You Tell 'Em, Nora! Nora Roberts Speaks Out Against E-Book Piracy

I had to share this letter from Nora Roberts regarding e-book piracy. For the Romance Writers of America, she eloquently states the case for not robbing authors and other creators of the value of their work.

In part, she says:

"In discussions with people who feel piracy is simply the cost of doing business, or worse, that it's their right as a consumer, I've been told I should be flattered so many people want to read my work--for free--that they probably wouldn't have bought the book anyway, so it's not really a lost sale, that there's nothing I can do about it, so why fight it. They tell me they can't afford to actually buy the book, but they want to read it. When I suggest the library as an alternative, I'm told the library's too far away or the wait for the book from a library too long.


I'm told not to call it stealing or those who engage in the practice thieves because it annoys them.


It annoys them.


I say, respectfully, it annoys me when what we, as writers, have created out of our individual minds, hearts, guts is taken without compensation. When it's taken without our consent. We do not consent to piracy. We do not consent to being devalued out of existence."

You can read her entire letter here: http://www.rwa.org/cs/Nora_Roberts_Letter_Bill3804