, if not thousands, of people access to the book besides! Because of this, other writers and I are losing tons of money.  And given that we work so hard to produce, this is a hard pill to swallow.

And so, I’m posting this as a plea to those of you who like to read our books:  Please don’t visit those sites.  The idea that people are so wanting to read our books that they’re willing to steal it from us is not a compliment. It’s theft, plain and simple. Let’s not pretty it up.

So again: Please don’t visit those file-sharing sites and download our books for free. You really are stealing if you do.

Lisa G.