Author Topic: Giving away books for your newsletter  (Read 1695 times)

alhawke

Giving away books for your newsletter
« on: January 10, 2022, 06:37:22 AM »
I've been building my newsletter for about two years now. I'm at 1750. I'm picky about giving away pdfs. I read somewhere in the past that people who download pdfs can easily create pirated copies. I know the whole pirated thing. Usually I don't worry about this stuff much. But recently in light of Timothy's experiences, I want to be careful.

Soooo ...

Do you guys make your pdfs available for ARCs or giveaways? Is there any difference if I'm giving away the epub and mobi?

Second question: My ARCs (advanced review copies) are slightly different than my books in stores (formatting changes). I do this in the off chance that I ever have to track a pirated copy. But what about giveaways? If I'm giving away a book, shouldn't I be giving the same book as I'm selling?
 

Post-Crisis D

Re: Giving away books for your newsletter
« Reply #1 on: January 10, 2022, 09:39:49 AM »
With a PDF, you can use security settings to keep people from copying and pasting the content.  There are ways around it, of course, but at least you'd be making the pirates jump through an extra hoop.

With epub or mobi, I think it's even easier to copy than a PDF.  Plus, everything is already in the format they need.  So, really, as far as I know, it just makes things easier for the pirates.
Mulder: "If you're distracted by fear of those around you, it keeps you from seeing the actions of those above."
The X-Files: "Blood"
 
The following users thanked this post: alhawke

Eric Thomson

Re: Giving away books for your newsletter
« Reply #2 on: January 10, 2022, 09:53:25 AM »
I don't give away anything from which I'd like to make money. And I don't do ARCs. Doesn't stop the assholes, but it does force them to buy my book, copy it, then return it for a refund, which happens every time I publish a new one. How do I know? There are forums who specialize pirating intellectual property and whose members put out bounties for specified titles. Can't offhand recall what my books are worth to them, but whatever. You can't stop scumrats.
 
The following users thanked this post: alhawke

alhawke

Re: Giving away books for your newsletter
« Reply #3 on: January 10, 2022, 03:58:21 PM »
With epub or mobi, I think it's even easier to copy than a PDF.  Plus, everything is already in the format they need.  So, really, as far as I know, it just makes things easier for the pirates.
It makes sense. I don't know where I heard pdfs were easier to pirate.
 

RBC

Re: Giving away books for your newsletter
« Reply #4 on: January 12, 2022, 03:07:13 AM »
There will always be freeloaders. As long as you do the security settings for PDFs then you've done your job and controlled what you can control. Worrying about assholes stealing isn't gonna help and the people using those copied versions will actually probably never buy anyway. Few will go on to buy stuff(I've pirated plenty movies I admit!). But most of people who use piracy sites wont be ideal readers anyway.
 

Marti Talbott

Re: Giving away books for your newsletter
« Reply #5 on: January 12, 2022, 12:13:57 PM »
I've been building my newsletter for about two years now. I'm at 1750. I'm picky about giving away pdfs. I read somewhere in the past that people who download pdfs can easily create pirated copies. I know the whole pirated thing. Usually I don't worry about this stuff much. But recently in light of Timothy's experiences, I want to be careful.

Soooo ...

Do you guys make your pdfs available for ARCs or giveaways? Is there any difference if I'm giving away the epub and mobi?

Second question: My ARCs (advanced review copies) are slightly different than my books in stores (formatting changes). I do this in the off chance that I ever have to track a pirated copy. But what about giveaways? If I'm giving away a book, shouldn't I be giving the same book as I'm selling?

I could be wrong, but I think Amazon has a rule about not giving a book away free that is on sale on their site.
Read The Swindler, a historical romance available at:
Amazon, Apple, Google Play, Kobo & Nook
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QG5K23
 
The following users thanked this post: alhawke

JRTomlin

Re: Giving away books for your newsletter
« Reply #6 on: January 12, 2022, 12:42:12 PM »
Most of us regularly give away novels through Book Funnel although the one I give away there is not on Amazon in ebook format.

If I do ARCs (which I don't usually) I also do ebook files through Book Funnel. ARCs normally go out before a novel is live on Amazon so should not cause any problem.

Amazon as far as I know says you are only supposed to do giveaways of ebooks that are live by buying them from Amazon. No words. 🙄
 

 
The following users thanked this post: alhawke

alhawke

Re: Giving away books for your newsletter
« Reply #7 on: January 12, 2022, 03:01:00 PM »
As long as you do the security settings for PDFs then you've done your job and controlled what you can control.
Ignorant here ... what security settings? Is this like a password lock?
I just remembered why I haven't allowed pdf downloads in the past. Bookfunnel only watermarks epub and mobis (for what it's worth).
 

RBC

Re: Giving away books for your newsletter
« Reply #8 on: January 13, 2022, 04:10:20 AM »
As long as you do the security settings for PDFs then you've done your job and controlled what you can control.
Ignorant here ... what security settings? Is this like a password lock?
I just remembered why I haven't allowed pdf downloads in the past. Bookfunnel only watermarks epub and mobis (for what it's worth).

Yes, password, no printing. Some options. Basic overview:

https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/how-to-protect-a-pdf-file-from-copying/
 
The following users thanked this post: alhawke

alhawke

Re: Giving away books for your newsletter
« Reply #9 on: January 13, 2022, 06:52:39 AM »
Yes, password, no printing. Some options. Basic overview:
https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/how-to-protect-a-pdf-file-from-copying/
Bookmarked. Thank you!
 
The following users thanked this post: RBC